Questions about Petr Rafaj

Say one thing and do another is a typical political ploy, and PM Bohuslav Sobotka has become a master at it. He declared last week that having transparent public tenders is a way for the government to reduce its running costs, then he proposed to the cabinet that Petr Rafaj be appointed to another six-year term as head of the ÚOHS antitrust office. Rafaj's office is widely regarded as one of the main obstacles to better transparency in public procurement. As Editor-in-chief István Léko of LN put it, how can someone with such close ties to ČSSD [and specifically lawyer Radek Pokorný] be expected to rule independently about companies suspected of being linked to ČSSD? When ANO proposed Dan Ťok as transport minister, Sobotka spoke of a big risk of a conflict of interest and gave Ťok a list of 11 questions. The antitrust office is of similar importance, so where is the list? Many a corporate lawyer is eager to help Sobotka draft it.