Final Word from Thursday, January 25, 2018

Jiří Drahoš said yesterday that Miloš Zeman treats the country as though it were a toy. It's a nice bon mot, to use Drahoš's own anti-Zeman term from the debate on Tues., but it shows how unwilling Drahoš is to acknowledge what is going on. In reality, Zeman is continuing his rolling-thunder strategy. By vowing yesterday to appoint Andrej Babiš as PM in Feb. if Drahoš prevails this weekend, Zeman was taking the position that the winner in parliamentary elections has the undisputed right to form a government. Drahoš has repeatedly said that Babiš, as a person charged with a crime, does not have this right. Zeman and Babiš, as they see it, are using their available constitutional means to protect this right and are betting that a majority of voters will agree with them. Babiš suggested on ČT last night that Drahoš is even prepared to violate the Constitution to prevent the new cabinet from being appointed. This requires more than a bon mot in response. [Czech Republic TV Prima constitutional crisis Czech TV television]