The ODS chairman, Mirek Topolánek, recently published a new book showing his human side, but has otherwise dropped out of sight. The fact is that Topolánek is no longer a senator and official space for his opinions is limited. But when he and the prime minister debate each other on talk shows, the once-forceful Topolánek squeaks like a mouse when he should be roaring like a Czech lion. The same goes for the ODS.

A year ago this March, ODS was polling at about 30 percent and ČSSD at 15 percent; today, they're tied at 27 percent. Already sniffing danger, this fall the ODS looked set to lead a strong yet civil pre-election campaign to regain their lead. At the party congress in Brno, the Moravian capital, Topolánek proclaimed a campaign of politeness before screening an ODS promotional video clip by noted film director Filip Renč.

But the clip wasn't about what ODS could offer voters, but rather a condemnation of the ČSSD and the KSČM, the unreformed Communist party that now acts as kingmaker. And Topolánek has since resorted to a campaign of burlesque billboards slamming the ruling coalition.

What's more, the ODS "Blue Chance" platform introduced two years ago hasn't developed further. For most voters, it has little to offer but untested economic prescriptions and risks. People aren't enthusiastic about a flat tax or a Kč 4,500 (