Klaus and the central bank
2005-01-26
The appointment of Zdeněk Tůma as Czech National Bank
governor four years ago was a contested affair. Both outgoing
Gov. Josef Tošovský and Premier Miloš Zeman tried to block it. In
contrast, the expected reappointment of Tůma to the CNB post
next month is a cakewalk. No one is complaining. What does get
blood boiling, though, is the expected appointment of ex-CEO
Pavel Řežábek of Česká konsolidační agentura to the CNB board.
Respekt said that Řežábek was a failure at ČKA and that
President Václav Klaus should either explain the choice or find
someone else. By reappointing Tůma, Klaus is apparently trying
to make his other choices more palatable. If he gets away with
"murder" with Řežábek, what will he do when more board seats
become available? And how long will Tůma, in good conscience,
be able to remain at the helm of the Klaus National Bank? [Czech
Republic]
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