Final Word from Thursday, October 2, 2025
It sounded like whitewashing when Health Min. Vlastimil Válek of TOP 09 told Právo in early July that the bitcoin affair of ex-Justice Min. Pavel Blažek of ODS was a schoolboy political error and that there wasn't any suspicion of a crime or any investigation. If more leaks or arrests had then followed, Spolu could have been hit hard in this weekend's election, but Válek has been right so far: Nothing much has happened since then. Senior Olomouc State Prosecutor Radim Dragoun has popped up occasionally to insist that the elections aren't a limiting factor in terms of charging more people, but actions speak louder than words, and Dragoun hasn't acted. This gives credence to what journalist Petr Dimun suggested in June, namely that Dragoun might have used the leaks to Deník N to delay or halt a power play by Supreme State Prosecutor Lenka Bradáčová to eliminate the two senior state prosecutor's offices. The bitcoin affair, it now seems, will be Dragoun's bargaining chip in talks with the new prime minister. [ Czech Republic media scandal matter ]
Glossary of difficult words
to whitewash - to make a deliberate attempt to conceal unpleasant or incriminating facts about a person or organization in order to protect the reputation of the person or organization;
actions speak louder than words - what someone does has more value than what someone says;
to pop up - to appear or occur suddenly;
credence - the likelihood of something being true; plausibility;
power play - tactics intended to increase a person's power or influence;
bargaining chip - something that can be used to gain an advantage when trying to make a deal or an agreement.