Final Word from Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Stan has a plan. Alexandr Mitrofanov of Právo indicated on Czech TV's "Bez obalu" show that the plan is to wait and see. Martin Fendrych said in Týden that Gross plans to hold onto power until his last gasp. Jaroslav Plesl of LN said Gross will concentrate on selling ČSA and Český Telecom and hinted that he's ready to dump Bohuslav Sobotka if the FinMin gets in the way. Hana Lešenarová of MFD said in Czech Business Weekly that Gross needs the privatization money to pay for his billboards. Miroslav Macek of ODS said Zdeněk Škromach's announced candidacy for ČSSD chair is meant to bring turmoil to ČSSD, paving the way for Zeman's return. From his first days as ČSSD chair, Gross has had to choose between long-term political relevance and short-term financial gain. He looks set to spend his final months working on his retirement portfolio. Stanislav Gross Lidové noviny Czech Television