E15 weekly 12. 12.
E15 weekly 12. 12.
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Monday, 12 December 2016
Issue 143l newsstand price CZK 24/¤ 1l www.e15.cz
Xmas party peril
Get ready for vomit, tears
and mid-life crises at the
annual office shindig
TOP STORY pages 8–9
Hum of industry
Blighted small town
Vamberk revived by Pewag
manufacturing plant
SPECIAL REPORT pages 12–13
9 771803 454314 0 0 1 4 3
Daniel Novák
In sight of billionaire Jiří Šimá-
ně’s Albatross Golf Resort a new
property development project is
under way. Prague’s Getberg real
estate firm, emboldened by Russian
capital at its disposal, is constructing
a group of low-energy apartment hou-
ses in the village of Vysoký Újezd, not
far from Karlštejn, southwest of the
capital. The entire investment exceeds
a quarter of a billion crowns (9.3 million
euros). “The beginning of the project is
being financed from our own resources.
Eventually we’ll put to use the inves-
tor and bank financing,” said Getberg
managing director Egor Khlebnikov.
Where private individuals’ capital is
concerned, the developer is collabora-
ting with investors from Russia.
The first phase of the project, named
Modrý platan [Blue Plane Tree] will
see 12 houses built on 13,000 square
metres. The buildings will each be
divided into two apartments, making
them duplexes. CZK 140m has been
earmarked for the first stage.
Getberg is planning to start the
second stage, to be created on a nei-
ghbouring property of around 5,000
sqm, next year. The investment com-
mitment for this part of the project is
around CZK 120m.
Continues on page 4
Developer Getberg
is targeting wealthy
Russians with new
apartments located
by a luxury golf
course near famous
Karlštejn Castle
From
Russia
with
cash
Photo: Profimedia.cz
facebook.com/
e15weekly
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/DEFENCE
Pavel Otto
Legislative amendments
could give the govern-
ment far more flexibili-
ty in choosing how to react to
NATO, UN and single-nation
requests for assistance in the
event of a natural catastrophe
or industrial disaster such as
a nuclear station accident. If
passed, a bill to be placed be-
fore MPs in the lower chamber
could also mean faster assistan-
ce for Czech citizens illegally
held against their wishes ab-
road or facing other threats.
The amended law could ena-
ble the dispatching of soldiers
within 20 hours. The current
process is sluggish involving, as
it does, a meeting of Parliament.
“The constitution as it stands
does not make it possible to
send soldiers abroad quickly.
The process needs await both
a lower chamber sitting in Par-
liament and a Senate sitting,”
said Jana Černochová MP (Ci-
vic Democrat). Černochová is
backing the bill of amendment
in the lower chamber along
with the chair of the chamber
Jan Hamáček (Social Demo-
crat) and other lawmakers from
across the political spectrum,
including opposition parties.
Also supporting the bill is de-
fence minister Martin Stropnic-
ký (ANO) and foreign minister
Lubomír Zaorálek (Social De-
mocrat). “I would welcome the
change and not only because
of the possibility of faster assi-
stance from the Czech armed
forces but also in terms of mee-
ting obligations to NATO,” said
Stropnický. The reality is that
the Czech Republic needs to
be capable of sending military
units as part of fast-response
NATO alliance task forces, but
the constitutional situation as
it stands complicates that ob-
jective.
Five ministries support the
bill, while the industry and
trade and transport ministries
are against. Criticisms have
been lodged by justice and in-
terior. In their eyes, the amen-
ded legislation should not al-
ter the current constitutional
approach to allowing foreign
armed forces on to Czech soil.
The sense in limiting Parlia-
ment’s remit and transferring
power to the cabinet could,
taking into account historical
experiences, be rather debata-
ble and possibly dangerous,
wrote interior minister Milan
Chovanec (Social Democrat),
giving his preliminary stan-
dpoint.
Problems associated with
sending troops to foreign
lands have been debated
for yonks. The government
has a mandate to make such
a dispatch for up to 60 days,
but the power is qualified.
The constitution states that
the mission must relate to
fulfilling joint-response-to-an-
-attack commitments made in
news
2/3
Chamber to speed troop dispatches
Gov’t assesses move to expand its authorisation to send military missions abroad
Photo: ČTK
Pupils denied human
rights education
EET go home!
It’s nothing if not divisive: the start of the first phase of the finance ministry’s Electronic Records
of Sales [EET] system triggered a demonstration on Wenceslas Square with several hundred people
attracted to the Prague protest. The gathering – at which there were mutterings that digitalised
EET was something like a secret police activity – was given the name “Five minutes to midnight”.
It was arranged by the Association of Entrepreneurs and Managers in cooperation with North
Bohemia’s District Chamber of Commerce of Jablonec nad Nisou and the Cheerful Czech Republic
Minus EET movement. The first stage of EET covers catering and accommodation businesses, while
the second phase, set to start in three months, moves on to retail and wholesale businesses. Firms
are required to record sales in real time with the state’s central data repository via cash registers
linked to the internet
Photo: ČTK
an international agreement,
participation in a peaceful UN
operation or rescue work after
a natural disaster, industrial
accident or environmental
accident. The amended law
would remove the conditio-
ning of the dispatching po-
wer, but ministers would be
charged with informing MPs
and senators about a military
mission with no undue delay.
Adéla Čabanová
Only around half of elementary
school teachers introduce their
pupils to essential documents
such as the Constitution and
the Charter of Fundamental
Rights and Basic Freedoms.
That’s one conclusion of a ve-
rification exercise undertaken
in both elementary and high
schools by the Czech Schools
Inspectorate [ČŠI]. The Civic
Education Centre of Charles
University’s Faculty of Huma-
nities assisted in the project’s
survey.
Additional inadequacies in
citizenship education were
also discovered. In one-third
of elementary schools and
one-fifth of high schools there
was no teaching of topics seen
as vital in engaging pupils in
democratic society, such as
taking an active approach to
human rights, developing ci-
vic responsibility, preventing
extremism and respecting cul-
tural diversity.
A large majority of teachers
and headteachers stated that
they did not have enough mate-
rials and teaching aids to tackle
such topics. European funds
have, however, in recent years
created a wealth of educational
materials on human rights in-
struction, support for student
parliament projects, preventing
phenomena seen as a risk to so-
cial responsibility, forestalling
xenophobia and other themes
of civil society.
Education minister Kateřina
Valachová said the identified de-
ficiencies amounted to a signifi-
cantproblem.“Activecitizenship
isdependentonciviceducation,”
shetoldTheStudentTimesinan
interview.Withoutapropercivic
education,children,accordingto
the minister, were not given an
opportunity to grasp how the
will of the majority is shaped in
a democratic society, how local
government functions or how
manyrightswhicharetodayper-
haps taken for granted do not
arrive automatically.
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Jana Havligerová
After starting out as a mere
hard-working novice in the
Castle’s Office of Protocol in
2002, he became pretty much
indispensable. Impressively, he
has served all the post-revolu-
tion presidents during state
visits and official occasions.
“The best director of protocol
which the Czech Republic has
had in the past 100 years,” was
the assessment of Jindřich Fo-
rejt given three years ago by
ex-President Václav Klaus.
And Klaus’s successor, Miloš
Zeman, went even further.
During a visit to the Vatican
he introduced Forejt to Pope
Francis as “this most impor-
tant, deeply faithful person and,
I hope, our future ambassador
to the Vatican”.
Those searching the Castle
for Forejt will, however, no lon-
ger find him there, going by the
words of the president’s spoke-
sperson. He has, apparently, un-
specified health problems and
also plenty of accumulated days
off which he must take. As for
Photo: ČTK
Daytime centre opens for homeless women in dire straits
A new daytime centre for homeless women in social distress has opened in central Prague’s Žitná street.
Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka participated in the opening. The facility – said to be the only one of
its kind in the country – will be operated by the Catholic Church’s Prague Archdiocese Charity in coope-
ration with the Prague 1 Parish Charity, which also runs a field program in which street workers reach
out to women on the streets. Women attending the centre may do their laundry, change into a fresh set
of clothes, take a shower, or get out of the freezing cold in the winter months
Castle protocol chief
makes obscure exit
Photo: ČTK
Mind your statistics
Trump standing
test of Time
Analysts forecast that
this year’s Czech sales
figures will break records
and that 2017’s wage hikes
will lead to price increases.
Meanwhile, horoscopes
forecast that the first half of
next year will yield positive
energy conducive for good
relationships.
Pub owners, that long-
suffering group who barely
have enough these days
for taxes, wages and new
digital cash registers, have
new hope. Finance minister
Andrej Babiš took some
reporters along for a visit
to a pub in the village of
Pohleď in the Vysočina
region. He listened to
concerns expressed by
local mayor and pub owner
Jindřich Holub about the
newly up-and-running
mandatory Electronic
Records of Sales System
(EET). The pub lack an online
EET cash register. Babiš was
so moved by his visit, he
proposed a solution: “Well,
I will sponsor a new cash
register for you.” Could
that be the solution for all
the other aggrieved small
firms too? One suspects this
panacea won’t work as well
without a scrum of reporters
in attendance.
So Donald Trump finally
got his turn. He’s Time
magazine’s Person of the
Year 2016, having triumphed
amidst “The Divided States
of America”. The runner-up,
handily, was Hillary Clinton.
With symbolism aplenty,
the crown passes to Trump
from 2015 winner Angela
Merkel, whom Time dubbed
“Chancellor of the Free
World”. Back then Trump
responded with (yep)
a Twitter rant: “I told you
@TIME Magazine would
never pick me as person of
the year despite being the
big favorite. They picked
person who is ruining
Germany.” But on learning
of his win, the president-
elect, making one of his now
typical about-faces, said:
“It\'s a great honor. It means
a lot.”
Time, which has selected
its Persons of the Year both
famous and infamous since
1927 (Hitler won in 1938),
wrote: “To his believers, he
delivers change — broad,
deep, historic change, not
modest measures doled
out in Dixie cups; to his
detractors, he inspires fear
both for what he may do and
what may be done in his
name.”
What’s to add? Perhaps
that Trump gets no points
for his moral standing, but
rather for his power politics’
sheer rawness. In 2013, when
Pope Francis won, Time said
a winner needed “archival
value”; they had to “stand
the test of time”. It went on:
“… we want our [winner] to
be both a snapshot of where
the world is and a picture of
where it’s going. Someone, or
in rare cases, something, that
feels like a force of history.”
Force of history? It sure feels
that way right now...
the diplomatic posting to the
Vatican, that would seem to be
done for.
The news that Forejt’s office
at the Castle has been sealed
arrived just over a week ago.
Prior to its emergence, there
was mounting speculation that
staff surrounding the head of
state were not all pulling on the
same cord. And that the ever-
-present head of protocol was
in serious conflict with other
colleagues close to Zeman.
In the past when Forejt was
out of bounds, it was overlo-
oked. He boasted that he was
a doctor of law, but he’d never
gained any such title. On his re-
sumé, he stated that he had gra-
duated from Prague’s Charles
University [UK] and Munich’s
Ludwig-Maxmilians Universi-
tät. But he did not complete his
UKlawstudiesandhewasnever
listed as a full-time student at
the Munich institution. Media
have lately brought attention to
the existence of a video in which
Forejt is purportedly caught ta-
king drugs. The Castle refused
to comment on the matter.
Adéla’ Čabanová’s notebook
Igor Záruba’s notebook
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/business
4/5
INFRASTRUCTURE
Jan Šindelář
Backstage in the Czech
railway industry daggers
are drawn. Recent weeks
have seen unusual levels of en-
mity among design consultancy
firms. And the current abun-
dance of objections, notices of
appeal, queries and protests are
complicating the dividing up of
commissions seen as decisive to
thefutureofdomesticrailtrans-
port. “Sometimes these things
are happening perhaps four
or five times during one order
and the delay then accounts for
manymonths.Insuchacasethe
initiation of the design phase is
postponed,” said Tomáš Slaví-
ček, director of design, consul-
ting and engineering company
Sudop Praha.
Firms are mutually accusing
eachotherofobstructionandof
spitefully making moves which
interminablystretchoutcommi-
ssion tenders. Some objections
arebeingfiledatthelastpossible
moment or are being made by
firms which ultimately do not
enter the tender, according to
KateřinaŠubová,spokesperson
for the Administration for the
RailTransportNetwork[SŽDC].
Last year, the SŽDC solved do-
zens of blocked contests for
orders. Obstructions can prove
a lengthy hindrance to a project
breaking ground or drawing
downEuropeanfunds.Theove-
rall value of delayed construc-
tions is estimated at more than
CZK 40bn.
Nobody, however, is giving
clear answers to the question of
whoexactlyisblockingcontests
and devising obstacles. But it is
not difficult to guess that battle
lines have been drawn by two
well-known players in this rail
industry sphere, namely Sudop
Prahaandtherelativelyrecently
established Centre for Efficient
Transport(CEDOP)thinktank,
founded in 2009. One of those
involved in the controversy is
former transport minister and
ex-director of SŽDC Petr Šlegr.
CEDOP has long criticised
standards in the preparation
Relations sour in rail design consulting
Rows stall closing of contracts, value of piled up orders amounts to 40 billion crowns
Angel of the Lord sequel a box office ‘miracle’
Director Jiří Strach’s Anděl Páně 2 [Angel of the Lord 2] comedy family fantasy film sequel has smashed the Czech box office record
for an opening weekend. The Union of Film Distributors said the “Christmas fairy tale” attracted more than 188,000 cinema goers,
a stunning increase on the previous record of nearly 50,000. “In one word, it’s a miracle,” said Strach. “Audiences fortunately
do happily make time for Czech films. They want to be carried away by a clasping and caressing of earthy humanity, kind-hearted-
ness and humour. And that’s what Anděl Páně 2 delivers,” he added. The first film, Anděl Páně, was released in 2005. It slowly be-
came a modern-day classic among Czech audiences. The movie follows the adventures of an angel who has screwed up in heaven,
causing him to be exiled to Earth, where he is incarnated as a beggar
Photo: ČTK
Continued from page 1
Getberg is betting that,
among others, Russian bu-
yers will be drawn to the
premium golfing locality lo-
cated between Karlštejn and
Prague and a relatively short
drive from Václav Havel Air-
port Prague.
“The potential when it
comes to Russian buyers re-
mains huge. Only one must
persuade the Russians to buy
real estate in the Czech Re-
public, rather than in Spain,
for instance,” said Khlebni-
kov.
Jiří Šimáně, one of the ri-
chest Czechs, invested appro-
aching half a billion crowns
in creating the Albatross Golf
Resort. Its course this year
became the first Czech golf
facility to obtain a ranking
among 19 other courses in
the exclusive European best
golfing localities club known
as the European Tour Des-
tination.
From Russia
with cash
of rail constructions, but it was
limiting itself to debate. That
has changed. “In the hope of
improving the situation we de-
cided that in cooperation with
foreign entities we would enter
into design consulting work on
the Czech market that has been
closed off for decades,” said
Šlegr. A partnership of CE-
DOP and France’s Egis Rail is
making tender breakthroughs,
but it is struggling with addi-
tional order conditions, such
as language requirements and
other challenging areas. Often
itrequestsmoreexactspecifica-
tions for orders or the omitting
of conditions which it considers
discriminatory. And often it is
eliminated from a tender.
Photo: Czech Television
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Dušan Kütner
Devilish Special, Winter’s
Fourteen and Christmas Star
– some of the names of non-tra-
ditional beers being marketed
by industrial-size breweries as
they strive to bring consumers
back to tapped beer and rever-
se the trend of the past several
years in which bottled beer has
been getting the upper hand.
Another motive also lies be-
hind the growing presence
of special beers produced by
large breweries. The big play-
ers want to reclaim some of the
territory seized by small-sized
competitors. According to web
server pivovary.info, the small
breweries have come up with
more than four dozen Chris-
tmas specials to help their
consumers lubricate the end
of the year.
The small breweries know
that this time around they are
certainly not the only produ-
cers making unconventional
beers. Plenty of their more
muscular rivals have embarked
on the same route. These inclu-
de Starobrno, which is owned
by Heineken, Staropramen’s
Big breweries join Christmas
specials incursion
Photo: ČTK
up and down
Simona Kijonková
Entrepreneur
The owner of mail-order business Zásilkovna
has invested several millions of crowns into
new online options which offer customers
services available in their neighbourhood.
Jiří Strach
Film director
His long-awaited Christmas fairy tale sequel
Anděl páně 2 [Angel of the Lord 2] made a mo-
dern record opening weekend start at Czech
cinemas. Over four days, audiences numbering
some 188,000 viewers saw the movie, which
has earned rave reviews from critics. The
director was originally minded not to make
a sequel.
Matteo Renzi
Italian PM
After a stinging loss in a referendum on
proposed constitutional changes, he quit three
days later ending Italy’s 63rd government in
70 years. The changes were meant to enable
a limbering up of the country’s moribund
economy. The populist pull of the Five Star
Movement was decisive in the ‘no’ vote.
Guillaume Faury
CEO, Airbus Helicopters
His company is the favourite in a tough tender
to supply the Czech Republic with multi-pur-
pose helicopters. The French-German firm
stepped forward with the most appealing
offer: 10 helicopters for CZK 4.8bn. British-Ita-
lian AgustaWestland has reportedly not given
up on the contest. It is said to be preparing
price cuts.
Jindřich Forejt
Head of protocol, Prague Castle
So often appraised as indispensable during
his 14 years serving a series of post-revolution
presidents, he appears to have been given
the boot. Rumours have spread of rows with
colleagues while there has been some media
speculation over a video allegedly showing him
taking drugs.
Association pursues EU geographical ID mark to protect
Czech blue poppy seeds
After years of preparation, the official request has gone in for the recognition of Czech blue
poppy seeds with a European Union Protected Geographical Identification (PGI). “The enrolment
on the PGI register would serve to limit imports of cheap technical-grade poppy seeds, which
particularly pour in from Spain, France, Hungary and Australia,” said Stanislava Koprdová, head
of the Czech Blue Poppy Association. Technical-grade poppy seeds are primarily produced abroad
for the pharmaceutical industry. But some firms are known to blend them into poppy seed mixes,
which they then pass off as entirely Czech products
Ostravar, PMS group mem-
ber Zubr, Rebel Havlíčkův
Brod and Lobkowicz’s Jihlava
brewery.
“The reasoning is three-
-pronged: the big breweries are
battling for the consumer, com-
peting with the small ones and
attempting to stem the beer
consumption decline. They
are thus being forced to come
up with something novel on
top of their traditional 10-de-
gree and 12-degree beers,”
said Jan Veselý, an expert on
the brewing industry who is
the former head of the Czech
Union of Breweries and Malt-
-houses [ČSPS]. “Industrial-si-
zed breweries have gone into
making unconventional beers
in an attempt to lure consu-
mers back to restaurants and
pubs with something unusual,”
he added.
Zubr, one of the big
breweries based in Přerov,
Central Moravia, has for exam-
ple produced 1,400 hectolitres
of its holiday-season special
Maxxim, 20-percent more than
last year. “The trend that sees
consumers giving new beers
a try started about a decade
ago. It has developed in recent
years into an outright demand
for a broad range of non-tra-
ditional beers,” said Tomáš
Pluháček, CEO of Zubr.
But the season’s specials
don’t always come cheap.
Some of them, as well as
Christmas editions of tra-
ditional products, can cost
as much as CZK 100 a go or
more. Reserva, brewed by
Starobrno, costs CZK 100 for
a 0.75-litre serving. Although
Pilsen’s Prazdroj has produced
a special brew for this winter
season, it offers its lager in an
unconventional one-litre bottle
designed by Maxim Velčovský.
And it shows in the price tag:
CZK 179.
Family brewery Bernard has
joined forces with 40-times wi-
nner of the country’s Singer of
the Year poll, Karel Gott. On
top of his vocal prowess, he
is also a prolific painter. The
brewery can thus boast of its
season’s special, Bernard Ale,
being adorned by a reproduc-
tion of one of its star artist’s
paintings.
E15 weekly, economic and business news magazine | www.e15.cz
Igor Záruba, Executive Editor, igor.zaruba@cninvest.cz; Marian Hronek, Editor,
marian.hronek@cninvest.cz | Translation: TextMasters, textmasters@textmasters.cz
Contact: Adéla Nová, Secretary | Call (+420) 225 977 668
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http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Italy stomped its
foot, while Austria
breathed a sigh
of relief – the Eu-
ropean Union has
much soul-sear-
ching ahead
The “No” result of the
constitutional referen-
dum backed by Italian
PM Matteo Renzi was likely
down to three factors – high
voter turnout; the rise of the
populist Five Star Movement
of Beppe Grillo, as well as the
xenophobic regionalist Lega
Nord [Northern League]; and
finally the unpopularity of the
PM, who vowed to step down
after losing the vote. The
constitutional changes were
pushed as a way of streamli-
ning the legislative process
and kick-starting the troubled
Italian economy. Voters didn’t
buy it.
“Those who fight for an idea
cannot lose,” Renzi insisted.
Soothing words perhaps. But
voters largely saw the election
as a referendum on the econo-
mic legacy of the PM, in office
since 2014. His reign was cha-
racterised not just by economic
malaise, but by a combative sty-
le of governance which sought
to demonise his predecessors.
But the 41-year-old leader of
the centre-left Democratic Par-
ty is likely not entirely finished
with Italian politics just yet.
More important than the
fate of the Italian PM, however,
are the actual consequences
of the “No” vote for Italy and
also the EU as a whole. The
reforms Renzi has so far ma-
naged to push through were
far from ideal. But at least they
represented genuine efforts.
Tackling a rigid labour market
and dysfunctional schools; bac-
king registered partnerships...
The referendum also sought to
curb the powers of the Italian
Senate. The very thought of
even proposing such reforms
would have been unthinkable
30 years ago.
Alas, it wasn’t to be. The EU
may perceive the “No” vote as
representing a threat to the fu-
ture of the world’s oldest bank,
the beleaguered Banca Monte
dei Paschi di Siena. The EU
had sought to find a way to as-
sist the bank, which has failed
stress tests and which saw its
share value plunge in the wake
of the referendum result. The
prospect of continued Italian
instability appears to spell an
end for such aid, and that in
turn may mean trouble for
the stability of Italy’s banking
system, and perhaps the Euro-
pean one, too.
Peppe Grillo implored vo-
ters to decide with their hearts
and not their heads. Meanwhi-
le in Austria, such thinking
was decidedly rejected. In yet
another re-run of the presiden-
tial election, the 72-year-old
Green Party icon and econo-
mics professor Alexander Van
der Bellen decidedly defeated
far-right Freedom Party [FPÖ]
candidate Norbert Hofer. The
first Van der Bellen victory was
back in May, but the Constitu-
tional Court annulled the elec-
tion due to irregularities. Fears
of a Brexit-Trump headwind
for Hofer in the fresh election
proved unfounded, however,
and Europe can breathe a sigh
of relief. But not quite... Ho-
fer’s failure won’t stop the
ascent of the FPÖ, currently
well ahead in opinion polls.
And Hofer’s 45 percent can
still be considered a success
of sorts for his side. The next
Austrian general election is ex-
pected in the autumn of 2018.
And FPÖ chairman Heinz-
-Christian Strache is making
no secret of his ambitions to
become chancellor.
For Europe, Van der Belle-
n’s election represents a mere
pause. Holland faces the
spectre of Geert Wilders; in
France there is Marine Le Pen;
in Germany the Alternative für
Deutschland. All three of these
represent the politics of extre-
mism. And all three countries
face elections not too long from
now. The nascent wave of anti-
-establishment feeling placing
the old parties into survival, if
not panic mode, continues una-
bated. And a transatlantic wave
from Donald Trump certainly
underscores that very point...
opinion
6/7
joke
Jana Havligerová’s diary
Bruises and ruses in
post-truth politics
Parliament has passed
a revised version of new
conflict of interest legisla-
tion, previously bounced
back to the lower cham-
ber by the Senate. And
Agrofert owner and ANO
leader Andrej Babiš is not
a happy chappy. Accor-
ding to Babiš, the finance
minister, PM Bohuslav
Sobotka, along with other
Social Democrat MPs, lied
when they supposedly
claimed that the revised
changes would only impact
future ministers. A good
tip, especially for public
servants: better to be
guided by the facts than
assertions; and certainly
occasionally read the
legislation making its way
through the chamber.
The Czech Republic is to
do battle against me-
dia and internet-fuelled
disinformation. So says
Social Democratic interior
minister Milan Chovanec.
His ministry is supposedly
seeking to help cultivate
a system for a fair and
free adversarial political
environment, which would
help citizens to make
sense of the issues. “What
is needed is a focus on
creating a system which
ensures that people gain
the relevant information
and are able to orient
themselves as to what is
a lie and what is true,”
explained Chovanec. Of
course his ministry has
absolutely no intention
of becoming some kind
of censor. Which sounds
about as logical as a de-
lightfully contradictory
mantra once pushed in the
media: cut back, but don’t
miss out!
President Miloš Zeman
has repeatedly urged the
Czech military to equip
itself with unpiloted
aircraft. Firstly, surveillan-
ce drones, and then, in
a second wave, pilot-less
attack aircraft. We’d reco-
mmend sticking to the first
option. It’s always better
to stick to the part of an
observer in wars...
Photo: ČTK
“This week’s sermon is about how we all need to
simplify our lives. Unfortunately, I lost the whole
thing when my computer crashed.“
g
Igor
Záruba
The nascent wave of anti-
establishment feeling,
making old parties panic,
continues unabated
Italy No, Austria Ja,
Europe..?
255869/186 T INZERCE
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/POLITICS
opinions
interviews
NEWS
markets
business
THE ECONOMY
THE ONLY ENGLISH
LANGUAGE BUSINESS WEEKLY
IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/8/9
top story
Photos: Getty images, Profimedia.cz
The Nightmare
before Christmas
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Czech film
director Jiří
Menzel loves to
say that every good
comedy contains
a hidden nightmare
within it – meaning
tragedy underlies
many a positive
event. That can
certainly be said of
the office Christmas
party, a time for
coming together
with colleagues and
friends from the
office – a nightmare
scenario that can only
be survived with strict
discipline
Milan Tesař
The office Christmas party is a strange
phenomenon during which time seems
to stand still. We often fall victim to
the delusion that all those things that
we failed to solve during the year can
suddenly and bravely be tackled thanks
to downing more than a few drinks. Of
course, such blind faith – if taken to ex-
cess – can easily lead to one standing in
line at the unemployment office, having
lost one’s spouse, children and friends.
Bosses who fobbed you off for 12
months in the year with a less than
generous paycheck, and always made
sure to grumble at the slightest display
of tardiness, suddenly become the very
essence of a sunny, jovial disposition:
“Hello there Mildo, you rascal! Chris-
tmas time is here, and aren’t we all just
one big happy family?” And blah blah...
Such waffle usually takes place amidst
a gilded cage decorated with tasteless
and tacky Xmas decor, usually assisted
by some marketing agency, which helps
the company in question to spend the
necessary allotted funds which sim-
ply must be used up somehow by the
year’s end.
Attendance at such office parties is
not mandatory, at least on paper. But
the chance for a “drink with the boss”
pretty much means that one had be-
tter go, or else. The party may be held
at some bizarre location, for example
on a steam ship, in a casino, in a zoo
Taken from the magazine
terrarium, or by a sewage outlet (one’s
imagination can run riot). Anything
just to be original. And a “very special
night” is promised, usually designed
to sufficiently loosen up (read: humi-
liate) the collective workforce. Such
invites are never for two. Meaning fa-
mily members are not welcome. No-one
says that out aloud, but everyone knows
why. Especially if some poor wretch is
hauled off to some spooky, tacky hotel
sufficiently far from Prague to ensure
an uninterrupted night’s sleep. The very
manifestation of a mid-life crisis – out
of control behaviour that leads to wea-
ring the trousers of a female colleague
from accounts over one’s head. It all
seemed like such a fun idea.
Despite the entirely predictable
outcome of such evenings (vomit and
tears), each such event is still very much
a journey onto the unknown. Very few
bosses end up taking staff to a Sting
concert like billionaire businessman
Petr Kellner. Far more likely is yet ano-
ther dose of the company’s philosophy.
“What we really need here is a team
spirit.” Which then for some reason
leads to one partaking in teambuilding
exercises involving jumping around in
some bouncy bag with an orange under
one’s chin, or sealed together with a co-
lleague from IT in one of those giant
spheres rolling out of control down
some muddy hill.
Oh, dear. Which is why turning to
alcohol increasingly becomes the only
possible avenue of escape. Not that this
is written on the invites, mind you.
It is hard to find a better example
of feeling like a fish out of water in
the most familiar of places than at the
Christmas office party. And by way of
a memento it’s good to never forget
that (just like everyone else) you’re
continually being filmed by at least
one cellphone at all times. You risk
becoming a posing attention-seeker.
Then there’s the danger of some clip
being posted to Facebook of you smo-
oching with whomever. The potential
for misunderstanding is huge; besides
3am is definitely not a good time to
be drastically upending your family
life. Sending inebriated SMS messages
along the lines of: “I want a divorce!
Take everything. I want to live again!”
is surprisingly common among men
over 50. Of course, by morning, a more
sober view returns...
Female participants at such Chris-
tmas office parties are a chapter in it-
self. Especially those trying to stick to
some kind of rigid diet – only to begin
the night with three welcome drinks
of champagne, followed by a large Be-
cherovka. Usually these are high-level
female managers, who suddenly cast
caution to the wind. A sudden bre-
akdown in self-restraint can lead to
corsets being unbuttoned and inelegant
displays of transparent and excessively
short clothing. Such attire isn’t ideally
suited to the dance floor, at least for tho-
se seeking to preserve some semblance
of dignity. But at least it’s a way for such
stuffy managers to finally reveal that
“Health and Beauty” tattoo plastered
on their rear-end.
And once again: be careful of mobile
phones! Those videos of female collea-
gues dancing around drunk and half-
-naked might not make the husband, at
home reading stories to his children,
very happy once posted for all the world
to see.
Then there are the usually quiet offi-
ce workers. Anonymous and usually sat
quietly behind a computer or leafing
through paperwork. The archetypal
pale bureaucrats, short on warmth or
social graces. But here, too, a trans-
formation occurs. After a few drinks,
Dutch courage finally enables some
ice-breaking chatter with the female
colleague he has been too nervous to
even look at before. After a while, the
inebriated bravado turns to obnoxious-
ness. The voice gets a little too loud.
Now everyone needs to listen to his
views on how best the firm should be
run. Cue the awkward moment when
the boss he has been criticising publicly
is discovered to be angrily standing
right behind his back. The only way
out is to now get the boss so drunk that
they won’t remember the bad-mouthing
ever happened. Alas, those idiots tend
to remember – everything...
Female managers assist an unwell colleague. Prior to such social events, many
such women hold diets to look their best – which only makes the effects of
alcohol worse
Some employers are determined to foster a festive atmosphere at all costs. This
Christmas partygoer was locked in a toilet “for a laugh” during one such event
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/10/11
face to face
Photos: E15 Anna Vacková
MICHAL ŠNOBR
PKN Orlen’s
Unipetrol
ownership
conduct is
intolerable
Jan Stuchlík
You recently filed a lawsuit against re-
finer and petrochemical producer Uni-
petrol over its acquisition of chemical
company Spolana Neratovice. What
do you hope to achieve through your
court action?
This came about because we deman-
ded the scheduling of an extraordina-
ry general meeting. We requested it
in the proper manner, as prescribed
by law. We proposed some 10 topics
for discussion. Upon the expiry of all
deadlines the Unipetrol board told us
that requests by a shareholder with
a 25-percent holding in the company
were not considered relevant. I can-
not recall a single case of this sort, not
even from the wild 1990s, and I cannot
fathom how the majority shareholder
[Polish state-controlled oil and petro-
chemicals group PKN Orlen, which
owns 63 percent of Unipetrol] can dare
to not call a general meeting to discuss
objective topics, one of which is, for
example, a proposal for an extraordi-
nary dividend.
Do you expect the court to order Unipe-
trol to call the meeting?
We’ll leave it to the court to examine
our reasons and perhaps authorise us
as minority shareholders to summon
the meeting. We will be preparing ano-
ther extraordinary general meeting in
the meantime. We are sure to have one.
By the way, this is the first time ever
that shareholders associated with J&T
have requested an EGM. And we have
It’s eight years since investors linked to
J&T acquired their initial shareholding
in Unipetrol and their patience seems
exhausted. An extraordinary general meeting
as well as an extraordinary dividend have
been demanded. “We insist that Unipetrol
should make use of its full potential and
we want it recognised that that potential
is not the majority shareholder’s exclusive
domain,” protests Michal Šnobr, an energy
industry adviser to J&T and a representative of
Unipetrol’s minority shareholders
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/been shareholders [in Unipetrol] for
some eight years. This is no abuse of
a minority shareholder’s position. But
we certainly have the feeling that the
majority shareholder’s conduct is way
past reasonable.
What is it that you wish to discuss du-
ring the meeting?
We propose that an extraordinary divi-
dend be paid given Unipetrol’s financial
and economic standing. And we wish
to have our position on the acquisition
of Spolana heard [lossmaking Spolana,
which is burdened by old technology,
has been reacquired by Unipetrol af-
ter a decade in the hands of a sister
company –Ed.]. We want to hear why
Unipetrol, instead of hoarding cash,
does not use loans – at a time of histo-
rically low interest rates – to finance
acquisitions, as any responsible and
reasonable manager would. And we
also want to know why Unipetrol is
pursuing a completely different strate-
gy to that of its parent company PKN
Orlen. We also want to be updated on
the situation surrounding the explosion
at the ethylene steam cracker unit in
Litvínov, [North Bohemia], including
the indemnification received from insu-
rers, something that Unipetrol has fai-
led to disclose in full. We further want
to discover more about the insurance
situation regarding the accident at the
Kralupy nad Vltavou refinery [a blast
which led to a prolonged closure of the
facility –Ed.].
Unipetrol provides information on
developments concerning insurance
related to accidents in its quarterly re-
ports. Is that not enough?
It is true that they do that but it is far
from detailed and complete as a sour-
ce of information. What is reported is
the bare minimum. The ethylene unit
accident knocked out four of Unipet-
rol’s main operation lines. The results
for 2016 will therefore rest not on the
operating performance but on payouts
received from the insurers. We were
told at the June general meeting that
once the case is closed we would be pro-
vided with comprehensive information.
What is it that you would like to learn?
For starters, we’d like to know what
caused the accidents in the first pla-
ce. Then we would like to know more
about specific responsibilities for the
resulting damages, about impacts on
the insurance cover going forward, the
impacts on the company’s financial per-
formance including its cash flow, and
many other things.
Unipetrol claims that its medium-term
strategy, including the dividend policy
which you have been demanding, will
be presented early next year. Do you
not believe those claims?
They have been telling us pretty much
the same thing for the past three
years. They keep promising to publish
something and then [for instance] we
simply learn that without any prior
discussion the company has acqui-
red Spolana for one million euros,
that Paramo Asfalt has vanished from
the holding’s structure and plenty of
other negative news. With no prior
discussion, joint stock refinery com-
pany Česká rafinérská merged with
the limited liability petrochemical
company Unipetrol RPA, formerly
known as Chemopetrol. That came
as news entirely out of the blue to us.
The merger creates a smoke screen
that prevents you from seeing how
the individual segments are perfor-
ming. It goes completely against
the previously transparent holding
structure of Unipetrol. We are the-
refore worried about the value of the
company’s assets due to a number of
hazy transactions, such as the acqui-
sition of Spolana.
Are you strong enough to challenge or
even reverse some of these transac-
tions?
We can certainly call them into ques-
tion. We intend to do just that in the
case of Spolana. But it won’t be easy
since the board has refused to make
available any of the relevant documen-
tation upon which it based its decision
to make the acquisition at a cost of one
million euros. We have not seen a single
expert statement. We only know Spola-
na’s results from previous years when it
regularly reported losses and declined
to a situation in 2015 when it should
havedeclaredbankruptcy.Thecompany
was only saved by a financial shot in the
arm directly from [previous owner and
fellow polyvinyl chloride (PVC) produ-
cer] Anwil, a member of the PKN Orlen
group. We also know that Spolana is
facing another crisis as its integrated
permit for production expires in the
middle of the next year.
Unipetrol claims that Spolana now fits
better into its overall production cha-
in.
How? Spolana is far from interesting in
terms of its production capacity and it
is unsatisfactory in terms of its techno-
logy, plus it makes a loss. The previous
owner, PKN’s Anwil, did nothing during
the decade of its ownership of Spolana.
Anwil let the situation deteriorate to
the point at which it was absolutely
clear that no new production could be
started by mid-2017. That is why PKN
shifted the burden of Spolana from
its wholly owned subsidiary Anwil to
Unipetrol where it holds a 63-percent
stake, in effect making minority share-
holders bear some of the losses and the
costs of necessary investments. That
is why we are determined to fight the
decision and battle things out, not just
against Unipetrol as a whole but also
against individual members of Unipe-
trol’s board. It is the board members
who are responsible for the steps that
have been taken.
Unipetrol’s new CEO Andrzej Modrze-
jewski says that the company is to be-
gin borrowing. How high do you think
the debt should go?
We are convinced that the company
has excess liquidity of more than 50
crowns per share, or about CZK 10bn.
We have based our estimates on the fact
that Unipetrol is to report EBITDA
[earnings before interest, tax, depre-
ciation and amortisation] of around
10 billion crowns for both 2016 and
2017. An indebtedness of some 1.5-ti-
mes EBITDA is perfectly healthy and
natural. In other words, all the com-
pany investment projects, including
operating capital, as planned by Uni-
petrol, could be financed by loans. The
excess liquidity could be shared with
PKN and minority shareholders over
a relatively short time. Besides that,
we expect a long-term dividend policy
to be defined at last.
It may look to the observer that your
sole interest is to drain as much money
out of Unipetrol in dividends as you
can. Are you not interested in investing
in the future?
Yes, we do want an extraordinary
dividend and we are also demanding
that a regular dividend policy linked
to the company’s financial results is
put in place. Anyone who understands
finance is well aware that a safe level of
debt is healthy and actually increases
the return on the company’s own ca-
pital. That goes down as a boon for
all shareholders. Besides, Unipetrol
would be perfectly able to fund most
of its planned investments through lo-
ans that are exceptionally cheap right
now and are easily accessible to the
company.
We want to hear
why Unipetrol
does not use
loans – at a time
of historically
low interest
rates – to finance
acquisitions, as
any responsible
and reasonable
manager would
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/12/13
special report
Photos: E15 Michael Tomeš
Daniel Novák
It is two in the afternoon and Pewag’s
existing Vamberk-based factory, pro-
ducing snow chains and other types
of heavy-duty metal chains, is a flur-
ry of activity. A fresh group of wor-
kers arrives replacing the first shift
carrying out the firm’s uninterrupted
production line operations. The wel-
ding section is one example of such
heightened activity. With sparks fly-
ing, and molten metal all around, the
scene evokes the days of the Industrial
Revolution.
A few metres on, a new machine is
busily churning away. Several wor-
kers are hard at work attending to and
monitoring the production process.
Pewag recently imported the machine
from abroad so as to facilitate em-
ployee training. The new production
facility, which is soon to be built here,
will mean such skills come in handy.
Pewag’s new factory will costs hun-
dreds of millions of crowns to esta-
blish and will require a team of 100
staff to operate it – which represents
something of a problem. Because the
Rychnov nad Kněžnou district has
some of the lowest unemployment le-
vels in the Czech Republic. Reasons
for this include a nearby Škoda factory
in Kvasiny, which recently saw the
beginning of production of the new
SUV Kodiaq.
Look elsewhere
for the weakest link
Up until last year the small town of
Vamberk, 100 kilometres east of Prague,
was blighted by an abandoned former
military base which used to store tanks. But
now the cleared out plots of land are being
readied for new construction. By the summer of
2017, Austrian industrial manufacturing group
Pewag is due to have fresh production up and
running at the site
Chrenek: supplier and
competitor
But Škoda is also a key recipient of Pe-
wag snow chains. When the firm’s new
Kodiaq model was still in the top-secret
production phase, Pewag managing di-
rector for the Czech Republic Martin
Lenfeld was already at Škoda HQ in
Mladá Boleslav to test the custom made
snow chains for the new model. Firms
such as Mercedes, Porsche and Volvo
also source custom chains from Rych-
nov nad Kněžnou.
Most materials heading to the eas-
tern Bohemian production operation
come from Czech ironworks. These
include the Moravian Třinec Iron and
Steel Works owned by billionaire Tomáš
Not simply for cars. Asides from automobile wheel chains, Pewag also
produces chains for technical and industrial usage
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Chrenek. His FINITRADING group
also owns the Jeseník-based Řetězár-
na firm, a direct Czech competitor to
Pewag.
The Czech Republic represented
Pewag’s first expansion beyond the
borders of Austria. Asides from its Vam-
berk operation, the company also has
factories in Česká Třebová and a drop
forge plant in Chrudim. Pewag’s global
operations include factories in Holland,
France and the US. The firm is also
wrapping up production in Italy, divi-
ding the relocated operations to Austria
and the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, Pewag’s production stra-
tegy is to make as much as possible in-
-house. “The aim is to retain as much
value added in the business as possible,”
explains Lenfeld. And that means that
the firm even operates a small textile
factory in Vamberk for braiding springs.
Ready for winter
The strength of the chains produced at
Vamberk is tested with a special machi-
ne which can produce up to 200 tonnes
of tension. Pewag’s snow chain-making
methodology is even protected by pa-
tents. The individual links are made
especially so as to reduce impact stress
and also provide the best possible grip
for vehicles.
The firm also pays close attention to
weather reports; but such awareness
does not represent the core of Pewag’s
success. Because once it snows, then it’s
already too late to increase production
in response. “Summer is always the
busiest time. That is when sellers stock
up for the winter,” explains Lenfeld.
But the mild winters of recent years
are hardly conducive to increased
demand for snow chains. Each year
around 200,000 pairs of snow chains
are produced at Vamberk. But ideal
factory capacity is four times higher
than that.
Pewag reacted to the recent spate
of mild winters by buying up its com-
petitors in Europe. Among its acquisi-
tions were the snow chain division of
Swedish firm Thule. Previously, it was
actually Thule who had been eyeing
the purchase of Pewag’s snow chain
operations.
The Austrian firm is also benefiting
from securing military contracts. And
increased military spending across Eu-
rope and beyond is expanding such
potential. One such recent example
was a large order of traction chains
for US military vehicles. “However,
we’re not yet seeing much success in
supplying the Czech military,” says Len-
feld. Pewag has undertaken a number
of attempts to offer its products to the
Czech army, for example chains for
armoured Pandur vehicles – but to no
avail.
Meek unions
Warm winters and the seasonal nature
of production mean that employment
levels at Vamberk pendulate. Some
staff are only provided contracts for
specified periods; once the work is
done they are let go. And yet the unions
have hardly been up in arms about that.
When Czech Pewag unionised a few
years back, the Austrians didn’t know
what to make of it. But they soon came
to understand that Czech unions work
differently than the ones abroad. “We
can enjoy a good dialogue with the
unions, and when we reach a deal then
it is stuck to,” says Lenfeld.
During the early 1990s, when Pe-
wag’s owners were seeking to ascer-
tain the business environment of the
post-communist Czech Republic,
wages were 10 times lower than in
Austria. And productivity seven times
lower. “Now we are at half the wage
level of what they have in Austria.
But the effectiveness of the labour
output is comparable. Which means
that manufacturing here is far more
advantageous than ever before,” says
Lenfeld. In a single eight-hour period,
Czech workers can produce as many
as 150 snow chains.
But the Austrian owners of Pewag
have come to terms with the fact that
one day Czech wage levels will be on
a par with those of their southern ne-
ighbour. And apparently that will be
sooner rather than later. This year
alone will see factory workers at Pe-
wag enjoying a five percent increase
in wages. The same is planned for
next year. Add to that some additional
bonuses.
Metallic bathing. Chains are zinc-plated to resist corrosion in a special
process called galvanising
Hard work. During one shift as many as 150 chains may pass through the hands of assembly workers
Pewag’s Czech managing director
Martin Lenfeld
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/Small, black and American
Pařížská 24, Prague 1
BCBGMAXAZRIA has opened its first outlet in
Prague, right next door to fashion icons such
as Prada and Hermés. The American fashion
brand sells items that work equally well at the
workplace or while out enjoying an evening
drink. Select from a range of co cktail dresses
and a brand new collection of knitwear.
prague rambler
14/15
6ix
terrific tips
Text Viola Černodrinská
Illustrations Tereza Kovandová
Lasting love for analogue
Kostelní 22, Prague 7
If you are still passionate about analogue
photography then a Temná komora [Dark
Chamber] workshop at Prague’s Letná is
definitely for you. A friendly team of art
students will share the secrets of developing
photographs in the dark room plus you will
get a good cup of coffee.
Duende & Flamenco dancer
12 December, Jazz Dock, Janáčkovo nábřeží
[riverbank] 1, Prague 5
Sophisticated jazz with world music features. Du-
ende is a multi-genre band whose original compos-
itions are comprised of Latin-American music with
elements of flamenco, African music and jazz.
LEMARKET at Mánes
17 and 18 December,
Masarykovo nábřeží [riverbank] 1,
Prague 1
The Mánes Gallery will transform into
a marketplace for the mid-December
weekend once more! LEMARKET will
feature presentations by around one
hundred carefully selected Czech and
Slovak designers, cosmetics makers,
shoemakers and chocolatiers.
Avoid gluten with Marks
Wenceslas Square 38, Prague 1
If, like this correspondent, you sometimes search in vain
for gluten-free oven-ready food to fend off a hunger
attack, make sure of visiting Marks & Spencer. The chain
has just expanded its coeliac diet section, assisting those
who fear gut symptoms from eating gluten. You can thus,
for example, try a delicious New York gluten-free cheese-
cake or spaghetti bolognese.
Recycling responsibly!
Across Prague, www.cervenekontejnery.cz
Are you at loss as to what to do with your broken toaster?
Or with your mobile phone past its prime? Your knackered
hair dryer? You’ve done right by not tossing any of the
gadgets in the regular dustbin. Instead, look out for one of
the red-coloured ASEKOL containers that will take all your
unwanted appliances for environmentally friendly disposal.
Everything collected is dismantled at a special facility with
as much as 90 percent of recovered materials put to reuse
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/society
Maths help project a knockout success
in start-ups competition, world finals await
Biggest international start-ups contest Get in the Ring has this year also been pla-
yed out in the Czech Republic. Six projects made it into the Czech round. Emerging
as the winner was Techambition, a complementary tool for teaching high school
mathematics, which in the spring next year will represent this country in the world
finals. Worldwide, more than 10,000 start-ups from 100 countries got in the ring.
“Techambition is a system which manages to recognise the needs of students. At
the same time it yields valuable feedback to teachers and provides a guide against
which they can find the student’s weak points,” said project creator Jakub Stránský
(pictured on the left)
Photo: MCCAN Prague
Photo: elai
Photo: restu.cz
Coworking firm Opero throws opening party
at revamped modernist address
New Prague coworking centre operator Opero is now providing work spaces in
a stand-out early 20th century building classed as one of the best examples of Czech
early modernist architecture. The address, in Prague 1’s Salvátorská street, has been
extensively fitted out to enable up to 350 professionals from various fields to work
there. Pictured at the opening party, from left, are centre investors Luboš Černý,
Pavel Přikryl and Pavel Bouška (owner of the successful animal food firm VAFO) to-
gether with Viola Škabradová (right), granddaugher of the building’s original owner,
publisher and founder of the Mánes Society of Fine Arts (created in 1887), Jan Štenc
advertising
257996/39
Top restaurant award
goes to Prague’s Čestr
The Čestr restaurant has been voted the Best Gastronomic Enter-
prise of 2016 in the annual RESTU survey. Prizes were handed out
at an event held in Prague’s Benedictine Břevnovský Monastery.
As well as the top prize, Čestr, located in Legerova street, Prague
1, also carried away the TOP Chef award. The votes were cast by
guests of Czech restaurants. For what was the third edition of the
poll, they submitted more than 100,000 evaluations to the RESTU
restaurant guide. Pictured from left are Jiří Moskal, the director
of Restu.cz, Václav Hromas, executive director of Čestr and Pavel
Straka, head chef at Čestr
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/16
diversions
King Bibi’s mixed day
Tel Aviv residents queued to take selfies with a golden guerrilla art statue of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that appeared overnight… and then accepted a request
from the artist behind it, Itay Zalait, to help topple it. The artwork satirised the reputed imperial tendencies and taste for fine living of ‘King Bibi’, but ministers
quickly let it be known they were not amused, with right-wing culture supremo Miri Regev decrying “this expression of hatred to Netanyahu”. Officials warned Zalait
he was in for a fine if he didn’t get rid of the sculpture toot sweet
invitations
picture of the week
Photos: Archive Photo: Reuters
GIG
Wax Tailor
at Lucerna
A big hit on the instrumental
hip-hop and downtempo
scenes, Wax Tailor has
performed over 600 shows
in 50 countries, delivering
an enticing mix of hip-hop,
soul and funk. 16 December,
Lucerna Music Bar, Prague.
ART EXHIBITION
Artistic rebirth
at Kampa Museum
Until 15 January, the Prague
venue hosts Jiří Valenta and the
Mystery of Artistic Rebirth /
Art Informel Tendencies in the
1950s and 1960s. Art Informel
was response to the communist
regime’s appropriation
of the right to supervise
Czechoslovakia’s cultural life.
CINEMA
Office Christmas
Party (2016)
When uptight CEO (Jennifer
Aniston) threatens to shut down
her hard-partying brother’s
company branch, he throws an
epic Christmas do to land a big
client and save the day. But
things get way out of hand...
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will
Speck. Various cinemas.
GIG
High Contrast
at Roxy
This Welsh drum & bass
legend is billed as one of
the most adored electronic
producers of all time. On
his return to Prague, High
Contrast, aka Lincoln Barret,
will be accompanied by British
DJ Dimension and some Czech
support. 16 December.
EXHIBITION
Landscapes at
Krkonoše Museum
If you’re visiting the Krkonoše
Mountains pop into the local
museum in Vrchlabí to take in
works of Czech graphic artist
Jaroslav Skrbek (1888-1954).
Some depict ordinary life in
Krkonoše, others landscapes
painted during trips around
Europe. Until 27 January.
About us. E15 Weekly is one of a group of business and economics-oriented publications printed by CN Invest a. s. It is a sister title to the E15 daily. Both
periodicals, as well as a number of others, came under new ownership in the spring of 2016 when part of a portfolio formerly published by Mladá fronta a. s.
was acquired. CN Invest a. s. publishes a broad range of print and online titles. In addition to other business-minded titles, the company also publishes lifestyle
and women’s magazines (Maminka, Dieta, Moje psychologie) and children’s titles (Mateřídouška, Sluníčko). The publishing house also enjoys a considerable
presence in the segment of technical and men’s online titles. CN Invest, and its sister company CZECH NEWS CENTER a. s. (the biggest publishing house in the
Czech Republic, with titles such as Blesk, Reflex, Svět motorů, ABC), are members of the media concern CZECH MEDIA INVEST a. s.
http://www.floowie.com/cs/cti/e15w-2016-12-12/