Zeman dispenses with Chovanec

Pavel Zeman was famous under PM Bohuslav Sobotka of ČSSD for saying that he lived from Wed. to Wed., because the cabinet has the power to remove the supreme state prosecutor on the motion of the justice minister at any time without giving a reason. A similar Thur.-to-Thur. scheme now applies to Miloš Zeman's support for ČSSD. After saying for months that he wanted ČSSD to be in a government with ANO, the president suddenly told TV Barrandov on Feb. 8 that he wanted ČSSD to support a one-party ANO government of experts, but not to have any ministers. This position lasted through the ČSSD congress on Feb. 18 but was just as suddenly revoked on Thur., Feb. 22, again on TV Barrandov. Zeman now accepts that ČSSD can have ministers in the government. What changed over that two-week period? Milan Chovanec wasn't elected ČSSD chairman. As long as Chovanec's influence on ČSSD remains marginal, the party can rest easy on Thursdays.