Most new ODS ministers in Mirek Topolánek's Cabinet have no hands-on experience with public administration, apart from Minister for Regional Development Petr Gandalovič, a former mayor. Some are former deputies, others come from the private sector and have some experience lobbying the government, but no idea how to organize their ministries, and as a result are fearful of making major gaffs and of seasoned --- but potentially disloyal --- subordinates.

After such a long wait on the sidelines, ODS ministers must now come to grips with the cruel fact that they may only hold the posts for a month, possibly two, as the minority government isn't expected to survive the Oct. 4 confidence vote.

The question is who's to blame. In spite of all the mudslinging, Topolánek and his predecessor Jiří Paroubek (ČSSD) could find some common ground. The problem was Topolánek's "praetors," as journalists call the ODS negotiating team, because they weren't able to accept a grand coalition government, the only viable post-election possibility.

Topolánek also formed a weak government (with some exceptions like Justice Minister Jiří Pospíšil) --- as it was clear that it has no staying power. Why else to nominate journalist and sometime actor Martin Štěpánek (unaffiliated) as culture minister?

Then there's Health Minister and former Senator Tomáš Julínek, who many see as rather too chummy with the pharmaceutical companies. His new spokesman Tomáš Cikrt, was a board chairman with Coalition for Health, an organization financed through endowments by GlaxoSmithKline's fund Elpida and the Pfizer Foundation. Jiří Vorlíček, a fellow board member, has been an outspoken critic of ex-Health Minister David Rath. Cikrt has left the coalition but few would say he's independent. From the producer of Viagra, without any experience in public administration, comes first deputy minister, Marek Scheider. Julínek's main task appears to be to make the extensive privatization of now off-limit hospitals possible --- before the government collapses (see story, page 11).

Topolánek also faces questions about his tenure on the board of engineering company VAE, now under investigation over whether a Kč 16 million (E 563,000) from První městská banka --- owned by the Prague municipality --- was improperly secured; whether there was a lien on Topolánek's VAE shares when he sold them, which is illegal; and what arrangement VAE made with the company that bought the debt, Eltodo, which former ODS Prague Mayor Jan Koukal joined after leaving office.

And there is barely space to mention Finance Minister Vlastimil Tlustý, who governs state funds and yet refuses to make transparent his own finances and assets. Is another scandal brewing bigger than the one that led ex-PM Stanislav Gross (ČSSD) to step down?

The ODS is fond of saying that government, and therefore the ministries, should be managed like businesses, with Topolánek promising ahead of the elections that he'd run the country like a "top manager" with no desire to micromanage. But the rest of us should keep a watchful eye on the cozy connections between the public and private sectors, for the new ministers are exceedingly gung ho to make changes in their limited terms.

Irena Ryšánková is a parliament analyst for public broadcaster Česká televize.