Prague - The attempt of the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) to force the government out of power failed once again today.
Aside from defeating the no-confidence motion initiated by the opposition, the three-member coalition of Civic Democrats (ODS), Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) and the Greens managed to push its budget proposal through the chamber, sending a signal it is nowhere near its end despite many troubles that have been brewing within its very ranks since it came to power early this year.
Winning the two key tests 101:97 and 100:97 respectively, the coalition proved its viability, but only thanks to the two social democratic "turncoats" Miloš Melčák and Michal Pohanka who continue to be the coalition's guardian angels they have been since the day one
To explain the ruling coalition's predicament, let's take a short trip down the memory lane.
Stalemate
After weeks and months of needlessly frenzied and over-publicized pre-electoral hassles, June 2006 elections resulted, grotesquely, in antagonist left and right blocs each controlling precisely one half of the Lower Chamber's 200 seats.
In other words, the election resulted in a true stalemate with the winning ODS, KDU-ČSL and the Greens on one side, and the Communists (KSČM) and social democrats on the other.
For conservative ODS, the prospect of left-wing parties as coalition partners was unacceptable the same way as the possibility of allowing a right-wing-led government to take power after eight years of center-left rule was unacceptable to the other side.
Turncoatism or statesmanship?
Long and painful period of negotiations resulted in the blue-black-green pact (ODS, KDU-ČSL and Green Party) finally winning the vote of confidence in January 2007.
The end of interregnum was enabled by a bargain viewed as an unforgivable treachery by many supporters of the left bloc - when the above mentioned duo Melčák-Pohanka, massaged during previous secret negotiations, abstained from the vote and hence enabled the government to be formed.
One member of the government, the Christian Democratic leader and Deputy Prime Minister Jiří Čunek soon attracted media and public attention because of an alleged corruption affair, which took place during his time as Mayor of East-Moravian city of Vsetín.
Čunek-gate
In June 2007, under a pretext of Deputy PM's untrustworthiness, the opposition initiated first unsuccessful vote of no confidence - the government was also saved by the splinter duo back then.
Jiří Čunek managed to endure public pressure generated by his murky affairs from the past, his anti-Roma racist remarks and, most recently, his alleged welfare abuse.
Read more: Czech Deputy PM quits, coalition govt holds on
Due to the latter case, Čunek even resigned from his government posts last month, but is very much willing to return to the cabinet now that the investigation has been stopped and his party gave him a gren light to do so.
Dissenters, rebels and the likes
Čunek wasn't the only Christian Democratic trouble-maker. Deputy Ludvík Hovorka also caused some tension in the coalition by his public dissenting against the health care reform proposed by the government; he was namely against the idea of charging people for various medical services.
The Green Party brought their own share of volatility into the mix, as attested lately by their inner-party agonizing over choosing a successor to the sacked Minister of Education Dana Kuchtová
Read more: Green rebellion subdued, coalition lives on
Even the very ODS witnessed an emergence of a "dissident" faction within its ranks led by deputy Vlastimil Tlustý. The rebels were opposed to some aspects of watered-down economic reforms, pushed by the government and believed by some to represent betrayal of the party's neoliberal stances.
Another explosive issue continues to be the plan of the United States to build a part of its proposed anti-missile defense shield on the Czech territory.
Hosting the US radar on Czech territory is favored by the government (with a notable teeth-grinding by the Green party base) but opposed by the majority of the people, various surveys show.
Read more: Mayors threaten to sue Czech govt over US radar 'lie'
Yet, in a seeming defiance of political gravity, the government somehow seems to be withstanding all of the above-mentioned difficulties just fine, perhaps even maturing along the way.
