Final Word from Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Before he was rushed off to the hospital with a case of vertigo last week, Václav Klaus was spending part of his time defending against allegations that the 1990s were a wasted opportunity for the CR. His opponents have tried to depict it as a period of robber barons who subscribed to the principle "take the money and run." Vladimír Špidla's election victory has stunned some of those who profited most from the Klaus and Miloš Zeman versions of laissez-faire capitalism. Špidla is busy remaking ČSSD, and now ex-Vice Chair Miroslav Macek of ODS wants his party to do the same. It's ironic that Macek, who profited handsomely from his political connections, is now leading the call for Klaus to find a successor who can set things straight. It's almost as though Macek were giving notice that the golden years of Czech capitalism are nearing their end.