Final Word from Monday, June 24, 2013
When push comes to shove, will 120 MPs really vote themselves out of a job by dissolving Parliament? Clearly the political parties must make the threat of provoking early elections as a way to put pressure on Miloš Zeman before he appoints a new PM, but in reality only ČSSD and the Communists would benefit from a quick ballot. What about TOP 09, you ask? As long as Ivo Ištvan is senior Olomouc state prosecutor, and as long as he is in charge of the Nagyová cases, Miroslav Kalousek of TOP 09 can't afford to lose his parliamentary immunity. Nor can Martin Kuba or Petr Nečas of ODS, for that matter. Without the safety net provided by their colleagues in Parliament, they can't be assured of avoiding prosecution in the matter of the three ODS rebels. So no matter what threats TOP and ODS make about putting Zeman in his place, we should take them with a grain of salt, just as Zeman will. Instead of preparing for early elections, we should probably get used to the idea of Jiří Rusnok as PM - perhaps even until July of next year.[Czech Republic Jana Ivan Fuksa Petr Tluchoř Marek Šnajdr president crisis raids]
Glossary of difficult words
vise/vice - a metal tool with movable jaws that are used to hold an object firmly in place while work is done on it;
when push comes to shove - when one must commit oneself to an action or decision;
to dissolve - to close down or dismiss (an assembly or official body);
safety net - a safeguard against possible hardship or adversity;
to put someone in his or her place - to deflate or humiliate someone regarded as being presumptuous;
to take something with a grain/pinch of salt - to regard something as being exaggerated.