Three presidential candidates, Pavel Fischer, Danuše Nerudová and Petr Pavel, received an endorsement yesterday from PM Petr Fiala of ODS and the rest of the Spolu/Together coalition. They also received a ball and chain to fasten around their ankles and waist. The physical restraints were of course only symbolic, but they will hinder the movement of these three candidates in the election campaign and get lighter or heavier as the presidential elections approach, depending on how domestic and global events progress. The three coalition candidates are now indelibly linked to the successes and failures of the Fiala government. They have become messengers of Industry Min. Jozef Síkela’s energy policy and deindustrialization, Defense Min. Jana Černochová’s expensive rearmament and Interior Min. Vít Rakušan’s war on disinformation and professional manipulators. Depending on how things turn out, one or two of the three candidates will thank Spolu profusely in Jan. for taking him or her under its wing, or else all three will damn themselves for being so shortsighted and not telling Fiala yesterday to go fly a kite.

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