Zeman's price for Prouza
When PM Bohuslav Sobotka needed to get lawyer Radek Pokorný's man, Petr Rafaj, confirmed for another six-year term at the helm of the ÚOHS antitrust office, he had his cabinet approve Pres. Miloš Zeman's May 2015 trip to Moscow and then commented on the controversial trip neutrally in the media. Zeman nevertheless told LN later that he agreed to reappoint Rafaj but that he didn't have the feeling that Sobotka fully took into account some of his friendly gestures. Sobotka now wants to sack Zeman's favorite ČSSD minister, Jan Mládek, and Zeman's spokesman, Jiří Ovčáček, is making it clear that it won't come cheap. As we wrote last year, if Sobotka decided to appoint State Secretary Tomáš Prouza, Zeman could easily refuse on the grounds that Prouza has repeatedly violated the civil-service act. The interesting question now is what foreign-policy concession Sobotka will be willing to make to Zeman to get another of Pokorný's foot soldiers appointed.
Glossary of difficult words
helm - a position of leadership; a tiller or wheel for steering a ship or boat;not to come cheap - meaning that something is of good value and will therefore be expensive;
foot soldier - a person who carries out important work but does not have a role of authority in an organization or field.