Final Word from Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Václav Klaus's claim yesterday in Euro that Petr Nečas hasn't managed to jump-start ODS since taking over from Mirek Topolánek is perhaps the best evidence that Nečas is in fact making a difference. Topolánek's departure was a victory for Klaus, and it opened the door for him to regain control of the party. But it hasn't gone so well for him since then. Two of his favorites, Pavel Bém and Tomáš Chalupa, have seen their influence dwindle. Nečas, in contrast, is hitting his stride just as some of his party's chief election rivals are peaking early (ČSSD, TOP 09, VV). Speaking to the Council on Czech Competitiveness yesterday, Nečas demonstrated that he can captivate an audience by being well-prepared, polite and on-message. ODS needs more people like this. For a few moments, at least, those in attendance yesterday were lulled into forgetting about what ODS has been up to at Prague city hall.[Czech Republic magazine Věci veřejné American Chamber of Commerce]
Glossary of difficult words
to knock someone - (informal) to criticize; to talk disparagingly about;
to jump-start something - to give an added impetus to something that is proceeding slowly or is at a standstill; to start a car with a dead battery with jumper cables or by a sudden release of the clutch while it is being pushed;
to dwindle - to diminish gradually in size, amount or strength;
to hit one's stride - to make good or regular progress, esp. after a slow or hesitant start;
to peak early - to reach the level of maximum performance too soon;
on-message - conforming to the party's agreed policies;
to lull - to cause someone to feel deceptively secure or confident.