Klaus hoists European flag
The European Court of Justice isn't part of the European Union, but it's an inalienable part of Europe. Václav Klaus and his cohorts (Ladislav Jakl, Pavel Blažek) hoisted the European flag, so to speak, in a clever attempt yesterday to justify the most controversial part of Klaus's amnesty - the passage pardoning tunnelers, bank fraudsters and other good-for-nothings who have been under prosecution for crimes dating as far back as the 1990s, when Klaus was PM or finance minister. According to the European Court of Justice, they said, a legal prosecution is excessive if it has lasted longer than six years. Klaus told MFD that this seems too short to him, so he added two years. Even Klaus's biggest critics must now admit that this is a nearly bulletproof explanation for something that otherwise smells to high heaven. How can anyone, especially all those truth-and-loveniks, possibly argue with Europe?
Glossary of difficult words
to hoist - to raise or lift up, esp. by mechanical means;inalienable - unable to be taken away from or given away by the possessor; absolute, sacrosanct;
cohort - a supporter or companion; an accomplice or conspirator;
to tunnel - a Czech term for asset-stripping;
bulletproof - impervious to assault, damage or failure;
to smell to high heaven - to smell very bad;
truth-and-lovenik - a pejorative term used by followers of Klaus for devout followers of Havel's idea that truth and love will win over lies and hate.