Hamáček puts Poche in his place

It didn't attract much attention, but Miroslav Poche told Czech Radio last week that a draft concluding statement for a top-level foreign-policy meeting this Wed. includes a sentence about ending sanctions against Russia. Poche revealed this as part of his effort to prevent what he called a fundamental change in Czech foreign policy that pushes the country to the EU fringe. Foreign Min. Jan Hamáček said on TV Prima yesterday that he is the foreign minister and that not a single comma in the CR's valid foreign-policy statement has been changed. If Poche says there is a change, he said, it is his opinion, not that of the foreign minister. This is the clearest indication to date that Hamáček has already decided to remove Poche. This decision was the easy part for Hamáček. The hard part will be doing it in a way that avoids the kind of media attack that ex-PM Jiří Paroubek is now facing from the very same people in ČSSD a.s. who insist on Poche as the foreign minister.