Final Word from Friday, May 20, 2005
Bavarians are stepping up their criticism of the CR for the expulsion of Sudeten Germans after World War II and, more recently, for stealing their retail markets by allowing low-price supermarkets to be built within a stone's throw of the common frontier. During this period of cross-border animosity, an announcement about the repurchase of a Czech daily from the German owners would probably go over well in Bohemia's meadows and forests. Both sides deny it, but sources tell us that PPF is in negotiations to buy Mafra media company (publisher of MF Dnes and Lidové noviny) from the German owners. All the significant Czech dailies other than Právo are currently owned by German-speakers, and the takeover of two of these tagesblatts by a homegrown Czech financial group could restore some wounded pride. It might also explain why MFD has been so nice in its pages to owner Petr Kellner of PPF for the past year or so.[Czech Republic Germany newspaper]