Eastern bullies

Czech newspapers are quick to pick up negative reports about Gazprom, but only Lidové noviny noticed a story in the Financial Times this week about two other eastern bullies, J&T and Penta of Slovakia. The FT said they got their start by stripping the assets of investment funds. Patrik Tkáč of J&T boasted of growing up on Gordon Gekko from "Wall Street" (without mentioning that Gekko presumably went to prison). Slovak PM Robert Fico indicated that Penta offered him a huge bribe regarding the Bratislava airport privatization. J&T and Penta are no Gazprom, but they bring to the CR some of the same tactics. Yet instead of being shunned, they're being courted. If Industry Minister Martin Říman can talk of wanting to prevent Gazprom from taking control of ČEZ, why can't he publicly recognize the effect Gazprom's smaller cousins are having on Czech business?