Final Word from Tuesday, June 25, 2013
"When you play the game of thrones," says Queen Cersei Lannister in the TV series of the same name, "you either win or you die. There is no middle ground." Which is it going to be for Pres. Miloš Zeman? Winning, or dying? Which is it going to be for parliamentary democracy? Zeman's predilection for circumventing Parliament is uniting the political parties like almost nothing else before. Of course in some cases, it is fake outrage, but the reality is that anyone who isn't firmly in the Zeman camp has reason to fear what comes next. The opposition has started gathering support for dissolving Parliament. Why not use the same votes to amend the Constitution to put firmer reins on the president? If Parliament waits for Zeman to occupy the field, it will likely be too late. And counting on the "independence" of Pavel Rychetský's Constitutional Court is a sure way to get a knife to your throat when you least expect it.[Czech Republic television putsch HBO Game of Thrones]
Glossary of difficult words
Game of Thrones - a popular TV series on HBO (the quote is from Season One, Episode Seven);
predilection - a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something;
outrage - an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock or indignation;
rein - restraint, check or curb;
to occupy the field - (in this context) to have one's people in place and ready for action.