Final Word from Wednesday, June 19, 2024

One of the big losers in the EU elections was Environment Min. Petr Hladík of KDU-ČSL, even though he wasn't running. Before KDU lost one of its two seats in the EU Parliament, Hladík was a rising star. He seemed to have everything it took to succeed Marian Jurečka as party chairman this fall. Hladík was a devout European, was throwing around money for renewable energy and insulation as the head of a hip ministry, was knee-deep but never charged in a criminal case that made him easy for the usual criminal groups to manhandle, and was a big supporter of getting rid of Christian Democrats with the wrong opinions. When KDU First Vice Chair Jan Bartošek complained that his party had "gone fishing for voters in liberal green waters that are foreign to us and where the space is already tight," Hladík was no doubt one of those he had in mind. The EU elections were a failure, which means KDU now has the chance for a political rebirth without Hladík or his like as its guide. [ Czech Republic hipster European Union Cyril Svoboda ]