Final Word from Tuesday, February 1, 2005
Stanislav Gross's apartment scandal isn't having the impact it would have in many other countries. One explanation is the underdeveloped political climate in the CR. Daniel Kaiser of the BBC said that other politicians have been hesitant to criticize Gross, perhaps for fear that their own spending levels could come under scrutiny next. Another theory is that the Czech public doesn't get very excited about underhandedness in housing, because everyone does what it takes to find a decent place to live. It's a sad state of affairs, the argument goes, if even the prime minister has to lie and cheat to put a roof over his head. Rent control has done wonders to deform the housing market. Recent plans to expand rent regulation to include all private dwellings would make the situation worse. Politicians and others would have to look even harder for creative financing methods. [Czech Republic residential premier deregulation mortgages]