The uncomfortable face of Czech repression

Col. Roman Prymula presented a stern face of Czech repression, while Slovak Rastislav Maďar fulfilled the role with a lighter touch. Both were made for the job, but the same can't be said of Health Min. Jan Blatný. He's not a natural-born dictator and is visibly uncomfortable when he has to threaten to throw the book at people for partying like it's 2019. As the economic costs of the government's restrictions mount and more people offer resistance, ever-tougher talk is needed. PM Andrej Babiš told Czech TV last night that his government lacks the wherewithal to enforce the covid restrictions, so he will ask Interior Min. Jan Hamáček to prepare an amendment to the crisis law. "I understand that there is democracy," Babiš said, "but we can't have anarchy." If Babiš wants to suspend human rights even more than already allowed under the state of emergency, he'll need to find a new face of Czech repression, or take over the job himself. Blatný doesn't have it in him.