EDITORIAL >
If...
Written by: Philippe Riboton

IF YOU CAN abuse the average Joe Novák and still have him support you over the years. If you can have people believe that your greed for power represent a better alternative to the old communist crooks. If you can say "I mean it honestly" on thousands of billboards all over the country when you don't mean a single thing. If you can manage to get your party financing for your electoral campaigns by the most creative means. If you can have your political power mostly supported by all types of police organizations. If you can create a police squad that acts on your personal request and responds only to you. If you can spy on your political allies and enemies alike, without fear they will fight back, because you hold some secret file on every one of them. If you can challenge some of the most elementary rules of law and still stand proudly in public. If you can defiantly refuse to resign and have people accept it just because that's the way it is. If the only reason why your coalition partners still support you is because the proceeds from the upcoming privatizations will also line their pockets and they don't want to miss their chance. If your official income can't legitimize where the financing of your apartment purchase comes from. If you are able to find a miraculous uncle who will say he loaned you the money with plastic bags full of cash from abroad. If you can have your wife buy real estate with collateral coming from someone who has come under police surveillance. If you can organize a chain of interests so that all your protégés will get a piece of the action. If you can do all that while only in your early thirties, and still maintain your angel face...
Then you will be Prime Minister, my son.