Zeman's bitter revenge

PM Bohuslav Sobotka made history on Oct. 28 by skipping the awards ceremony at the Castle. He will make history again today by submitting his cabinet's resignation to the Castle by letter, instead of delivering it in person. Pres. Miloš Zeman said in May that another ceremony wouldn't be necessary, because he already accepted Sobotka's resignation once (without Sobotka's actually submitting it). Sobotka will apparently cease on Dec. 13 to be (acting) PM without having been in the same room with the president for seven months, other than a joint appearance at the Brno Engineering Fair. Sobotka was also in the retinue as Zeman laid a wreath in Vítkov on Czechoslovak Independence Day, and it is entirely possible that this was the last time the two will ever cross paths. It is a bitter, humiliating end to 15 years in top-level politics for the 46-year-old Sobotka and a triumph for the vengeful Zeman. Only his own reelection stands in the way of full retribution.