Final Word from Tuesday, January 23, 2007
David Rath is one of the CR's most divisive politicians. You either hate him, or you dislike him, but there's no denying that he's an effective orator and rabble-rouser. He won't let any free-market proposal go by without trying to stir up class sentiments. That's why businesspeople should pay special attention to his attack in Parliament on Fri. against a cap on social-security and health tax. Jiří Paroubek and Zdeněk Škromach of ČSSD have already agreed to the cap, but Rath said it would only benefit the CR's 50,000-100,000 rich people. If the cap becomes a public issue, it might not ever be passed. Average voters will never understand the argument that lack of a cap is hurting the CR's competitiveness and leading to billions of crowns in capital flight. But Rath is a clever man, and he's actually quite personable beyond the cameras. If the cap is to pass, he needs to be brought on board.[Czech Republic premiums reform]