Final Word from Monday, October 20, 2008
ODS Chair Mirek Topolánek told Czech TV that not even analysts are able to analyze the reasons yet for his party's election defeat. It's actually not that difficult. On the one hand, ČSSD motivated socially conscious voters to protest against reforms that were undertaken without broad political consensus and that, in some cases, were merely a cover-up for pilfering from the state coffers. On the other hand, ODS lost the support of opinion leaders who were fed up with dirty deals that benefit politicians and their buddies and that are crippling society and the business environment. ODS was squeezed from both the bottom and the top. Topolánek declared that the wake-up call came at just the right time, but it doesn't take a deep analysis to predict what comes next. Instead of introspection and contrition comes an even greater haste by politicians to get what they can while the getting is good. Topolánek's only hope might be to deliver the cleaning of the Augean stables he promised about six weeks ago.[Czech Republic KDU-ČSL Greens coalition Television Václav Moravec]
Glossary of difficult words
Where the right went wrong - the title of a book by Patrick Buchanan;
pilfering - stealing, looting;
coffers - the funds or financial reserves of a group or institution;
squeezed - pressured, pinched;
wake-up call - something that causes people to become fully alert to an unsatisfactory situation and to take action to remedy it;
introspection - the examination of one's own mental and emotional processes;
contrition - the state of feeling remorseful and penitent;
while the getting it good - while there is still time;
cleaning of the Augean stables - a Herculean task of cleaning something that has long been neglected.