Final Word from Thursday, June 24, 2021

When PM Andrej Babiš called Adam Vojtěch back to service as health minister, not everyone liked it, but everyone understood it. It was the same when Milan Hnilička left as head of the National Sports Agency. Even when Pavel Zeman resigned as top prosecutor. Likewise if the cabinet reappoints Michal Koudelka of the BIS intelligence agency, or if it does not. From the perspective of these personnel decisions, the departure this weekend of CEO Václav Řehoř of Prague Airport is an anomaly. It's not clear why he is being sacked. Sure, he's been at the center of controversy regarding taxis and store space, but that is the lot of anyone who heads a monopoly. Not everyone likes the expansion plans either, esp. given the covid catastrophe in the tourism sector. And then there is the problem called SmartWings/ČSA. Whatever shortcomings Řehoř might have had, he represented a substantial upgrade from what Prague Airport offered before. That's not a destination to return to. [ Czech Republic Jiří Šimáně supreme state counterintelligence SmartWings ČSA ]