Final Word from Friday, May 14, 2010
The Greens might be loath to form a coalition with Jiří Paroubek of ČSSD, but the two parties actually have something important in common. They are the target of a concerted effort to limit their election potential. Certain business interests, esp. in the energy sector, would very much like to see the Greens disappear from Parliament. Calling a press conference - ignored by most media - to demand that ČEZ reveal the owners of Appian isn't conducive to the status quo. The attacks against Paroubek have a similar motivation. His personality and presidential ambitions make him a risk to the way things are done. ČSSD's policies would be more predictable if he were sidelined, and getting rid of him will be easier if ČSSD's election results are firmly below 30%. In this sense, a vote for the Greens or for Paroubek might be the only effective way to take a stance against the growing "electrostate."[Czech Republic electricity power Group]
Glossary of difficult words
orange - ČSSD's color;
to be loath to - to be reluctant; unwilling;
concerted - coordinated;
Appian - a major supplier to ČEZ;
conducive - making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible; favorable to;
to sideline - to remove, take out;
electrostate - (our term) a country in which government and industrial policy is guided by the interests of the electricity industry.