Fiala and Rakušan walk into a bar...
There are scores of corny jokes in English of the kind, "Two guys walked into a bar. The third guy ducked." After the meeting yesterday at Malostranská beseda in Prague between STAN Chair Vít Rakušan and PM Petr Fiala to affirm their refusal to work after the elections with ANO, the joke could be, "Fiala and Rakušan walked into a bar. They agreed to have Vladimir Putin pay for their beers." The argument against Babiš continues to be that he will take the country toward Hungary and Slovakia and is eager to tighten the screws in the CR too. "Will we stay in the West, or head back to the East?" asks Spolu. The coalition parties adamantly refuse to entertain any kind of post-election collaboration with Babiš, yet they don't have the poll numbers to justify their self-confidence. This merely increases the fears among many voters that Fiala and Rakušan know something about the future outcome of the vote that no else knows. If they don't plan to rig the elections, they shouldn't give the impression they do.
Glossary of difficult words
scores of - a large number of something;corny - showing no new ideas or too often repeated, and therefore not funny or interesting;
Two guys walked into a bar. The third guy ducked. - a second meaning is, "Two guys walked into a long piece of metal. The third guy avoided it by ducking his head.";
tighten the screws - to put more pressure on someone or something to do something;
adamantly - firmly and resolutely; in a way that suggests one will not be persuaded to change one's mind;
to entertain - to give attention or consideration to (an idea or feeling);
to rig - to manage or conduct (something) fraudulently so as to gain an advantage.