Final Word from Tuesday, February 13, 2018

If you don't believe the equation that One Social Democrat = Two Communists, take out a pen and paper and do the arithmetic. For every one MP from ČSSD who votes against a minority government with ANO, two Communists need to remain in the chamber and raise their hands in favor of such a coalition. If every MP from the three parties honored such a deal, all 15 Communists could maintain decorum by walking out. But can anyone really imagine that Radek Pokorný would allow Bohuslav Sobotka to give Andrej Babiš a vote of confidence? Somewhat less certain is how Milan Chovanec would behave, but even his or Sobotka's abstention or truancy would be enough to require Babiš to seek the active support of the Communists. Which is one possible explanation for why even the Babiš-owned media are attacking Tomio Okamura's SPD: The worse the extreme Right looks, the more relief there will be if it's the extreme Left that helps Babiš win his confidence vote. [Czech Republic KSČM Parliament]