Final Word from Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The U.S. State Dept.'s 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Ukraine identifies serious acts of government corruption and finds that the country generally failed to take adequate steps to prosecute or punish most officials who committed human-rights abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity. EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen told HN and five other European dailies that Ukraine has made great progress and that it is truly overwhelming to see how well the municipalities, regions and national administration are operating, despite the war. It is in our strategic interest, she said, for that democratic country full of life not to become a failed state on the EU's border. Doesn't the same apply to STAN? Serious acts of potential corruption have been identified, and there was a general failure to take adequate steps to prosecute or punish most officials who committed abuses, resulting in a climate of impunity. But STAN has made great progress in the past few days, and it's in our strategic interest not to have a failed government on the EU's eastern flank. Like Ukraine, STAN deserves our solidarity. [ Czech Republic war Russia United States Hospodářské noviny European Union Petr Fiala Vít Rakušan Petr Gazdík ]