Babiš is in no-man's land

Opposition politicians, analysts and journalists got a real kick out of Andrej Babiš's about-face on the nomination of Michal Šmarda as culture minister. Babiš is now against his own nominee, they marveled. Babiš submitted the nomination on May 31 but took objection to some of Šmarda's comments since then. Most offensive wasn't the widely cited "Kalousek in a skirt" remark about Finance Min. Alena Schillerová, but rather Šmarda's Facebook post about ANO as a bunch bastards who are only after power. Babiš advised those who don't think he has the right to change his mind about Šmarda to read the coalition agreement. Point No. 4 states that he "should" respect ČSSD's nomination, he said on Facebook, not that he "must." What Babiš failed to mention, though, is that he is now in no-man's land. He nominated Šmarda but now wants him to go away. Babiš should take his own advice and read the coalition agreement. There is no provision in the document for this eventuality.