Klaus: Civic Democrats affair reflects failure of system, not individuals

President Václav Klaus says a blackmail and entrapment affair that has rocked his party the Civic Democrats reflects a failure of the Czech political system rather than a failure of individuals. MP Jan Morava resigned this week after it emerged he had bought what appeared to be compromising photos of a Civic Democrat colleague, Vlastimil Tlustý. The latter has refused calls to resign for taking part in a tabloid TV sting. Mr Klaus said that contemporary Czech politics was bereft of ideology and had become a fight for power using all possible means; he said if politics had more content there would be no need for various kinds of dirty tricks.

On Thursday the Civic Democrats senators group called on Mr Tlustý, who has a thorn in the side of the party leadership since being passed over for a cabinet post, to resign as an MP. Several senior party members have already urged him to quit.