The accidental mayor

Some people are already joking that Adriana Krnáčová should be introduced as the future ex-mayor of Prague. Andrej Babiš apparently chose her initially to run for the job because he needed someone quickly and didn't expect to win in Prague anyway. Krnáčová was elected yesterday by a razor-thin margin of one vote and set some records in the process. She's the first ANO mayor in Prague, the first mayoral candidate to refuse to address the city assembly before the vote, the first woman to hold the post, and perhaps most importantly, the first foreign-born head of the city. This breaks down another social barrier and comes in handy for Babiš. If a Slovak who has only held a Czech passport for a few months can become mayor, why couldn't the president be a Slovakoczech of much longer standing? It's no secret that Babiš is already recruiting Miloslav Ludvík of ČSSD as Krnáčová's successor. It will be an embarrassment if Krnáčová falls on her sword quickly, but she will have helped pave the way for Babiš to go on to bigger and better things.