Final Word from Monday, April 20, 2015
If Andrej Babiš hadn't told HN that he plans to sue Foreign Policy unless it apologizes to him, we wouldn't mention the article that angered him so much. Hardly anyone else had mentioned it either, other than the inveterately anti-Babiš media. One of the rare exceptions was when Prof. Michael Kraus spoke about it on Czech Radio and gave a very balanced assessment of what he called an article that raises grave concerns but also cherry-picks the worst things from the Czech media that can be said about Babiš. Since Babiš now plans to sue, it's worth asking what bothered him so much. Was it the article's claim that his father allegedly ran a Vienna-based black-market arms-trading business under StB protection? That Babiš defaulted on state-backed loans? That he might have been a KGB agent? That he has surrounded himself by ex-spies? Does Babiš the born-again Havelian really want these issues discussed in a U.S. libel court? [Czech Republic magazine secret police Václav Havel Havellian]
Glossary of difficult words
inveterate - having a particular habit, activity or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change;
to cherry-pick - to selectively choose (the most beneficial items) from what is available;
libel - a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation.