Final Word from Thursday, May 18, 2017
Where you stand depends on where you sit, and in the context of the Czech government crisis, this means that not everyone will rate yesterday's outcome the same. If you are an export-oriented businessperson, you are probably pleased by the prospect of political stability and aren't very interested in the nuances of whether one side got the upper hand on the other. If you think that Andrej Babiš was the problem and, like PM Bohuslav Sobotka, are convinced that his dismissal from the finance ministry will make amends, you can pop the cork on a nice bottle of fizzy and then get back to work. So why wasn't Sobotka happier yesterday as he announced Ivan Pilný's appointment? Why did the "brave and resolute" Sobotka return to his pre-crisis inanimate self? Perhaps because whether this can be seen as a victory for Sobotka depends more than anything on whether the ultimate objective was to get the finance or justice ministry for ČSSD. And that didn't happen. [Czech Republic cabinet ČEZ ANO]
Glossary of difficult words
mirthless - joyless; sad;
where you stand depends on where you sit - the position or view you take on something depends on what you have to gain or lose from it;
to get the upper hand - to gain an advantage;
to make amends - to bring about an improvement; to compensate, as for an injury or loss;
fizzy (wine) - sparkling (wine); containing bubbles of gas;
inanimate - showing no sign of life; lifeless.