Too much democracy

All that was missing from the presidential election on Fri. and Sat. was the cage that Russian courts use to hold defendants. That would have made it clear that Václav Klaus and Jan Švejnar were prisoners to a system that seems broken. Czech politicians understand democracy to mean the freedom to do whatever they want, no matter how repulsive the voters might find their behavior. Švejnar's entry into Czech politics was supposed to bring fresh wind and a new style, but so far it has merely brought out the worst in politicians and dealmakers. Klaus's crowd clearly holds the edge in terms of knowing how to use the quirks of democracy to its advantage, which means V.K. still has a 60% chance of getting reelected. But if he fails again on Fri., pressure to do something about this "democratic surplus" will reach the explosion point. Czechs are a small step closer to direct presidential elections.