Final Word from Monday, June 9, 2008
Misha Glenny says in "McMafia" that the collapse of Communism has led to exponential growth in organized crime around the world. The crime lords, he says, are good capitalists and have expanded like McDonald's, Nike or Shell. The most sought-after destinations of the Russian oligarchs and organized-crime syndicates were Poland, the CR and Hungary, he notes, in part because they were fast-tracked to join the EU. Organized crime and corruption flourish in regions and countries where public trust in institutions is weak, Glenny says. Without the help of the police and courts, organized crime can't flourish. Public trust in institutions in the CR is indeed weak, and the existence of a judicial mafia has now been confirmed by a court. Politicians concerned about the rule of law would see last week's court decision as an opportunity to make inroads against all mafias, but the initial reaction of the ruling politicians suggests that their interests lie elsewhere.[Czech Republic Michael European Unioni Marie Benešová Renata Vesecká Pavel Němec Pavel Kučera judiciary justice system]
Glossary of difficult words
"McMafia" - published in 2008; author Misha Glenny studied in England and at Charles University in Prague;
exponential - (of an increase) becoming more and more rapid;
fast-track - a route or course that provides for more-rapid results than usual;
to flourish - to develop rapidly and successfully;
judicial mafia - the term used by ex-Chief Prosecutor Marie Benešová to describe the way a group of 6-7 judicial officials handled the Jiří Čunek case;
to make inroads - to make progress;
their interests lie elsewhere - they have other interests.