Final Word from Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Škoda Auto and Hyundai have done a good job of convincing Czechs to buy Czech-made cars, even without inspiration from Donald Trump and his "Buy American, Hire American" pledge. Locally made cars were the top five sellers in the CR last year. A small but growing percentage of the hands making these cars are foreigners, and employers' group are pushing for laxer rules for bringing in Ukrainians. People expect such short-termism from businesspeople who care mainly about their bottom line, but Czechs who admire Trump (and Miloš Zeman) will be increasingly unwilling to accept it from their politicians. ČSSD understood this early and is on a no-foreigner binge. It might have struck gold this time, even if it finds itself in the uncomfortable position of sharing a policy with Trump. This is one topic that Andrej Babiš will have trouble stealing from ČSSD. Imagine ANO pledging to "Hire Czech," when it wants Czechs to hire a Slovak as their PM. [Czech Republic president United States inaugural adress Czechs First]
Glossary of difficult words
pledge - a solemn promise or undertaking;
lax - relaxed; lacking in rigor, strictness or firmness;
short-termism - concentration on short-term projects or objectives for immediate profit at the expense of long-term security;
bottom line - the final total of an account or balance sheet;
binge - a period of excessive indulgence in an activity, esp. drinking alcohol or eating.