Final Word from Wednesday, January 15, 2003
TV Prima reported last night that a deal might be in the works calling for Václav Klaus to become Czech National Bank governor in exchange for ODS's support for Petr Pithart as president. Was Klaus setting the stage for this when he told TV Nova on Sun. that there are lots of examples in the world of central-bank governors being replaced before their term is up for failing to handle the economic situation? For the new president to recall Gov. Zdeněk Tůma, a serious reason would have to arise or be created. Klaus himself criticized Václav Havel two years ago for "significantly politicizing" the naming of the Bank Board. A deal to put Klaus into the central bank would prevent the "professor" or Miloš Zeman from reaching the Castle, but at what price? Instead of entering a post-Havel, post-Klaus, post-Zeman, post-Železný era, the CR would revert to the mid-1990s.