The idea of Interior Minister Radek John (Public Affairs, VV) becoming the government’s new anti-corruption czar is one option being considered for solving the coalition crisis that threatens to topple the government.

Civic Democrats (ODS) vice chairman Pavel Blažek says the party, the largest in the current coalition government, will insist on taking control of the Interior Ministry in a reshuffled Cabinet. “If there is a two-party coalition between ODS and TOP 09 and TOP 09 will continue to control the Finance Ministry, then ODS must have the Interior Ministry,” he told Czech Position.

The state intelligence agency Security Information Service (BIS) has not sufficiently monitored the activities of the private security agency ABL, claims former Interior Minister František Bublan (ČSSD). As a result, the de facto leader of Public Affairs (VV) and ex-Transport Minister Vít Bárta — ABL’s founder — was able to systematically make use of his business for political objectives and vice versa.

The Jaroslav Škárka affair has formed a slippery slide into the depths of political oblivion. The question is who will end up there. After the parliamentary deputies of Public Affairs (VV) expelled him on Tuesday evening for breaking the party’s code of ethics and bringing the party into disrepute, Škárka announced he would present indisputable evidence back his claim that he had received cash payments from Transport Minister Vít Bárta, the VV first deputy chairman.