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Braving the storm

Topolánek retains ODS leadership in face of Bém's challenge and Klaus' resignation

By Ondřej Bouda
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
December 10th, 2008 issue

MICHAEL HEITMANN/The Prague Post
Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek defended his post as the chairman of the Civic Democratic Party amid internal rifts.
MICHAEL HEITMANN/The Prague Post
Prague Mayor Pavel Bém lost his chairman bid by a landslide.
A steep loss of voter confidence and fundamental disagreements over the Lisbon Treaty have fragmented one of the nation’s most influential political factions.
In a final gesture demonstrating his disenchantment with the party he founded, President Václav Klaus defected from the governing Civic Democratic Party (ODS) during its Dec. 5–7 national congress.
During his short speech at the congress, Klaus said that the disagreement with Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek over the party’s current direction is a long-term problem. He also criticized the party for becoming closely affiliated with untrustworthy lobbyists and shady businessmen and moving away from its originally conservative policies toward the center of the political spectrum.
“This is no longer the party I founded and led,” he said.
Despite this disagreement and recent humiliations at the polls, Topolánek defended his post as party chairman, beating out his deputy and Prague Mayor Pavel Bém by a landslide.
Still, many party members were stunned by Klaus’ announcement and broke down crying. “Do not leave us; the party will die,” delegates told the departing honorary chairman as they asked for autographs one last time.
The ODS’s political platform has evolved since Klaus founded the party 18 years ago, causing an ideological rift between its modern leadership and Klaus, its symbolic head.
Klaus has been losing control over the ODS for several years, during which disagreements with pro-European party members have pushed his Euroskeptical wing out of the mainstream. The split culminated with the expected ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, which Klaus staunchly opposes.
Political analysts are divided over the impact of Klaus’ action. Some think that the president’s departure will cause fissures within the ODS.
The Center for Economy and Politics (CEP) a think tank founded by Klaus, is currently preparing a new party, Libertas.cz, which aims to gain voter support in the upcoming European elections by propagating Klaus’ reservations toward the European Union and the bloc’s unification process.
“After Klaus’ departure, some split in the party is very likely, and the ODS will have to prepare itself for the return to opposition,” said political analyst Bohumil Doležal.
Several ODS MPs have already threatened to leave their old party and join the new project if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified.  Petr Mach, director of CEP, has promised that the new party will be founded within the next month.
Other analysts believe that the split will strengthen the party in the long term. With Klaus leaving, the ODS will be able to cut itself away from the Euroskeptical views of its founder, said Charles University political analyst Tomáš Hubený.
Instead, a more constructive, EU-critical view that is common elsewhere in Europe will take hold in the party. “The party will become more credible to its European partners as well as Czech voters,” said Hubený, explaining that more than 80 percent of ODS voters are pro-European and wish to adopt the euro.
Logically, the right-wing party attracts businessmen, who will profit by the transition to a common currency, he added.
Moving forward
Whatever the long-term impact of Klaus’ resignation from the post of honorary chairman, his action had no tangible effect on the outcome of the recent congress.
Party Chairman Mirek Topolánek defended his position against Prague Mayor Pavel Bém. Most of the remaining party leadership was re-elected, with Prague 13 Mayor David Vodrážka replacing Bém as second-in-command.
After re-election as party chairman, Topolánek told journalists that substantial changes in the government will be made, but refused to disclose their exact nature. He only said that all options are open, including a minority ODS government or early elections.
Although delegates devoted most of the congress to debate over their party’s future following their historic loss in the October regional and Senate elections, bigger issues were at stake. The global financial crisis, the Lisbon Treaty and the planned U.S. radar base were mentioned in most speeches.
“Unpopular steps must sometimes be made for the good of the country, even if they hurt the party,” said Topolánek, who admitted partial responsibility for the election loss but pleaded with delegates to remain united for the sake of the elections in 2010.
The most heated debate took place over the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Some delegates wanted to forbid ODS MPs from ratifying the treaty at all; others asked for a referendum or called for postponing the decision until the second Irish referendum took place.
Despite the opposition of a small but ardent group of Euroskeptics, the congress left the ratification decision up to individual MPs, but asked deputies to ratify the U.S. radar treaties before ratifying the Lisbon Treaty.
Both chambers of Parliament are slated to debate the Lisbon Treaty this week, but neither is expected to make a decision yet.
The Senate, which submitted the document to the Constitutional Court earlier this year, has not yet had enough time to study the court’s Nov. 26 approval of the treaty and is likely to postpone ratification until Dec. 18, the last session before end of the year.
In the Chamber of Deputies, the situation looks even more complicated. While Topolánek has stated a clear intention to ratify the treaty, he is unwilling rush the vote, and has proposed March 2009 as the ratification date.
However, the opposition Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) has called an extraordinary session for Dec. 9 and hopes to ratify the treaty with the support of two junior government parties: the Christian Democrats and the Green Party. But, according to lobby rumors, ODS and Communist deputies plan to unite to block the proceedings, postponing ratification indefinitely.

Ondřej Bouda can be reached at obouda@praguepost.com


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