Update on Little Putin

We hope it doesn't become a regular series, but a recap of Transport Minister Vít Bárta's achievements in office could be instructional. His first step was to put his ex-ABL people into key positions. Next, he started turning the financial screw at Czech Railways, which has implications for the unholy ČEZ-Škoda-DP alliance. Around the same time, ABL got some nice security work from ČEZ. Then Bárta took over the highway and railroad construction "rackets" from the appropriate underbosses. After meeting with Petr Kellner of PPF, Bárta's surrogate at the interior ministry started squeezing ČSOB regarding the Post Bank and was aided in this by the CNB. Forcing Renata Vesecká out, now a chief VV goal, would allow Bárta to put his stamp on the chief prosecutor's office too. Is Bárta in the early stages of a Putin-like centralization of power? And, with at least one oligarch already behind him, can he be stopped? [Czech Republic Poštovní spořitelna Škoda Holding Appian DP Praha Vladimir]