Wolf in sheep's clothing

The weekend defection of MP Petr Wolf from ČSSD is the stuff conspiracy theories are made of. He's a friend of the radar station, and on the surface his defection should make it easier for the government to ratify the controversial treaties with the U.S. But, as Alexandr Mitrofanov noted in Právo today, this defection is not necessarily good news for the U.S. How could Washington criticize the Czech government in its Human Rights Report for not cracking down on corruption and then accept a treaty that passed on the basis of what seemed like bought votes? Thanks to Wolf, ODS could actually see its radar deal go up in smoke. Perhaps ODS is telling the truth this time when it claims to have no role in the defection. Miroslav Šlouf and his tree-hugging buddy, Miloš Zeman, are the more likely culprits. Wolf's defection weakens Jiří Paroubek as ČSSD chairman, and it gives Šlouf and Zeman the added bonus of perhaps scuppering a radar deal they have long opposed.