In a follow-up to a story I have covered since the tied-result election (just click on “Czech Republic” above to see the previous plantings), the center-right coalition finally was able to win a confidence vote. Two abstaining dissenters from the Social Democratic party made it possible. What deals were they offered? Stay tuned.
I hope someone can finally explain to me how it is that the Czech “Green” party, a pre-election partner with the main conservative parties in this government, is a right-wing party. (Thanks to Antiquated Tory for doing so in a comment; I hope to weigh in at some point.)
Propagation: Seeds & scions (1)
RSS feed for comments on this post.
TrackBacks
To graft a scion to this planting, please use the following URL:
http://fruitsandvotes.com/blog/wp-trackback.php?p=1133
(Non-MT bloggers click here to send pings.)
Grafted scions that are not compatible with this planting's stock will die or be pruned out by the Orchardist.
About the comment form
Please note that the name you enter below and the first several words of your comment will appear on the right sidebar of the blog's front page, under "Propagation." New propagators might want to look at the comment policy.
Please do not enter long URLs into the seedbed. Either mark them up using html hyperlinks or convert them to a "tiny URL." Thank you!
The soil is ready for planting:
`
O MY SOMEONE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT CZECH POLITICS ON THE INTARNET.
Normally my net acquaintances just ignore me when I go off on the subject.
The evolution of the Czech Green Party is quite complicated. When it was first founded it was more or less a left-wing party, part of the Left Bloc grouping. But it eventually drew in a number of classic liberal types with strong environmental concerns who were fed up by the domination of the Czech centre-right by Vaclav “Ecology is a pseudoscience” “There is no such thing as global warming” Klaus.
Remember also the environmental disaster that the Communist rule was, meaning there always were people who in reaction were friendly to both free market and environmentalism.
These newer Green party members, basically pro-development and highly pragmatic, were a lot better at actual politics than the left branch of the Greens, whom they have now driven off, purged or forced to toe the line.
Bursik is also one of the few truly credible and respected national politicians in the country, so a lot of the turnabout in the party’s fortunes is tied personally to him.
Lastly, they get support from young, educated, successful urban voters who do not see why they cannot have both a growing capitalist economy and breathable air. These voters, while leaning very much to classic liberalism, are put off by the centre right ODS’s Euroskeptic nationalist populism and anti-environmentalism (both courtesy of now-President Klaus, who pretty much drove anyone else capable of thought out of the party before leaving it). The Greens back a reduction in regulation and bureaucracy overall along with a committment to rational, effective, EU-standard-meeting environmental regulation and a policy of working with rather than against industry as much as possible. Very JS Mill-like of them and I am strongly sympathetic.
Seed planted by Antiquated Tory — 15 February 2007 @ 10:23