Final Word from Friday, December 12, 2008
Remember the Green Party? Not the one that had almost disappeared from the public consciousness by the time of the regional and Senate elections a few weeks ago, but rather the one of the 2006 parliamentary elections. The Greens were the change party, with a fresh face (Martin Bursík) and an emphasis on "quality of life" and energy competitiveness. What's left now is not much more than a new vehicle-transfer fee that benefits carmakers but that worsens the quality of life of Czechs, just as the financial crisis is striking down on them. As the Greens wither away, two or three new political parties are being formed for targeting disillusioned centrist voters left in the lurch by ODS. The Greens have a golden opportunity to win some of these voters. But it would mean becoming the change party again and turning against high energy rates and other impediments to a higher quality of life.[Czech Republic environmental Zelení]