Aaah, Summer – and the stench of politics in the air. 

‘Politics in August…in Europe!?’, you might exclaim with incredulity.  This is the time of year where politicians are normally photographed lacking an integral part of their bathing attire, or giving a fake apology for being caught with their various mistresses.

But this year is different.  The Czech republic held inconclusive elections in June, meaning there is no government (but there are two Prime Ministers!)  With 200 seats in parliament, the center-right coalition of the Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats, and Green party (!) ended up with a total of 100 seats, and the Socialists and evil Communists ended up with 100. 

This means they have to have new elections.  There is no real way to get around it, because the only viable government would be a ‘Grand Coalition’ of people who hate each other.  But they want to show their supporters (and the public at large) that they have tried every single permutation of government, before they force them to stop drinking beer and having sex with their perfect Slavic wives to go vote.   

This means we’re now in a permanent state of electioneering.  The previous one was nasty enough, with allegations of corruption  and indiscreet acts with underage girls.  The socialist leader, Jiri Paroubek, who is famously compared with Mayor Joe Quimby from the Simpsons, is pulling out the big guns:

Paroubek says ODS wants to sell Budvar

Ceske Budejovice, Aug 29 (CTK) – Outgoing prime minister and chairman of the Social Democrats (CSSD) Jiri Paroubek has accused the Civic Democrats (ODS) of wishing to sell the last state-owned brewery in the country, Budejovicky Budvar, daily Mlada fronta Dnes writes today.

Paroubek claims the ODS has been offered CZK 40 billion for the brewery based in Ceske Budejovice, southern
Bohemia.

The ODS has denied the information and claims that Paroubek cannot be trusted, MfD writes.

I love that last line – ‘Paroubek cannot be trusted’. 

Now your average Czech doesn’t give a shit about most privatizations, but Budvar is a special case.  All the other breweries have been sold to large multinationals, and Budvar is the only remaining ‘Czech’ one (never mind that czech beer exports are at an all-time high).  Anheuser-Bush, maker of the god-awful recycled piss-swill nominally known as ‘Budweiser’, has been fighting a trademark dispute with Budejovicky Budvar (also known as Budweiser, coming from the town of Ceske Budejovice, or Budweis in German) for most of the last millennium.

No government will sell Budvar, as the evil Yanquis would immediately snap it up and force Czech people to drink bad beer.  Paroubek is much like a preacher in 17th century Salem, shouting ‘WITCH!’ and awaiting his rabble.  

Incidentally a poll was recently held with the following result…

Median poll confirms rising ODS preferences

Prague, Aug 9 (CTK) – The Civic Democrats´ (ODS) preferences have increased as nearly 42 percent of Czechs would vote for the party if elections were held now, according to the poll carried out by the Median agency in July and released today.

The poll confirmed the results of the Factum Invenio poll released on Monday and showing that 41 percent of citizens favoured the ODS, while 35.5 percent supported it in the June elections. 

Paroubek’s excuse?

However, CSSD chairman and outgoing Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has questioned the polls carried out during the summer holiday. He said that the poll results are improbable and untrustworthy.

 ’All my voters are on vacation.’  Could Diamond Joe Quimby have said it any better?