Final Word from Thursday, July 7, 2022

As prime minister, Andrej Babiš was sometimes criticized for contradicting himself within the span of a single sentence. Petr Fiala is a big improvement as PM in this respect. It usually takes him a couple of sentences to create confusion. At the Ukraine Recovery Conference on Mon. in Lugano, Switzerland, Fiala said in English: "To be frank, I do not know when the full reconstruction of Ukraine can start. But I do know, however, that we must be prepared. We can already start repairing some of the destroyed towns, so that people can return home. We can already see people returning to their homes every day, and we must make it easier for them." He wrote on Politico.com that same day that, "We will support the swift adoption of a clear and constructive national reconstruction plan to help get Ukraine back on its feet." Imagine being a Ukrainian family who needs a few thousand euros to clean up after tanks or rockets, or a mayor who needs much more than that. They can have no idea after listening to Fiala if they'll get EU recovery money next month or in 10 years. But Fiala delivered his speech in English very well. [ Czech Republic European Union Russia ]