It’s looking increasingly as if the political churn that has embroiled Hungary and Slovakia in recent years could be making its way to the Czech Republic. Last week, taped conversations between former Prague mayor Pavel Bem and a prominent influence peddler (a so-called “lobbyist”) Roman Janousek revealed they regularly discussed city matters together in a way that suggested more than a superficial level of cooperation. Over the weekend, Janousek was pulled over for drunk driving, after he first collided with a vehicle and then allegedly ran down its driver when she tried to stop him from leaving the scene of the accident. The growing scandal is unlikely to do the ruling ODS party (Bem’s party) any good as it seeks to rise in the polls.
