Czech press survey
09.07.2012 12:23
CeskeNoviny: Prague - Czech papers comment on the proposal that former defence minister Vlasta Parkanova from TOP 09 should be released for prosecution and stripped of parliamentary immunity over her role in the dubious purchase of CASA transport planes.
TOP 09 knows what their voters wanted it to do when they elected it two years ago: to pass anti-corruption legislation, stricter rules for financing of parties and a general limitation of lawmakers' immunity, Jindrich Sidlo writes in Hospodarske noviny.
In fact, if a party starts its life, this must be part of its profile, Sidlo writes.
However, after the latest experience with the struggle of Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek, TOP 09' deputy chairman, for Parkanova one has to ask the following question: Should the law, the limitation of lawmakers' immunity refer to all of them or only to those who are not TOP 09 members? he asks.
Even if one accepts the idea that accusations of Parkanova are absurd, the refusal to release her for criminal prosecution from the Chamber of Deputies is a political mistake, Martin Zverina writes in Lidove noviny.
For many voters, the reluctance to do so by TOP 09 amounts to the confession that she is so deeply involved in the scandal that her "accomplices" refuse to release for fear that they, too, would be implicated, Zverina writes.
This may not be true, but most voters will believe that it is, he adds.
For them, TOP 09 will be nothing but a continuation of the policy of Christian Democrats who were linked with some businessmen, while the entire party apparatus is nothing but a sophisticated counterpart of the Public Affairs (VV), Zverina writes.
Can such a young party afford to take such an unpopular step? Maybe yes, because the autumn regional elections are only interesting for mayors, while the party is "only" devoted to the government policy, he adds.
Instead of a fundamental change, promised at the time of its establishment, TOP 09 has shown that is nothing but a normal party that is embroiled in corruption scandals like the rest, Josef Mlejnek writes in Lidove noviny.
Apart from the problematic duo at its head, party leader Karel Schwarzenberg and Finance Minister Kalousek, the party is only able to offer grey parliamentary mice that, if someone treads on their little tails, squeak as they are told by the party board, Mlejnek writes.
The charisma of Duke Schwarzenberg has faded away, as evidenced by his plummeting poll ratings ahead of the direct presidential election, he adds.
As a result, TOP 09 will be ahead of some rescue work in the forthcoming season, Mlejnek writes.