Final Word from Monday, December 19, 2022

Two things that played big roles in determining which companies benefited the most from covid relief were lobbying on the governmental and parliamentary level, and expertise on the company level. Some businesses were treated well because they had good lobbyists, and some cashed in on handsome subsidies because they had good lawyers and advisers who were able to understand the government's measures and cut through the red tape. Finance Min. Zbyněk Stanjura told Reflex last month that the companies that got the most covid relief were also often ones that didn't need it. "The most money went to our most successful company," he said critically, without naming the company. He and Industry Min. Jozef Síkela said triumphantly last week that all businesses, regardless of their size, will have a level playing field when it comes to energy prices, but they immediately contradicted themselves in subsequent comments by saying that limits will be established for large companies in a government decree in Jan. Like under covid, it seems that companies with good lobbyists and good lawyers will again rule the day. [ Czech Republic natural gas electricity power minister ODS STAN ]