Final Word from Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Coal baron Zdeněk Bakala told MFD's magazine that he's a pragmatic voter who has cast his ballot in the past for both ODS and ČSSD. One of his competitors in the richest-Czech category once told us he doesn't care who's in power, because he can do business with either ODS or ČSSD. Some businessmen liked Vladimír Špidla, because he was seen as a straight-shooter, even if his socialism was hard to take. Jiří Paroubek is an altogether different beast. If he has an ideology, it's an anti-Marcusian thirst for power and glory that knows no bounds. Reversion to pre-1990 times isn't a risk, but Paroubek is clearly willing to hand over significant influence to the Communists to achieve his personal ambitions. Speaking on F1 radio, Bakala declined to say whether it's time for ČSSD to leave. It is time for influential people like Bakala to speak up about Paroubek and the Communists. [Czech Republic Herbert Marcuse Frekvence 1 OKD KSČM Communist Party]