Final Word from Friday, February 11, 2005
ODS has called for Stanislav Gross to resign, but a question period in Parliament yesterday showed that it isn't serious about bringing down the premier. ODS put on a good show and asked silly questions such as whether Gross is making his mortgage payments, but it didn't try to get to the bottom of the mystery-income issue. It didn't ask what role the bankruptcy of Armabeton developers played in the acquisition of Gross's apartment. Nor did it ask what collateral (or whose guarantee) was given for his wife's Kč 6m real-estate loan. ODS seems to have an agreement not to push Gross too far. If it got him into a corner, Gross could pull out "kompromat" on other politicians. Gross did, after all, have his own team of police investigators looking into past deals. ODS is happy to use the flat scandal to drain the lifeblood out of Gross's credibility, but it won't go in for the kill. [Czech Republic prime minister premier ČSSD comproming apartment Denna Production Šárka Grossová Mill Mlýn]