Final Word from Monday, November 8, 2021

Pundits were giving Pavel Blažek of ODS a 50% chance a week ago of becoming justice minister, but everyone now knows it's close to 100%. No one is mentioning him as one of the 4-5 candidates who might get the Šmarda treatment from Pres. Miloš Zeman, although some of the same people are behind both Michal Šmarda and Blažek. Political analyst Lukáš Jelínek wrote in Právo that Blažek is respected at the Castle and that this can help Petr Fiala find a path to Zeman. Jaromír Soukup of TV Barrandov reported the rumor that Zeman's entourage likes Blažek and that his nomination is the price for the quick appointment of the new government. "This is what I heard," Soukup told his viewers, "and I must inform you of it." The love for Blažek at the Castle is entirely without self-interest, Soukup assured his audience. This sets Blažek up for a collision with the media that never have anything good to say about Zeman and that consider those around him to be mafiosi. How will the liberal, pro-democracy media be able to praise the Fiala government if the justice minister is a good pal of Martin Nejedlý and Vratislav Mynář? [ Czech Republic television mafia mafioso gangster ]