What's the deal with von der Leyen?
EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen promised the CR a strong economics portfolio, or at least that's what National Security Adviser Tomáš Pojar told Právo. If she keeps her promise, he said, Jozef Síkela will have a directorate-general and be able to truly run something. Pojar likes to refer to himself as a Czech clerk, which means that an unelected Czech clerk is trying to put the elected head of the EU Commission on the spot. If Síkela doesn't get a strong economics post, von der Leyen will have reneged on her promise. In terms of talking out of school, this surpasses even the comment on Czech Radio in July by Síkela's adviser Tomáš Prouza about how the EU's PMs must have agreed to gang up against von der Leyen in refusing to submit to her both a male and female candidate. Prouza presumably heard that from Síkela. After such remarks by Czechs, it will be a true feat if Síkela gets a strong position, esp. given that he and PM Petr Fiala are only able to offer von der Leyen a handful of votes in the EU Parliament. Or did Fiala's deal with von der Leyen perhaps include a promise to her that Pojar didn't talk about?
Glossary of difficult words
to put someone on the spot - to force someone into a situation in which he or she must make a difficult decision or answer a difficult question;to renege - to go back on a promise, undertaking or contract;
to talk/speak out of school - to reveal secret, sensitive or private information, esp. when doing so will cause problems for someone else;
feat - an achievement that requires great courage, skill or strength.