Final Word from Thursday, February 21, 2013
Imagine for a moment that Miloš Zeman gets his way and organizes a new ČSSD-ODS opposition agreement after the elections. A routine press conference might look something like this: Speaker of the House Martin Kuba of ODS sits at the head of the table, flanked by Vice PM Michal Hašek of ČSSD (or will it be PM?) and Pres. Petr Kužel of the Economic Chamber (who works eagerly with any regime). Only a representative of SPOZ is missing. Kuba announces an important new legislative initiative that will be yet another breakthrough in cross-party cooperation and vows to send the bill to Parliament within two months. It will bring greater transparency, he pledges, and Hašek and Kužel present a critical but ultimately supportive rebuttal that makes it clear that they're on board too. Oops, sorry, that wasn't fiction, that was Kuba's and Hašek's actual press conference on Mon. announcing an amendment to the public-procurement law. Nice of them to make their intentions clear, but will the Zeman-Hašek-Kuba troika have the votes?[Czech Republic Parliament prime minister Hospodářská komora]
Glossary of difficult words
opposition agreement - a political agreement between two leading parties on different sides of the political spectrum for the creation of a minority government of one of the parties supported by the second party;
to be flanked - to be situated on each side of or on one side of someone;
public procurement - public purchases of goods or services;
troika - a group of three people working together.