Final Word from Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The vow taken by every Czech minister states that he or she will be true to the Czech Republic, will uphold its Constitution and laws, and will carry out his or her office conscientiously and without abusing it. You'll note that it says nothing about upholding "constitutional customs." When these customs come into conflict with the Constitution itself, they must necessarily go by the wayside, otherwise the person insisting on them could be judged to be abusing his or her office. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg declared yesterday that if he is cut out of the process of appointing ambassadors, he will pull TOP 09 out of the government. Under the Constitution, the role of the foreign minister in naming ambassadors is merely a privilege based on custom, not a right. From a strictly constitutional standpoint, it is Schwarzenberg who is trying to usurp powers that he does not legally have, not President Miloš Zeman.
Glossary of difficult words
vow - a solemn promise;
true - loyal or faithful;
conscientiously - wishing to do what is right, esp. to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly;
to go by the wayside - to be set aside or discarded because of other considerations;
to cut someone out - to exclude someone.