Bloomberg.com: Europe
Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- The Communist Party is gaining influence in the Czech Republic, 16 years after the Velvet Revolution swept away the police state the party created.

Social Democrat Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek asked the communists to help him pass a new labor law in November after his two coalition partners balked. Paroubek says he's ready to accept their support to stay in power next year as his party trails the opposition Civic Democrats in polls.

The revival of the communists, who lost power after a peaceful 1989 uprising, is raising concern among opposition leaders and some businesses such as brewer Rodinny Pivovar Bernard AS, who criticize the party's refusal to apologize for 1950s-era show trials and suppression of human rights.

A fairly accurate summary of many of the current views of the status of the Communist Party. However, whether the party can be really said to have influence (other than pure leverage) is an open question. They are necessary to pass some of the social democratic law but they can rarely be said to have much impact on the formulation of such policy.