The current disgrace surrounding the replacement of the Minister for Science, but also the previous government castings show the biggest pain of Czech politics: They are not people. The parties are arid in terms of personnel and cannot attract inspiring personalities at all.
“We thought it was good, but it turned out as it always does.” In the management of TOP 09, they probably have to remember the famous quote of former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.
Or maybe they prefer to repeat over and over the good old lesson of every repairman and mechanic – “if it still works, you’d better not mess with it, otherwise you’ll never put it back together!”.
Yes, the completely botched operation – we will fire Helena Langšádlová and replace Pavel Tuleja – has become the inspiration for an infinite number of jokes. There is no point in adding more, but to say only the essential: The main goal of the exchange was not successful at all. That is, the revival of TOP 09’s declining preferences and at the same time the kick-start of Fial’s government. The result is the exact opposite.
Believe it or not, once upon a time, really personnel changes in governments were made to strengthen it – and it worked! The most successful such “trade” dates back to 2005. At that time, Jiří Paroubek directly replaced Stanislav Gross as prime minister, and according to surveys at that time, the party preferences of the Social Democracy were around 11 percent. A year later, the ČSSD achieved 32 percent in the elections.
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This charm, popular mainly in Britain, gradually disappeared. It can be seen very well indeed in the current government of Petr Fiala. Although, it’s true, the previous cabinet of Andrej Babiš didn’t exactly succeed in making changes either, who excused missteps with the legendary phrases “I don’t like the personnel” or “ministers don’t grow on trees”.
Almost every ministerial change in recent years has turned out to be a change for the worse. In the current cabinet, the Mayors first tried it before they understood. Then the people suddenly began to exchange. And now TOP 09.
It probably doesn’t work anymore. The two remaining government parties – the ODS and the Pirates – preferred not to do any personnel chess under the motto “those who do nothing will not spoil anything”. And voila, they have the highest preferences out of the coalition of five, at least in double digits.
Exchange of ministers close up
The podcasters were there with a microphone when TOP 09 announced the candidate for minister, but he only lasted a few days. Listen to this week’s episode of Bottom Left:
This experience and strong nerves (some would say arrogance), thanks to which he is not subject to current moods, is logically felt most from ODS. Only the civil democrats know best that if they dismissed such a minister of justice as Pavel Blažek, a real disaster would occur.
The risk that someone with a proper shell would come in his place is so great that it is not worth taking it at all. They know very well that it is far better to endure criticism, to stand up, to sit down.
Just imagine? What if someone comes who has money stored in a strangely functioning small house? Or someone who copied at university? Or was he vacationing years ago in the same hotel as the lobbyist who is being indicted today? Someone who ripped off his wife in a divorce? Or was he overtaking the regime before 1989? Or can’t speak English? Or bought cheap city apartments? Or does it have a solar power plant? Or his cousin…
… stop, enough, enough! Dear Don Pablo, they know well in ODS.
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From all this, it is clear that the head of TOP 09, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, now has only three options to solve the whole mess.
First: Looking at the party ranks and sighing “golden Helena”, try to persuade Langšádlová to take back science, research and innovation. With the exception of the tragic communication, she didn’t mean it that way.
Second: Then there is perhaps a less humiliating option. Admit the truth to Babiš and, with his words “ministers don’t grow on trees”, propose what the opposition movement YES is asking for – to cancel the ministerial post, saying that it will not help Czech science, research and innovation anyway.
And thirdly: Follow the advice of President Petr Pavel, who already last year recommended the government to acquire a communication expert like Daniel Stach from the scientific editorial office of Czech Television. He is decorated with many titles, speaks several languages and has already interviewed dozens of Nobel Prize laureates. But most of all – he drives wild water, that’s an ideal skill for politics.
Down on the left
Podcast of Václav Dolejší and Lucie Stuchlíková, political reporters Seznam Zpráv.
Political cases, problems of traditional and new parties, behind-the-scenes stories of election conventions and the House of Representatives. A new episode every Wednesday on Podcasty.cz, on Seznam Zprávách and in all podcast applications.
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