Final Word from Friday, October 19, 2007
ČEZ's decision to award a nuclear-fuel contract to Tvel of Russia will take on added significance if an "atomic" grand coalition succeeds in nuking the current government's agreed ban on more reactors. With Tvel and Gazprom-owned Škoda JS already on the inside at Temelín, they and their comrades in the new Rosatom state monopoly will be the shoo-ins to build and supply the new reactors. ČSSD and part of ODS want to increase the CR's energy independence, but the reality will be the opposite: The CR will be wholly dependent for its added nuclear capacity on Rosatom. The Russians will of course need a strong point man on the deal, so it's convenient that Jiří Borovec will soon be available. He worked with the Russians at Škoda JS and then followed Martin Roman to ČEZ. Together, they've carefully orchestrated this creeping Russian invasion. By the time it's over, many Czechs will feel - as the Russians say - that the uninvited guests are worse than a Tartar.[Czech Republic Jaderné strojírenství CEO]