Final Word from Friday, November 28, 2003
HN Hospodářské noviny business newspaper reported last week, citing Euro magazine, that IT Minister Vladimír Mlynář is linked to Appian Group through his deputy Dana Bérová. Her husband is lobbyist Jan Dobrovský of Becker & Poliakoff, who also happens to be Mlynář's best friend. Dobrovský is working for Appian Group on the coal privatization. Instead of keeping a healthy arm's length from the privatization, though, Mlynář jumped head first into it this week with an interview on Czech Radio. He, more than any other minister, sharply criticized the labor unions for their objections to the cabinet's privatization plans and said that their demands border on criminal behavior. Why, he asked, are the unions getting so involved in something that isn't their business? The same question could be directed at Mlynář. Why is the IT minister so interested in coal privatization? Severočeské doly Mostecká uhelná MUS