Final Word from Monday, December 3, 2012
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Prague late last night to meet with Czech officials on "strengthening Czech energy independence," which has been widely interpreted to mean she'll lobby for Westinghouse to win the Temelín deal. ČEZ has indicated that the winner will be chosen based on technical & safety criteria and price. By allowing Rosatom to continue, ČEZ has made it clear that energy security is not a criterion. So what exactly does Clinton want? If she came all the way to Prague to push for a transparent selection process, she'll be suggesting that the tender isn't fair. If she wants Westinghouse to win on the grounds of energy security, she'll be asking the Czech government to go against the implied tender criteria. Perhaps the only thing she can legitimately ask for is that the tender be cancelled and reissued with new conditions. This would win the hearts of many Czechs.
Glossary of difficult words
gambit - a device, action or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage;
implied - strongly suggested but not stated.