Final Word from Thursday, October 9, 2014
Bohuslav Sobotka's official curriculum vitae is as thin as a toothpick, which makes it all the odder for the prime minister to have left off his only non-political professional experience, that of legal trainee. If having learned the ropes by the side of lawyer Radek Pokorný were nothing to raise suspicions, Sobotka would probably boast about it. Sobotka instead reacts curtly to any questions about his friendship and business relationship with Pokorný. This makes it all that more important to determine what role Pokorný is playing. When he meets "among six eyes" with Transport Minister Antonín Prachař and GM Martin Borovka of Eurovia CS about badly built bridges, whom is he representing? Just Eurovia, or Sobotka too? What if Sobotka's public criticism of Prachař, and Prachař's criticism of Eurovia, were just a smokescreen? What if all four of them - Sobotka, Pokorný, Prachař and Borovka - were actually on the same team? [Czech Republic CV résumé ANO transportation]
Glossary of difficult words
crew - a group of people who work closely together in a difficult or dangerous job; a criminal gang;
to learn the ropes - to learn the basics of something;
curtly - in a rudely brief fashion;
among six eyes - (in this context) in a group of three people;
smokescreen - a ruse designed to disguise someone's real intentions or activities.