Final Word from Wednesday, September 13, 2023

For the first time in Czech history, the president of the republic has a private spokesman. Private in the sense that he isn't an employee of the Castle but expresses the views and standpoints of the president. In the week since a reshuffling began at the Castle, the only person providing any substantive information about what is going on there is Petr Kolář, who refers to himself as Petr Pavel's personal adviser. Kolář, who otherwise advises clients out of the Prague offices of Squire Patton Boggs, told Czech TV on Mon. that he shouldn't speak about his upcoming trip to the U.S. with Pavel because he has no authority to do so but that Pavel's prepared speech for the U.N. General Assembly is very good and will be mainly about the future. Whether or not Pavel meets at some point bilaterally with Joe Biden is vis major, he added, and we are not actively seeking a meeting. These are things an official spokesperson should be saying, but Petr Pavel has instead decided to outsource his communications. [ Czech Republic Television lobbying lobbyist United States president United Nations ]