Prague Leaders Magazine Issue 02/2010

NO 2/2010

www.leadersmagazine.cz

195,- CZK

Leaders Magazine No 2/2010

m a g a z i n e

incl. electronic version

now available in Brussels

Jiří Paroubek, Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party Photo: Mr. Paroubek´s archive

our next PRIME MINISTER ?

Birthday Celebration

Women Can Event

EU Matters

Culture Event

Culture Event

Karel Muzikář, 70

Opening Windows

Debate

Baron Prášil

Trebbia

Café Slavie, February 2, 2010

The Professional Women Initiative

On Services Directive

SYNOT TIP - Patron of Baron Prášil Musical

European Awards

The whole evening passed in an atmosphere of mutual understanding which Mr. Karel Muzikář tried to stress with his wish that guests send...

Launched by Microsoft Czech Republic and US Business School Praha in September 2009, organized a second social evening...

High level representatives of EU Member States and institutions, European and national business associations and European regions...

A long awaited premiere of the Czech original musical called Baron Prášil took place in Prague´s Hybernia Theatre. The main persons...

10 th Annual Presenting of the Trebbia European Awards and Benefit Cheques Trebbia on 14th March 2010...

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LEADERS MAGAZINE now available in Brussels COVERING

TOP CZECH EVENTS

For Full Photocoverage Go To w w w.leadersmagazine.cz/photogallery

Leadders Magazi Lead zine ne® foc ocus uses es on lilife fest fe styl st yle, yl e int e, intter e vi view ewss, bus usin innes ess, s, cul ultture tu andd lux luxur uryy prod pr oduuctss and cov od o er e s maanyy iimp mppor o ta tant n aand nt n iint nd nter eres estiting ng eeve veent ntss. O Our ur rrea eade ea d rs are de re people from diplomatic society, governme meentt ooffi ffic ffi ficciia ials ial ls decision makers in busils, ness, Czech citizens with higher income and tourists. The targeted distribution is cca 20 000 copies including 1400 pcs to the top EU officials in Brussels.

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WE PRINTED THIS MAGAZINE WE ARE READY TO DESIGN AND PRINT YOUR: BILLBOARD, CITYLIGHT, POSTER, STAND, BANNER, CATALOGUE, MAGAZINE, BROCHURE, LEAFLET, ETC.

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Bonafide Publishing, s.r.o. Václavkova 169/1 160 00 Praha 6 T.: +420 220 512 965 E: info@bonafide.cz www.bonafide.cz

Dear Readers, Hopefully, by the time you read this publisher’s note, we will be able to smell, feel and see the start of sspr prin pr ing. in g.

It has been a long, coldd win inte ter with te th a lot of snow. It hass be been en dififfifcu cultlt ttoo wal alkk and jourr ne neys on th thee st stre reet re et often consisstteed of try ryin ing to avo in void vo i pat id atch chees ch es off ice on the t he pa pave veeme veme ment nt and falllilingg snnow andd ice ice ffro rom ro m th thee rooof o tops.

With Wi th ssppr ing coome s ne new w ho hope pe, pe optititimi op m sm and ene nerg ne rgy, rg y whi y, whi hich ch wil will ill giivee us new w vi vita t lility ta ity w whe hen fa faccing our obs bstaacl bs c es es..

Take Ta ke a momen m ennt too watch Mot othe ot her Na he Natu t ree tu in sspringtimee bloom m, in th the he va variety of its coloors and tthe he divveerr si sity ty of itss frag agra rancces ra es. Na Natu ture tu re iiss fu fullll of liife and is a soourrce c thaat he help lpss us to renew lp w our in inne nerr streeng ne ngth. Naturee hel elps el ps us fe feel el thatt som omet ethi et hinng is mu hi m ch c big igge gerr th ge thaan ourr se selvvess and thee every ryda ry dayy sm da small nuuis isan ance an ces es we expper erie ienc ie nce. nc e. Nat a ur uree gives us thee spi piririritt to ove pi ove verc rcom rc omee petttin om ines ess, es narrowne na ness ne ss,, gr ss gree eed, ee d, envy and ot other vice cess that ce thhat w wee ar are all, unfortunattely, temppte tedd by fro froom titime to time me. me In this issuue we are ver ver eryy ha happ ppyy to have a coverr ar ticl pp clee wi cl with th IIng ng.. JiJiříří ng Paro Pa rou oubek, Ch Chaairm rman an of ČS ČSSD, who ma mayy well we bee th thee ne new w Pr Prim imee Minnisster im off the he Cze zech ch Re Repubblilic aftter May ellec ections. Oth theer not otaable polittic iciaans and cont co nten nt ende en d rss iin the elec ectiions ec ons wh whoo ap appe pear pe ar in in th this is iss ssue include Mr. Mirirek ss ek Topolánnek, To k, former Pr Prim imee Mi im Mini n sterr aand now hea ead of ODS and ea nd Mr. CCyr y il yr Svob Sv obod odda, a, fo forme ormerr Mi Mini nist ni ster ter of of Fore Fo eign iggn Af Affa fairirss an andd head headd of of KDUKD DU-ČS ČSLL. Final ČS alllly, ly w als we lsoo ha have ve iint ntervvieews with thee Min inis isterr of D Def efen ense se,, Mr Mr. Marr tinn Barták, andd th an thee former Dep eputt y Minister er of Ag Agriricu cultltuure, Mr. Ivo Hlavááč. č F om the bus Fr usiines esss sp sphe here re, I woul uldd lilike k too mention Mr Mr. JiJiříří KKrejč j a, Chairm man a /Gen eneeral al D Dirirec ecto tor of G4S Securritt y Se Services, Fo Fourr-star Ge Gene nera rall, Jiříří Šeddiv ivýý (r(ret et.).),, who is now hheading thee cconsu sultltan ancy cy com ompa pany ny Gen Gener eral als andd tw an twoo ve veryy ssuccessfull Ru Russ ssia iann en entrtrep epre rene neurs, s, AAnd n reey V. Filatov and nd Iggor I. Smurrov ov, who will soo oon be begi ginn pr prod oducc titioon of new Ph Phot otovvoltaic Modules es in the Přeroov regi gion on, wi with th an an annu nual al ccap a ac aciity of 50 MW W per er ann nnum.

I al also so w wou ould ld llik ikee to wellco come Ms. Lyn ynnn To Touurkiová to our staff. Ms Ms.. To Tour urki kiov ováá repl re plac acees Ms. Michaala VVossková who hhas t ak aken en uupp a ne new w po posi sitition on in th thee banking sphere. Ms. Tourkiová is well qualified for her new task as a Sales/Marketing Executive and speaks five languages fluently: English, French, Czech, Spanish and Italian.

Another very exciting project Leaders Magazine will cooperate with is the Cascade Performance Sports Academy now integrated with the Cascade Resort, located in the Algarve region of Portugal.

A friend of mine, Mr. Lars Sternmarker, is one of the initiators, together with the Swiss-born Urs Wild, CEO, and his partner Mr. Victor Reis. I think our reportage explains very well how outstanding this Resort is and how well it will function with former world No. 1 tennis great, Stefan Edberg, Director of Tennis and Advisor to the Cascade Performance Tennis Academy, with renowned international football manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Director of Football and Advisor to Myy dog M dooogg R Rhhea ea the Cascade Performance Football Academy and with Martina Ertl-Renz, German Alpine Skier and former World Cup No. 1 and Director and Advisor of the Outdoor and Recreational Sport Center.

For more information, please visit www.cascade-academy.com or www.cascade-resort.com.

events 16 20 32 36 39

42 46 53 56 58 63 66 68 84 90 94 103 106 110 117

1stt Leaders Magazine Advisory Board Dinner Birthday Celebration Karel Muzikář, Seventies Sanjiv Suri 50th Birthday Celebration Round Table of Comenius with Gen. Oldřich Martinů, Czech Police President Round Table of Comenius with Mr. Vladimír Tošovský, Minister of Industry and Trade Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador Opening Windows – The Professional Women Initiative Euro-Trend Group Consulting – Taxation – Audit – Property – Valuation Opening of Caffe In Palais Kolowrat Lions Club Prague Eagle with page 76 Prof. Zdeněk Krška Jazz at the Castle with Jakubovic Afiz Conference Italian Vision Club IX. Czech Russian Business Ball at Žofín Lions Club Prague Eagle Jubilee Meeting of the Editorial Board 2010 of CDIS Review Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador with Mgr. Marek Vácha, PhD., Head of the Institute of Ethics, 3rd LFUK Prague Lions Club Prague Eagle with Gustav Oplustil The Lawyer of the Year 2009 1stt Czech and Slovak Gala Evening Compatriots in New York Were Awarded with a Silver Commemorative Medal of the Czech Senate

EU matters

page 130 Trebbia European Awards

98 99 100

CzechFlash Business News The EU, the Best Way to Gu Guarantee Freedom and Security in the Whole European E Region AAnn in inte terv rvie iew w wi with th LLib ibor or Rou Rouče čeek, Vic Vicee Pr Pres esid iden entt of the European Parliam ment

102 02

Debate on Servicess Dir Diirrective

page 118 – Cascade Resortt

Heree’ss w He wis i hi hing ng yyou o a rej ejuv uvenatinng sp spriring ng!!

Yours si sinc ncerely, Beenk B nke ke Aikkellll I benke.ai aike ai kelll@leadersmaagazi ke zine ne.cz ne www. ww w.le leadersm maggazine. e cz

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Lead Le adeers Ma ad Maga g ziine II/ 20 2010

19.3.2010 9:31:46

interviews 10

The Front Runner An interview with Jiří Paroubek, Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party

12

A Simple Algorithm Will Decide the Elections A talk with Mirek Topolánek, Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)

14

Doing Things Differently from Now On An interview with Cyril Svoboda, Chairman of KDU-ČSL

26

Afghanistan Still Needs Our Help An interview with Martin Barták, Minister of Defence

28

There Is a Favourable Climate for Investment in the Czech Republic An interview with Andrey Filatov and Igor Smurov, Russian Investors in the Czech Republic

44

Our Army Is Focusing Too Much on the Missions A talk with General Jiří Šedivý, former Chief of Staff of the Czech Army

50

Empathy, Quality and Trust Are All Keys to Success An interview with Jiří Krejča, Managing Director of G4S Security Services

64

A Highly Principled Anticommunist Position Is One of the Main Reasons I Entered into Politics A talk with Ivo Hlaváč, former Deputy of the Minister for Regional Development, Minister of Agriculture, and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Candidate for the 2010 Parliamentary Election E

72

Czech Weapons Still Have an Outstanding Sound in the World A talk with Zdeněk Štěpánek, President of the Czech Proof House for Firearms and Ammunition

page 12 A talk with Mirek Topolánek

culture events 76 86 121 122 123 124 125 126 130

136

Jazz at the Castle with Jakubovic Q and Randy Brecker Jazz at the Castle with Vejvoda Josef 65 Synot Tip Patron of Baron Prášil Musical Faust Threepenny Opera Waiting for Godot Cosi fan tutte Mozart’s Birthday and Kobanadi Award 10th Annual Presenting of the Trebbia European Awards and Benefit Cheques Trebbia on 14th March 2010 Barbora Bálková (*1978) Transformation

114–116

diplomatic events 60 80 127

Christening the Book by Jevgenij Primakov “A World without Russia?”

Czech Republic and Israel 20 Years after Renewal of Relations Russian Military Day

page 46 Opening Windows...

96–97

page 123 Threepenny Opera

contributors 52 74 79 89 104 109 109 118

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Do we Measure?!/Ivan Pilný Battling Green Fatigue/Jan e Muehlfeit How Avatar Will Change the World/Emil Jimenez Successful Failures:/Karin Genton L'Eppée Business May Be Your Life – But – Life Is Your Business Part III: Finding Your Passion and PurposeA,B/James A. Cusumano, PhD. Thee Ch Th Chilildr dren en ooff Cz Czec echs hs AAbr broa oadd Wa Want nt ttoo Le Lear arnn Cz Czec ech/ h/HE HEBR BR Cascade Resort (opens summer 2010) and Cascade Performance Sports Academies (opens Winter 2010)/Compiled by LM

19.3.2010 9:32:45

We are pleased to announce that we have considerably extended Leaders Magazine spread to include 80 topnotch restaurants in Prague.

Total circulation: cca 18.000 bi-monthly including electronic version.

Readership total: cca 500.000 Leaders Magazine is sent as a compliment to: Those who are the most influential, powerful and affluent readers in the Czech Republic. To representatives of the businesssphere, diplomatic corps and to top goverment and mayor’s officials.

On the board of the ČSA business class & VIP lounges of Prague aiport.

We are also cooperating with Prague City Ci ty Hal all,l, C Cze zech ch Inv nvesst, C Cze zech ch Cen entre,, The Cz Th Czech Mediica cal Chham ambe berr, aallll C Chhambeers of Co C mm mer erce ce,, Fo Foru rum m Fr Frannco cophone Afffaires Af es,, Če Česk skáá Manažerská ká Aso soci c ace, CMC CM C Gr Grad adua uatee School of Bussin ines esss, University of Ne New w Yo York rk in in Pr Prag ague ue, An Angl gloo A ericann S Am Sch choo ool,l, U Univeerssity of Pitts tsburg bu rgh, h, C CEE EELI LI Instititu tute te, Lions Clubbs, Rota Ro tary Clu lubs, The Prag ague ue S Socieety ffor or Int. C Cooopperation, CZ CZECH TO TOPP 10 00, Czecch 10 100 0 Be Best st, CEBRE, Eurotelegraph, The Senate, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Foreign Affairs, andd Ministry of Culture, Ano pro Evropu an manny more.

For sale in Luxor Bookstore at Václavské náměstí.

Leaders Ma Maga gazi z ne is av avaailaabl blee in aall rooom o s of o theese top sta tarr fine hot otel tel es andd th an thei eir re ei rest stau st aura au rant ra n s: (tel (t elephoone numbeer fo el forr reeservation))

Aria Hotel Coda restaurant

225 334 791

Le Palais Hotel Prague g Le Papillon 234 634 611

Crowne Plaza Harvest Restaurant

224 393 692

Prague Marriott Hotel Brasserie restaurant 222 888 888

Račanská vinárna

224 393 855

Grand Hotel Bohemia U Prašné brány 234 608 111 Hilton Prague CzechHouse Grill & Rotisserie

Radisson SAS Alcron Hotel La Rotonde 222 820 000 Restaurant Alcron

222 820 000

Rezidence Lundborg Praha 257 011 911 224 842 700

Hilton Prague Old Town Restaurant 221 822 303 Holiday Inn Prague Cong Co n re ress ss C Cen ente terr Espr Es pritt

61 6 1 17 175 5 03 030 0

Ho Be Hotel Bellllag agio io Rest Re stau aura rant nt IIsa sabeella

221 77 778 99 999 9

Hotel Hoffme meiste terr R staurant Re nt Ada

251 017 133

Hotell In Hote Inte terccon onttinental al PPra rahha Zlat Zl atáá Pr P ahha 296 63 29 631 111 Hotel Pa Palaace Praha Gourme mett Club ub

Rezidence Nosticova Restaurant Alchymist 257 011 670 Sieber Hotel Restaurace h. Sieber 224 250 025 Top Hoteel Praha Top Rest stau aura rannt Bohemiattopp Receepcce 267 67 2 284 84 111 111 Audien Aud ence ce D cisi De sion makerss inn tthe fields of busiineess, public rel bu elatio ions ns, in inde depe penndent pro de rofe fess ssio ions ns and ddip iplomacy cy, gove go vern rnme ment nt officia ials ls, local of offifici c alss.

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Youu ca cann find the M Mag agaz ag azin az ine inn tthe in hese finee re he resstaaurants: (te telleph te phon ph onee nu on numb mber mb er ffor or rres eservaatitioon) es Ambi Am biennte – R bi Ris istorant is ntee nt Pastta Fr Pa Fresca 224 230 0 244 4 Am mbiiente – Thee Liv ivinng Resttaurants Re 222 2 72 727 7 85 51 Arom omii 222 22 2 71 713 3 22 22 Az teca Azte ca 257 5 3 32 27 389 Baro Ba r ckk Bar ro Ba & Caf aféé af 22 22 32 329 9 221 Belllll evuee Be 800 0 123 553 Brasserie Le Moliere 222 22 2 514 4 165 B eak Café Br 222 231 31 10 065 65 5 Bugsy’s Baar Bu 222 22 2 32 329 9 94 43 Cafe Ca fe La Ve Vera rand ra ndaa nd 22 24 814 733 Cafe fe Savoyy 257 329 860 Cafe De Pa Pariss 603 160 718 Caffé Re Resstaura aur nt au Prem Pr emié iéra raa 224 48 828 28 1 159 59 9 Casanoovaa 257 5 535 35 127 27 C’es C’ estt La Vie 257 321 511 C em Cl e enttinu num 224 813 892 2 Caasa Anddina 2 4 815 99 22 96 Červvená enná ta tabulka (Na Hu Hutích chh) 23 33 32 3 3 429 9 Čerr vená tabu Če tabu ta bulk lkka (Lod (L Loddec ecká ká)) ká 224 81 10 40 401 Dům Dů m vína U závojje 226 006 6 1 20 L’’ Ang ngoolo 224 82 29 3 55 Frran ancoouz uzsk skáá reest sk s au a race ce v Obec e ní ním m do domě mě 222 002 2 745 Giar a dino ar Enot En oteca con Cuucina ot na 222 513 427 Hergget He etov ova Cihe ov helnna he 25 57 53 535 5 53 5 4 H ng Hu ngar arria iann Gr Grot otto ot too 257 532 344 Kam Ka mpa Paarkk 257 7 532 2 685–6

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222 22 2 32 3 7 20 207 7 224 81 819 9 66 8 221 77 22 771 1 068 222 314 4 071 221 082 208 222 317 004 04 222 22 2 32 325 5 11 19 271 1 726 548 776 418 559 77

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257 530 522 2 224 4 216 2 244 44 222 2 513 340 224 235 15 58 222 326 203 03 222 220 716 222 715 867

Contributors: James A. Cusumano, Joseph Drebitko, Karin Genton-L’Epée, Pavlína Holancová, Martina Hošková, Filip Hubáček, Emil Jimenez, Ph.D., Zuzana Kasáková, Jan Muehlfeit, EurActiv, Ivan Pilný, Věra Řiháčková Marketing/Advertising: Lynn Tourkiová, Michala Vosková, Ingrid Železníková, Max Salamatin, Alexander Fernando, Shalva Sikharulidze Marketing & Editorial Director Vladimíra Václavíková EU Matters: CEBRE Czech Business Representation, CESES, Europlatform, Photographers: Brian Fleming, Miroslav Halada, Martin Janas, Zuzana Jirásková, Andrea Koch, Jan Kolman, Ladislav Lenk, Josef Louda, Martin Malý, Paul Pacey, Kateřina Petrů, Oto Palan, Martin J. Polák, Zbyněk Prokop, Štefan Špic, Vladimír Weiss, David Židlický

224 2 24 0 093 93 111 111

Hotell Re Hote Resi side denc ncee A chym Al ymiist 257 25 7 28 286 011 Hotel Residence Hote Irron Gat atee

Publisher: Benke Aikell

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257 534 12 21

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R storan Ri t nte t Incontro Jung Ju ngmaanoovo nám. 19 ng

224 4 948 650

Russalk l a 224 4 93 9 4 10 09 Sahhara Caf a é/ é/Restau aura au raant 774 74 557 763 Taaj– j Mahal 224 22 25 56 66 U Če Červ r en rv enéh ééhho ko kola laa U Ka Kam menného moost stu U maalířů U mo modré kachničk čkyy čk U Mo Modr dréh dr éhoo Hr éh Hroz oznu oz n nu U zl zlat lat atéé hr hruš ušky uš šky ky U Zá Závo voje vo jee Ultramarin Vino di Vino

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Z titší Res Zá essta esta t uran antt Zahr Za hrad hr adaa v Op ad Opeř eřee eř

222 2 221 155 2 4 239 685 22

Subscription service: Bc. Daniel Raška Leaders Magazine, CEPONA, s.r.o.

Lužická 32, 120 00 Praha 2 We appreciate your opinions of Leaders Magazine.

Please send them to: Leaders Magazine Moravská 14, 120 00 Praha 2, tel.: 224 255 277 fax: 224 256 172 e-mail: info@leadersmagazine.cz www.leadersmagazine.cz Leaders Magazine comes out bi-monthly.

Licence: MK ČR E 13147 No reproduction is permitted in whole or part without the express consent of Leaders Magazine.

The advertiser is responsible for the advertising contents.

Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors or persons interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or Leaders Magazine.

All editorial material and photos in Leaders Magazine is digitally stored and may be republished by Leaders Magazine either in printed form or in various digital media. All correspondence to Leaders Magazine may be published.

Graphic design and printing: D&S Design Prague, s.r.o. tel.: 274 774 131 prague@bigformat.cz www.bigformat.cz

Leaders Magazine is member of

info.indd 8

18.3.2010 14:56:37

Leaders Magazine Advisory Board The he positive osi ive repu rep reputation of Leaders Magazine continues to grow, however we realize that we must m musst mai maintain to improve and learn, particularly during these times of dynamic chan ch hang annge. e.. That T hat is why we have decided to set up an Advisory Board for the magazine. I am convinced convince con cedd that creating a platform of high profile individuals will be an excellent opporttunity nity fo for the magazine to acquire new ideas and define new directions of future developme opmeent.

Benke enkke Aike Aikell Your u P Publisher

There e are only few projects started in the Czech Republic by foreigners which I consider as useful to this country as Leaders Magazine. The magazine has brought to the Czech Republic the completely new concept of making important people – the decision makers be they Czech or foreigners – visible and worthy of positive admiration.

As you might know this is something not very common and perhaps even not very natural in the Czech Republic. It is therefore all the more of an achievement to start and successfully develop a project such as Leaders Magazine. I understand fully the intention of Benke Aikell, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, to progress further with Leaders Magazine, and for this purpose to form a team of experienced Czech citizens Lead of ddifferent backgrounds to create a consulting body which would bring this project to an even even higher level.

Ing. Ing ng. K Karel Kar ar Muzikář, CSc. President Presi resside ideent of Comenius

ADVISORY BOARD COMITTEE Benke enk nke Aikell, Publisher, Leaders Magazine Ing. P Ing Petr Kubernát, former Czech Ambassador to the Netherlands, Director, PEKOS spol. s r.o.

IIng. ng. g Karel g.

Ka Muzikář, CSc., President, COMENIUS

HONORARY MEMBERS ABROAD AND GOODWILL AMBASSADORS H.E Mr. William J. Cabaniss, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic H.E. Vincent Vi nc J. Derudder, Secretary General, The European Federation of Financial Advisers and Financial Intermediaries H.E. Mr. Richard Graber, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ája Vrzáňová, Czech World Champion in Figure-skating, Sport Legend

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ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS PhDr. Zdeněk Čáp, Managing Partner, Equity Solutions s. r. o.

Josef Drebitko, CEO/Chairman of the Board, Activ a.s.

Prof. Ing. Jiří Fárek, First Deputy Mayor, City of Prague 6 Ing. Peter P. Formánek, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic Mgr. Marta Gellová, Secretary General, AFIZ Michal Heřman, General Manager, Star Communications Václav Hudeček, Violinist Plk. Mgr. Vladislav Husák, Director, Alien Police Service, Police of the Czech Republic JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra & spol.

Prof. Ing. Kamil Janáček, CSc., Chief Economist, Komerční banka a.s.

Otto Jelinek, Chairman, Colliers International ationa Ing. Peter Jusko, MBA, Executive Vice ce President dent – Ground Operations, Czech Airlines Ing. Petr Kalaš, former Minister of Environment nme mennt Ing. arch. Jan Kasl, AIDstudio, President EUROPAN EURROPPAN CZ CZ Ing. Josef Kreuter, CSc., former Czech ech Amba Ambassador bassado ador to the EU Prof. Dr.h.c. JUDr. Jan Kříž, CSc., Partner, Law Firm rm Kříž a Bělina s. r. o.

Ing. Jaroslav Kubišta, Secretary Lions Club Praguee Eagle Genmjr. JUDr. Lubomír Kvíčala, former Directorr of the Department of Protection of Constitutional al Officials, Police of the Czech Republic Ing. Vladimír Laštůvka, former M.P. Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman, Europe Microsoft Corporation orp Ing. Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisoryy Board, Česká pošta a. s. and former Czech Ambassador to OECD Ing. Jozef Piga, Member of the Supervisory Board, Omnipol a.s.

George Parobek, Managing Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Šárka Parobek, Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Doc. Ing. Antonín Peltrám, CSc., Director IEI, Bankovní institut vysoká škola, a.s.

Doc. Ing. Václav Petříček, CSc., General Manager of the Chamber SNS Ing. Lucie Pilipová, Partner, Via Perfecta, s.r.o.

Ing. Ivan Pilný, President, TUESDAY Business Network JUDr. Čestmír Sajda, MBA, former Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs MUDr MU Dr. Ri Rich char ardd Se Sequ quen enss, PhD PhD., He Head ad of of Su Surg rgic ical aal Gastroenterology Center, Nemocnice Milosrdnýcch sester sv. Karla Boromejského v Praze and former er Senator Mgr. Albin E. Sybera, Managing Director, Sybera bera Enterprises spol. s r. o.

PhDr. MgA. Miroslav Smolák, Owner, Galeriee MIRO O Brigadier General Ing. Andor Šándor (ret.), Consultant onsult nt PhDr. Jaroslav Šedivý CSc., former Ambassad sador and Minister of Foreign Affairs JUDr. Josef Šesták, Lawyer Bc. Vladimír Šiška, MBA, Executive Director, International Chamber of Commerce in CR Ing. Pavel Štefka, MSc , 4-star General (ret.), Chief of Defence and Special Programs, Tatra Ing. Helena Švédová, Director, Department of Trade Administration, Czech Export Bank Ing. Jiří Vávra, Vice Chairman, STROJEXPORT, a.s.

JUDr. Petr Vyroubal, Partner, Law Firm Vyroubal Krajhanzl Školout

18.3.2010 13:06:37

interview

Jiří Paroubek Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party Photo: Mr. Paroubek´s archive

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Leaadder Le der ers M Maaggaazziinnee II/ I/20 201100

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An interview with Jiří Paroubek, Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party

THE FRONT RUNNER Jiří Paroubek (b. 1952) graduated from the School of Economics, Prague. He began his political career at the age of 18 when he joined the Czechoslovak Socialistic Party.

He stayed with the party till 1986. After graduating in 1976, Paroubek worked as a manager for several state companies including the restaurants’ holding. Following the Velvet Revolution in November 1989, Paroubek joined the newly reborn Czech Social Democratic Party. He served in high positions in the municipal council of Prague, foremost as the Deputy Mayor specialising in city finance. He left Prague politics in 2004 when he was called to the government as Minister for Regional Development. He was promoted to premiership after the Gross scandal in 2005 and left the office after he lost the general elections in 2006. He became CSSD party leader the same year.

What is the most important attribute of a politician who aspires to reach the political summit?

I have met a lot of people in my life who have possessed excellent academic records, many of whom had obtained several university degrees and had the scope of an intellectual. Nonetheless, they had no political intuition whatsoever. The post-revolution era passed with top positions being occupied by people without deeper, formal education.

In my view, the ideal politician has to bring together a strong intellect, a decent education, excellent rhetoric skills, and true life experience. In order to reach the absolute summit, such a politician must have a sixth sense, which will enable them to understand common people, their needs and wishes. This is absolutely essential for personal charisma.

Across the world the social democrats represent the vast social strata of common people. Do you superordinate the public interest to private, individual interests?

I believe that a modern democratic society means among other things seeking the needed balance between private and public interests. The maturity of western democracies is defined by the scale of their solidarity among diverse social strata. Our media interprets such solidarity as an attack on the private assets of certain classes and a punishment for being successful. But this is absolutely not so! Solidarity is a display of serious respect for social concerns. I hope we have gotten over the mistakes of Mrs. Thatcher who wrongly believed that there was no such as a society. The protection of individual rights and interests is ensured by good legislation and an independent judicatory system.

Do you think that the Czech civil service is professional enough and possesses the competence and skill to run the Czech state effectively and efficiently?

It is clear that a politician as an individual has very limited potential to influence the quality and effectiveness of the civil service. One needs a considerable expert and skilled caucus, ministries and their officers in order to govern the state. As prime minister – if CSSD comes out of the May election as the winner – it will be my aim to ensure that civil servants are not dependent on political influence. It is a priority of ours to amend the Civil service Code as soon as possible. In order to support political representation and to get senior civil service to work as effectively as possible, it is necessary to push through initiatives for a new system of lifelong learning or post-graduate education for civil servants like the French ENA. Politicians no matter their political leaning or affiliation would undergo education.

Our general aim has to be achieving a level of expertise and professionalism in the public sector comparable to the private sector.

The theme of corruption is reaching the forefront of public debates and is emerging as a major topic in Czech

society. How do you perceive the chance to do away with this problem in the immediate future?

The system solution of this problem has to be new legislation amendments. A lot will have to be done on this front and I stand behind and absolutely support the direction that Minister Pecina, who has been CSSD nominee in the care-taker government, is pursuing. The existence of legislation is one side of the coin. On the flipside, we have to acknowledge that we need substantial determination to pass legislation against corruption and cronyism.

The moment the citizens see change and improvement in this problematic sphere the trustworthiness of the Czech political system and of the politicians will increase. If there is Social Democrat government after the election, fighting corruption will be one of my priorities as the prime minister.

No longer can we just speak of corruption, we have to act whenever there is serious suspicion of corruption. Every body knows that CSSD enforces the principal presumption of guilt.

Closely connected to corruption is the question of selection procedures for government contracts. Not a week passes without new cases of a suspicious selection procedure wasting public money.

This is true, without a doubt. Selection procedures have to be changed. Recently, I came across some interesting data. According to a study by an independent agency, in the time when I was leading the government, 64 % of selection procedures of the Ministry of Environment were made public on the Internet. In 2007, this figure was only 42%. Selection procedures have become holes into which public money disappears, especially under the auspices of Mr. Topolanek’s government with Mr. Kalousek as minister of finance.

It is necessary to bring order to purchases in the entire civil service, and all ministries, and central bureaus. The largest amounts can be found in the Army, in solutions to ecological and environmental damages, and in the area of transport.

It is unthinkable to pay more for a kilometre of freeway in the Czech Republic than in neighbouring Germany, for instance.

Increasing the tax burden is a part of your plan for getting over the crises. Don’t you think that the Czech citizens and firms have already suffered enough under tax and social insurance?

I don’t know if I would put it that way. The tax burden is higher in all developed countries. I don’t have the feeling that higher taxation in Germany, Austria, or Sweden and elsewhere in Western Europe would destroy business activity or energy. This year the corporate tax should return to where it was in 2008. This means an increase from 19 % to 21 %. This is not a dramatic increase and it won’t have a negative impact on business activity in the country. Raising corporate tax back to its 2008 level will bring 10 billion Czech crowns into the budget.

In the case of personal income tax we intend to leave the basic income tax rate at 23 % as it is now. I can imagine even lower rate than that for low income categories. This basic rate should remain up to the income of 100 000 CZK a month, 1.2 million a year if you like. Income above this limit would then be taxed by a higher rate of 38 %. Our plan is being wrongly interpreted by the media that the 38 % rate will apply to the entire income. This is not so. A higher rate will apply only to an amount above 1.2 million CZK; the income up to this limit will be taxed at 23 %.

Isn’t it your political calculation that the rich in the Czech Republic are often considered thieves and so taxing them more will bring you votes?

I don’t believe that Czech society takes as negative a position towards wealthy people as you suggest. Certainly, people are sensitive about the obscure ‘90s in which many businessmen achieved their wealth. Business success and wealth were paid by common people when the state was forced to save the Czech banking system, which was brought to the verge of bankruptcy by so-called ‘bank socialism’. I believe that the Czechs do not mind anyone who has gathered their wealth though honest effort or excellent business ideas.

You come out as the favourite of the upcoming election in most surveys and you are the most probable future prime minister. Who would you like to meet first from foreign politicians?

The media has been trying to spread misleading information that I would be interested in meeting the Russian prime minister, Mr. Putin. That is absolute nonsense. In the spirit of tradition I would certainly meet the Slovak prime minister first. I consider this an excellent tradition through which we politicians demonstrate the special nature of the relationship between the Czechs and Slovaks. I truly want the relationship between our two nations to continue and flourish. After the Slovak prime minister I would like to meet with Gordon Brown or his successor, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel and José Barroso. And, Vladimir Putin is certainly a part of this European league of politicians.

Can you imagine yourself outside politics?

Yes, easily. I would be probably a manager in a company or an advisor. I feel I would also enjoy lecturing, working as a lecturer. I lecture quite regularly at universities and schools of higher education. The possibility of creative thinking during lectures and discussions is excellent thing. Perhaps, I would jump into journalism. It would be a joy to build up my own magazine or newspaper as a truly independent daily. Simply put, I have ideas for two or three lifetimes!

By Filip Hubáček ■ český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

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A talk with Mirek Topolánek, Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)

A SIMPLE ALGORITHM WILL DECIDE THE ELECTIONS How does the current election campaign differ from the last one?

In fact, the election campaign has never ended.

The country has lived without a regular government for a year, and without a proper parliament for six months; we are in a state of anomaly that causes great nervousness for politicians, media and voters who can see that the problems, which are multiplied by the economic crisis, are not being solved. There has been a very excited atmosphere since March 2009 when the government fell. Since that time the Czech Republic has acted in an immature and undignified way, and that image has been reflected abroad.

The situation in the Chamber of Deputies is unreal and Cromwell´s words hold: “…when the Parliament sits, our lives and purses are endangered.” The state bankruptcies of Latvia, Hungary and the actual bankruptcy of Greece which is being artificially resuscitated by the EU, instead of conforming to the IMF, are taking away the peoples’ last hopes that we can get painlessly through the crisis, crisis and that the unbelievable promises, which would be indebting the country even further, further can be fulfilled. fulfilled The campaign is going to be rude because the Social democrats (ČSSD) scored points before the last elections. We do not plan for an extensive billboard campaign and we do not smile at the voters from graduation ceremony-like picture posters hanging on every corner like Jiří Paroubek. Our campaign starts at the middle of April and it is going to be undoubtedly cheaper – we have never spent so much money as ČSSD and, in addition, we are financially exhausted after the autumn campaign, which led to no elections.

We are not able to secure as much money as ČSSD in a legal way. From our part, the campaign will be less visible, so in general, it will be rather orange than blue. After all, the elections will be decided by a simple algorithm. People will vote between two scenarios – first, the acknowledgement of the problems, including the need to save and make cuts, and second, the neglect of our problems – believing that there is no need to pay our debts, that we will draw the little curtains and push on. I believe that despite the manipulated results of the opinions polls which pop up from time to time in the media, the first scenario will win.

You are talking about scenarios but not about other political parties. How do you regard the new political entities that have emerged recently?

TOP 09 was established from the more conservative part of KDU-ČSL. Already in the government I run I had in fact five parties – ODS, two fractions of the Green Party, Christian democrats (KDU) and

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the Peoples Party (ČSL). Miroslav Kalousek is skilful in using the internal problems of ODS and approaches the right-wing electorate; it is quite easy for him with the four deputies in the lower chamber because he has no responsibility. But the outflow of the voters to TOP 09 has already stopped. I regard TOP 09 without

emotions; we definitely need a partner and from our point of view, TOP 09 is not a priori hostile entity like such as the Freedom Union, an ODS splinter, has been in the past. The Citizens Rights Party of Miloš Zeman is on one hand our competitor, because it is a left alternative, but it is hardly attractive to ODS Photo: Vladimír Weiss

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18.3.2010 14:47:01

voters; Jiří Paroubek should be rather worried – also, I think that an effort to bring a true social democracy back on the Czech political scene was the motivation of Miloš Zeman. Věci Veřejné, another new party, reminds me of an opaque sect; a privatized party that emerged from a security agency. I don´t know if its members can manage to develop the country structure and have an ambition to make coherent politics that can impact the whole country. However, it is not a left-wing party, so if they make the parliament threshold, we will be interested in negotiating with them. The Green Party and the KDU-ČSL are struggling to get the 5% support. At the moment, it is obvious that our 36% of votes from the last elections is an unthinkable result for any political party.

The political scene has compartmentalized under the massive media pressure saying that the big political parties failed, and thanks to real problems; it is a problem but it doesn´t have to be a fatal problem. However, I would warn against voting for alternative parties. The big parties experience problems all over Europe but the voters usually realize that they need a strong party at the end, a party that is able to guarantee at least something, and not an alternative protest party that only blackmails or promotes specific parts of its election programme afterwards.

Is someone from your European counterparts coming over to support you during the campaign?

Foreign and European policies play almost no role in this campaign. It was useful before the European Parliament elections, and we also had foreign guests at our congress and conference where we demondemon strated that we are not a party without European and world context.

There are elections taking place in many European countries this year, especially in our region. What consequences do you expect?

There are several risky aspects. FIDEZS will probably win in Hungary; I have known Viktor Orban for many years and I think Hungary needs a leader like him but I consider the development dangerous there, Jobik party being the major risk. Robert Fico will dominate in Slovakia and he might get rid of the nationalistic parties that complicate his life, within the next administration. I await these two elections with great expectations and we will see whether their results will rather spill oil on the fire or cool off the situation.

The Polish elections are interesting because the Law and Justice Party (PiS) is our European Parliament sister party in the new fraction and because the Polish constitution entrusts the president with more competencies than here; the position of the conservative right in the European Council would thus be strengthened. Similarly the British elections – when Tony Blair left the office, the standard British EU position represented by any party in power has slightly disappeared from European politics and the power balance shifted a bit towards the countries of the south wing. David Cameron´s victory would improve the situation.

With your experience from the European Council, do you feel that the political affiliation of a member state government plays a crucial role, or is it rather a personal sympathy?

When it comes to crucial decisions, the ideologically aligned governments make deals in advance, and this is also obvious during the following European Councils. But it does not apply to all member states; there are countries like Germany that have clearly defined their national interests, so it does not really matter who is in power. This is not the case of the Czech Republic and it is generally more complicated with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. However, we have had similar interests with the Slovaks no matter what the composition of the ruling coalition was, and we were able to promote them jointly. So both claims are valid, it depends on the situation and the subject matter. The dividing lines in the Council do not emerge only on the basis of small vs. big, or old vs. new, but more and more often on the South vs. North division. It is rather about values and the ways of public governance that are different, and which create problems that manifest during the Czech EU Presidency, for example with the issue of fiscal impulses.

The Czech EU presidency was one of the last fullfledged presidencies. How do you regard the impact of the Lisbon Treaty and the staffing of the new top jobs?

The Czech presidency was in fact the last full fledged EU presidency; I haven´t noticed there was a Swedish presidency after us at all. New institutions and functions are rather causing chaos at the moment but it will settle down in time. The staffing of the top jobs proved that the big countries that have ruled the whole European Council would not lose their power. However, both, Herman Van Rompuy and Lady Catherine Asthon already showed some muscle and they will insist on using their powers despite the fact that they do not represent a top league of the European politicians. For us, anti-federalists, it is in fact good news. If the big countries truly wanted to take the road to deeper federalization then they would have pushed for other candidates. I consider the Lisbon Treaty a halftime in the debate, a time out before a serious discussion on institutional reform, the EU’s future, and the limits and potentials of future enlargements. The Lisbon Treaty has not solved any of these problems, it only made the life of countries like the Czech Republic more complicated. It was a price I was, unlike some of my colleagues, willing to pay for our membership in this club.

The Lisbon Treaty is a compromise; there were more ambitious proposals…

It shows that a compromise among EU-27 in this area is not possible any more. The next treaty must be significantly simpler and has to establish obligations without exceptions, without historical resentments and ties. Such a treaty has never been written so far.

Do you think there is a will for any further negotiations on institutional reform?

Nothing will happen for at least the next ten years; the time out I mentioned can take a long time if something remarkably good does not happen, which I exclude, or if something remarkably bad happens, which is possible.

The Czech Republic has not been able to redefine its foreign policy priorities and national inte-

rests. Do you expect there will be room for this after the elections?

I consider the fact that we are not able to agree and define our foreign and security policy priorities a tragedy, and one of the major vices of Czech politics. The Czechs haven´t traditionally known where they precisely belong, and it is one of their bad qualities. Without reaching an agreement on certain priorities we would remain unanchored and a toy in a peculiar space between Germany and Russia; but I am quite sceptical we will reach such an agreement.

In your opinion, on which priorities should the Czech foreign policy be based on?

We have certain foreign policy priorities that are unique in the European context, or that we share with a particular group of member states. More than ever before it is the protection of human rights elsewhere.

Paradoxically, we are one of the last member states that are still defending a hard line on Castro´s regime.

Lately, I have been meeting often with Cuban émigrés and dissidents, talking about how the “day after” will look and how to get ready for it. We also do have a specific interest in the Balkans, including Serbia and the EU enlargement of these countries. It is in our vital interest that the buffer zone of states neighbouring Russia will not lose their democratic character – i.e. we have an interest in energy interconnection with the Baltic States, and in a good and democratic development of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Another key foreign policy issue is good neighbourly relations. I managed to remove the problems we had with Austria regarding the Temelín nuclear power plant, by day to day work and because of our good relations with Chancellor Angela Merkel, without whom I would probably not have reached a soso lution of the January 2009 gas crisis, and who helped us a lot during the EU presidency. Our next priority must be the strengthening of the Euro-Atlantic ties, which was one of our top priorities during the Czech EU presidency. And one issue where we quasi agree with ČSSD is economic diplomacy, but we disagree on concrete tools. I don’t think there should be a policy of many azimuths, as promoted by ČSSD, because if we are to stand for certain values, we cannot please everyone.

I can see you are wearing a pin “a flag for Tibet”.

Would you wear it as a prime minister?

During the 50th anniversary of the Chinese occupation of Tibet I wore this pin on a press conference.

Then I travelled to the Olympic Games in Peking as a private person, not as a prime minister… so I would definitely wear it in an official function.

What qualities do you appreciate most in your political partners?

First and foremost those they do not have. Above all, I appreciate if one sticks to his or her word, including those not put on paper – many such agreements have been broken here lately; I appreciate correctness, decency and loyalty to the state since everyone prioritizes different values – some follow the order of Me, Party and than the State, but some see it the other way around.

By Věra Řiháčková I český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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18.3.2010 14:47:46

An interview with Cyril Svoboda, Chairman of KDU-Č ČSL

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY FROM NOW ON The election campaign has been setting off. How do you perceive the current atmosphere? Do you expect the campaign to be as similarly escalated as the last one?

The campaign is definitely going to be strident, and with the elections approaching it will get even more escalated, because there is the possibility that a true reshuffle of political power will take place. There are new phenomena on the political scene, and some stake-

holders, like ODS, can be dramatically endangered by this competition. There is a mistrust of political parties that are mixingg business with politics,, and rigghtlyy so.

These elections are about the survival of some political parties.

Which political party do you consider your major competitor, is it TOP O9?

Every party we are competing with has some advantages and disadvantages against us. Regarding

TOP 09, there is a mutual benefit, in that we know each other quite intimately. We know almost all of TOP 09 p rtyy members because theyy are politicians that fled pa from KDU-ČSL. And similarly, they know us in detail, and that makes our competition specific. As far as the other competitors are concerned, they are in fact wellknown and there will be no surprises. I somewhat don’t understand the current calls saying that only a new political power can save the situation. Unfortunately, this

PPho hooto: to VVlladi ladi adimír diimír mí W Weeis iss ss

JUDr. Cyril Svoboda was elected Chairman of the Christian and Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People´s Party (KDU-ČSL) in May 2009 for the second time in his political career (the first tenure was in 2001–2003).

He joined the party in 1995 and has been a deputy of the Czech parliament since 1998. He served as the interior minister (1998), minister of foreign affairs (2002–2006), minister without portfolio and chairman of the legislative council of the government (2007–2009), and as a minister for regional development (2009).

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is not the case, because even the new political parties are full of old politicians. We stand on our promise to do things differently from now on; and we do not lie to voters by saying that there is no past behind us.

So whom do you consider your major rival?

Definitely TOP 09, which is pretending to be a Christian party but is not, since its electoral base is, unlike ours, liberal. Our members´ base does not allow the party leadership to deviate from the principles of Christian politics in areas such as the protection of life or family. We will always be a conservative Christian party because our members charge us with these responsibilities, regardless of who is in the party leadership.

Do you think this might be a reason for voters to swing back and favour your party, which had dropped in popularity, and then slightly rose up again, perhaps because some of the conservative voters realized that TOP 09 is a rather liberal party?

I think to a certain extent this is correct. But we are also serious about fighting some of the current plagues in the Czech Republic – for instance our fight against the regulation and taxation of gambling, and our fight against a senseless environmental tender where a loss of 114 billion is looming. We must have justice for the thefts that take place during public tenders and competitions – we estimate that roughly 20 billion Czech koruna, which is meant for public procurement, disappears each year in bribes and so called transaction costs. I believe that 20 billion in the pockets of thieves is unacceptable. I hope people can see that we are serious about all of these things. There is also our dispute with Lord Mayor of Prague Mr. Pavel Bém, because of stories like Open Card, the absurd rent of the Palace Škoda a bad contract with Incheba Company on the Škoda, lease of Výstaviště Praha, and so on. People can finally see that someone is talking about these issues openly, and that we need to see a change.

Your party is allegedly going to rely more upon the alternative ways of communication during the campaign – like using your supporters’ fences, as opposed to traditional tools like billboards. Is it so?

Yes, it is true. We want the “our fences” campaign to continue, and not only because we have experienced a sharp rise in people interested in having a banner, “VOTE for KDU-ČSL”, on their fence, from 8.000 to 25.000, but also because this campaign leads a great political movement. Imagine hanging this banner on your fence, so that your neighbour asks about it, and you tell them why you will vote for KDU-ČSL. It is a personal interaction, and that is always better then a big billboard, whic wh ichh mo most st peo peopl plee se seee on only ly as as th thee wo work rk of of a me medi diaa agency.

So you are creating your own social “fence” network of supporters…

Exactly, one can sign up and hang any one of our banners on their fence.

KDU-ČSL is cooperating with the European Democratic Party (EDS) of Jana Hybášková in the general elections. How is this cooperation beneficial to you?

I consider any cooperation with EDS very beneficial, not because of their additional support, but because we want to demonstrate our mutual openness. We want to prove that we can stick to our word, and keep our agreements. It just so happens that Christian politics can reach beyond some of the traditional catholic issues, and agree upon other political subjects – on issues like

Europeanism, the fight against corruption, the focus on the rule of law or the support of civil society. We do not claim to be as liberal as EDS, and EDS does not claim to be as conservative as we are.

What is your idea for post-election development?

Which scenarios do you take into consideration?

A lot can still happen in the Czech Republic during the run up to the elections; if they would take place now, the social democrats (ČSSD) would win. We have set several conditions for our entry into any future ruling coalition, and the conditions are as follows: we would not join any coalition that would rest on any kind of support of the communist party (KSČM). Second, we would not join any coalition that would rest on the support of buy-out votes in the Chamber of Deputies, and third, we want the future government to be a body that will put an emphasis on a change of behaviour, because the current economic and financial crisis is not only a con sequence of economic cycles, but of certain types of behaviour. This crisis would not have been so serious if those responsible, especially in the banking sector, had signalled the facts which they must have anticipated.

How do you want to prevent the support of the buy-out votes?

When you come to an agreement with a political partner after the elections, you count your mandates as well as theirs. If negotiations take place with partners that have not established a majority in the lower chamber, and such a government can rest on buy-out deputies, naturally, we will not take part in it.

The local elections are approaching as well. Is it correct KDU-ČSL is going to run jointly with several other small parties?

If we are going to change the situation in Prague, Prague there is no other way than by a coalition with other parties. It seems we can have an agreement with EDS, and also with SNK-ED, as well as the Green Party. With these established parties, we would like to create a coalition that would promote a change of behaviour in Prague.

Without such an agreement, a major change is not possible. If we stay divided, someone else will win. I do not wish for Věci Veřejné to succeed, since there are speculations about who is paying this party.

There are often petty animosities among the small parties present, especially at a particular level of individuals. Do you think this could be a problem for your coalition?

This happened, happens and will happen; it is typical for smaller parties that have many individuals with great ambitions. But I think there is more at stake than the pers pe rson onal al ssat atis isfa fact ctio ionn of a few few, it iiss ab abou outt OD ODSS an andd Vě Věci ci Veřejné not taking control over Prague. If one of these two wins, the result will be the same, and it will be similar if TOP 09 wins. If the votes only flow among these three parties, the outcome will be the same, because at the end, there will be the same group of people in power.

Can you already estimate the potential for your coalition?

We don’t know yet, because the coalition has not been officially established; everything is in negotiation.

Our ambition must be to find a trustworthy person to lead as a candidate, someone that can be considered as a future Lord or Lady Mayor.

Do you have such a person already?

No, we do not, yet.

You are former foreign minister – the year 2010

is going to be a super-election year in the region of Central Europe. Are you expecting any major shifts?

I do not think the region will change significantly.

I anticipate the opposition will most probably win in Hungary, and I don´t know about Slovakia, but I hope the opposition wins since we have our sister political party KDH there. But SMER party is doing well, and it seems it will succeed. Anyhow, the Czech-Slovak relations will not change much because the developments at the national level do not significantly influence the regional cooperation or our cooperation in the EU. Don’t you think that the potential coalition between EU countries can change – in relation to which political parties are in power?

No, I think this is rather dictated by personal sympathies and antipathies. I remember when I was a foreign minister (senior coalition party ČSSD) there was very good cooperation with Slovakia, when the conservative government of Mikuláš Dzurinda was in power.

The Lisbon Treaty is in power already but when, in your opinion, will its full impact take place? Especially in the field of EU institutions.

Nothing has actually manifested yet, it is still too soon. Now we can see the tricky nature of our so called opt-out, which is in reality only a promise that will eventually be incorporated into the accession agreement with Croatia. It is necessary to tell citizens that the Lisbon Treaty currently applies to us without any exception, and that they will soon realize the arguments of President Klaus regarding the revisions of restitutions, and that Beneš’ decrees were false. This development will prove the claims of those who said that the Lisbon Treaty cannot allow for such a thing.

It was said that the reform of EU institutions is needed in order to increase the effectiveness of the EU. Do you think the current staffing of the new top jobs corresponds with this aim?

No, I don´t think so. That is all about the authority that the new EU foreign representative and the permanent chair of the European Council are able to exert. But this will show if the EU is able to increase its effectiveness. To set up a function is not a solution. I feel the big EU member states wanted to keep their power and influence, and the staffing of the new top jobs proves that they are not going to lose it any time soon.

So how do you perceive the fact that US President Barack Obama refused to come to the EU-USA summit, even if there is finally the famous single number to be dialled when one wants to talk to Europe?

It iiss a di dire rect ct ccon onse sequ quen ence ce ooff wh what at iiss ha happ ppen enin ingg in the EU and it is our own fault. When the US demanded a single European position on issues like Iraq, or lately Afghanistan, Europe was in doubts and still discussing the matter. So it is no surprise that there is a lack of will on the US side to talk to the EU, as they would talk to a single government. On the other hand, I think it is a mistake of the Obama administration not to respect the new institutional setting, but I can understand it if the US doubts that whoever answers the EU phone has one single power.

By Věra Řiháčková ■ český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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18.3.2010 13:10:22

networking/gourmet event at Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Ing. Vladimíra Václavíková, Marketing & Editorial Director, Leaders Magazine and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra

st

1 Leaders Magazine ADVISORY BOARD DINNER

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From left: George Parobek, General Director, lfield, Computer Consultancy Ltd., Mrs. Šárka Parobek, Director, lfield, Computer Consultancy Ltd., H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former US Ambassador to CR and Ing. Karel Muzikář CSc., President of Comenius

17.3.2010 18:49:28

networking/gourmet event

From left: JUDr. Josef Šesták, Assistent Professor, Vysoká škola obchodní v Praze, o.p.s., Ing. Radomír Šimek, President, Czech-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Ing. Peter Jusko, MBA, Executive Vice President, Ground Operations, Czech Airlines

Dinner at Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa

JUDr. Petr Vyroubal

From left: Ing. Jiří Vávra, Vice Chairman, STROJEXPORT, a.s. and Giampietro Pastorelli, Comercial Attaché, Italian Embassy

From left: Mrs. Catherine Cabaniss, Jan Oberman, CEO Corado Consulting s.r.o. and H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former US Ambassador to CR

The positive reputation of Leaders Magazine continues to grow, however we realize that we must maintain to improve and learn, particularly during these times of dynamic change. That is why we have decided to set up an Advisory Board for the magazine. I am convinced that creating a platform of high profile individuals will be an excellent opportunity for the magazine to acquire new ideas and define new directions of future development.

Benke Aikell, your Publisher There are only few projects started in the Czech Republic by foreigners which I consider as useful to this country as Leaders Magazine.

The magazine has brought to the Czech Republic the completely new concept of making important people – the decision makers be they Czech or foreigners – visible and worthy of positive admiration. As you might know this is something not very common and perhaps even not very natural in the Czech Republic. It is therefore all the more of an achievement to start and successfully develop a project such as Leaders Magazine.

I understand fully the intention of Benke Aikell, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, to progress further with Leaders Magazine, and for this purpose to form a team of experienced Czech citizens of different backgrounds to create a consulting body which would bring this project to an even higher level.

Ing. Karel Muzikář, CSc. President of Comenius 17

Menu from Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

17.3.2010 18:50:01

networking/gourmet event

Ing. Pavel Štefka, MSc, 4-star General (ret.), Chief Sales Officer, Tatra a.s., Mrs. Dagmar Raupachová, Advocate and H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former US Ambassador to CR

From left: Genmjr. JUDr. Lubomír Kvíčala, former Director, Policie ČR with wife and Ing. Jiří Vávra, Vice Chairman, Strojexport, a.s.

Mrs. Dagmar Kalašová and Peter J. Kalaš, former Minister of Enviroment, now Advisor to the Prime Minister, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

From left: Kamil Janáček, Chief Economist of Komerční banka, a.s., JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra and Doc. Ing. Václav Petříček, CSc., Chief of the Board of Directors, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

From left: JUDr. Čestmír Sajda, MBA, former Deputy Minister of Labour/Social Affairs CR, now Vice Chairman of Advisory Board, Top Hotels Group, a.s., Václav Hudeček, Virtuous Violin Player with wife Eva Hudečková, Actress

From left: H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former US Ambassador to CR with his wife Catherine and former Senator MUDr. Richard Sequens, PhD., Head of Surgical Gastroenterology Center, Nemocnice Milosrdných sester sv. Karla Boromejského v Praze proudly showing an award given to him for outstanding service in COB Basra, Iraq

From left: Ing. Jaroslav Kubišta, former Chief Public Officer, Telefónica O2, Mgr. Marta Gellová, Secretary General, AFIZ and Ing. Michal Heřman, CEO, Star Communications, a.s.

From left: Ing. arch. Iva Drebitko, President of TRIGA, Patrons Club of the National Theatre, Ing. Jan Brázda, MBA, Managing Partner, Constellation and Ing. Helena Švédová, Director, Department of Trade Administration, Czech Export Bank

From left: Prof. Dr.h.c. JUDr. Jan Kříž, CSc., Partner, Law Firm Kříž a Bělina s. r. o. and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Law Firm JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra

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From left: Ing. Vladimíra Václavíková, Marketing & Editorial Director, Leaders Magazine, Jan Oldřich, Partner Candole Partners and Mgr. Albín Sybera, CEO, Sybera Enterprises spol. s r. o.

19.3.2010 10:32:44

networking/gourmet event

From left: Otto Jelinek, legendary Czech/Canadian and Chairman, Colliers International, Mirko Lachman, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine, H.E. William J. Cabaniss, former US Ambassador to CR and Prof. Ing. Jiří Fárek, First Deputy Mayor, City of Prague 6

From left: PhDr. Zdeněk Čáp, Managing Partner, Equity Solutions, s.r.o. and Ing. Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Česká pošta a. s. and former Czech Ambassador to OECD

Ing. Petr Kubernát, Director Pekos, s.r.o

From left: Mgr. Marta Gellová, Secretary General, AFIZ and Ing. Vladimíra Václavíková, Marketing & Editorial Director, Leaders Magazine

From left: Mirko Lachman, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine, Alena Miro, Soloist of the State Opera Prague and PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Owner, MIRO Gallery

From left: George Parobek, General Director, lfield, Computer Consultancy Ltd., Mrs. Šárka Parobek, Director, lfield, Computer Consultancy Ltd., Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Ing. Karel Muzikář CSc., President of Comenius

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17.3.2010 18:52:12

A special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. for making this reportage possible

jubilee event

Café Slavie, February 2, 2010

Karel Muzikář, Seventies

From left: Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius with wife Zita and Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic with wife Dana

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION “On the day of my 70th birthday I would like to remind myself and my friends or close acquaintances of the fast flow of life at a friendly gathering. The older ones can share their rich memories with me and while enjoying great food and drinks discuss together with the younger ones what we can and have to yet accomplish for our country, our families and ourselves”, read the guests of the 70th birthday of Karel Muzikář on the invitation to this significant jubilee.

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From left: Arnošt Thon, Consultant, RWE, Alena Vitásková, President, Klub plynárenských podnikatelů ČR, Renáta Vesecká, Supreme Public Prosecutor and Jan Mládek, Chairman, Fontes Rerum with wife

The whole evening passed in an atmosphere of mutual understanding which Mr. Karel Muzikář tried to stress with his wish that guests send a donation to the Home of St. Charles in Řepy instead of presenting him with any birthday gifts. During the evening Sister Consolate Miroslava Frýdecká, Sister Superior of the Home of St. Charles, announced that the total amount of donations surpassed 600.000 crowns, and much exceeded her expectations.

18.3.2010 14:09:15

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

jubilee event

From left: Karel Muzikář, Milana Chamberlain, Managing Partner, Norton Rose and Petr Žaluda, CEO and Chairman, České dráhy, a.s.

From left: Zita Muzikářová and Mgr. Miroslava Frýdecká, Superioress, Home of St. Charles

Karel Muzikář and Josef Rada, General Director, Civil Aviation Authority

From left: General Vlastimil Picek, Chief of the General Staff and Karel Muzikář From left: Pavel Bém, Lord Mayor, City of Prague, Zita Muzikářová, Radka Bémová and Karel Muzikář From left: Karel Muzikář, Miroslav Černý and Jiří Uklein, Director, Labour Office Brno

Karel Muzikář with family members

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

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18.3.2010 14:09:46

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

jubilee event

From left: Peter P. Formanek, President Canadian Chamber of Commerce, H. E. Huo Yuzhen, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China and Karel Muzikář

From left: Karel Muzikář and František Vaculík, Chairman of the Board of Directors, PSJ, a.s.

From left: H.E. Levy Yaakov, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel, with wife and Karel Muzikář

From left: Martin Pecina, Minister of Interior, Mrs. Šárka Koutná, Head of the Office of the Minister of Interior, General Jiří Šedivý (ret) and General Vlastimil Picek, Chief of the General Staff

From left: František Padělek, Deputy Minister of Defense and Karel Muzikář

22 Karel Muzikář with daughters

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18.3.2010 14:11:42

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

jubilee event

From left: Miloslava Procházková, Owner, Avanti, Jiří Vacek, Co-owner Avanti and Vlasta Křemečková, Head Nurse, Domov Sv. Karla Boromejského

From left: Karel Muzikář and Karel Pilčík, Chairman of the Board, MP Krásno From left: Jana Vaňhová, Governor, Ústecký kraj, Marcela Dušková, Secretary to the Governor, Ústecký kraj and Karel Muzikář

From left: Michal Procházka, Sales Director, Avanti, Karel Muzikář, Tomáš Čáp, Executive Vice President, Comenius and Albín Sybera, Advisor to the President, Comenius

From left: Šárka Parobek, Director, lfield Computer Consultancy, Karel Muzikář and George Parobek, General Director, lfield Computer Consultancy

Beata Rajská, Fashion Designer and Karel Muzikář

From left: Karel Muzikář and Jiří Weigl, Chancellor, Office of the President with his wife

Claudio Melotto, Managing Director, Arcimboldo Global Communications s.r.o. and Emilli Čechová, Director, Foreign Dept. Ministry of Culture of the CR

From left: Miloslav Vlček, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and Karel Muzikář

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Karel Muzikář, Miroslav Toman Sr., President, Agrotrade, Zdeněk Toman, General Director, Agrotrade

18.3.2010 14:12:26

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

jubilee event

From left: Karel Muzikář, Managing Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Daniel Beneš, Deputy Chairman of the Board, ČEZ and Petr Severa, Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges From left: Miroslav Dvořák, General Director, Czech Airlines and Karel Muzikář

From left: Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Česká pošta, Andrea Brňová, wife of the Ambassador of Slovakia and Jiří Šimáně, Chairman, Unimex Group

From left: Karel Muzikář and Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Martina Cikánová, General Director, ESO Travel, Tomáš Cikán, Chairman of the Board, ESO Travel

From left: Soňa van Deelenová, CEO Union of Czech Production Co-operatives, Karel Muzikář and Jan Wiesner, President, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Co-operatives

From left: Petr Šmída, Karel Muzikář and Michal Laboutka, Chief Pilot, Bravo ABS Jets

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From left: Martin Herrmann, Chairman of the Board and General Director, RWE Transgas and Karel Muzikář

From left: Július Kudla, CEO and Chairman, Euler Hermes Čescob, úvěrová pojišťovna, a.s. with wife and Andrej Babiš, General Director, Agrofert, a.s. with wife

18.3.2010 14:13:33

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

jubilee event

From left: Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman of the Board, Top Hotels Group, Radek Dohnal, Vicechairman, Top Hotels Group and Jan Oberman, CEO, Korado Consulting s.r.o.

From left: H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador, Embassy of Slovakia and Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius

From left: Martin Novák, Board Member and Division Director, ČEZ, a. s. and Alan Svoboda, Trade Division Director, ČEZ, a. s.

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Eva Trotter, CFA, Member of the Board of Directors, PEM Invest, a.s. and Alan L. Trotter, PEM Invest, a.s.

From left: Vladimír Ermakov, President of VEMEX, Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia & CIS Operation, Comenius and Ivan Ermakov, Head Specialist, Gazprom Export ČR From left: H. E. Belaid Hadjem, Ambassador of Algeria, Peter P. Formanek, President Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Petr Hotovec, Zenova services, s.r.o.

From left: H.E. Alexey Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Karel Muzikář

Ivan Kočárník with family and Karel Muzikář

From left: Tereza Fajtlová, Air Navigation Services ČR, Šárka Parobek, Director, lfield Computer Consultancy, Karel Muzikář, Miloslava Procházková, Owner, Avanti and Milena Veselá, Owner, ProMoPro

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18.3.2010 14:14:38

An interview with Martin Barták, Minister of Defence

AFGHANISTAN

STILL NEEDS OUR HELP You have been working in the field of medicine as the top neurosurgeon for many years. Going into politics was possibly a huge change. Do both professions have anything in common for you?

Yes, I consider both of them to be my mission.

This might read as cliché, yet it is true. I have never worked solely within standard working hours as a doctor. When finished with an operation of a difficult patient, I never said: “The operation was successful, and now I can go home and leave the rest with my colleagues”. My job was to keep taking care of the patient. I look at it the same way today.

Maybe there is a slight difference. Previously, I was responsible for a few patients, while now it is more than thirty thousand soldiers and civic employees.

And it is obviously binding.

The new US Administration has in character changed plans of the anti-missile defence.

The system is focused on protection against short-range and medium-range missiles instead of intercontinental missiles. Do you find this step in light of the European defence more beneficial?

The new approach to the anti-missile defence is explained by the US Administration by two main points. The first one concerns the altered evaluation of threats; thus, the threat of short-range and medium-range missiles is more urgent than before. On the contrary, the assumed period in which a potential opponent could have used the intercontinental-range missiles, against which the former project was more effective, has receded, and now it is possible to react to this potential threat sufficiently in advance. The second point applies to a significant shift in anti-missile defence technologies, which have emerged since the planning of the original nature of this system. Progress in research and development has enabled the current design of the European anti-missile defence to be more effective, flexible, more quickly deployed, and last but not least, less financially demanding. The Ministry of Defence fully understands these above mentioned reasons. From this point of view, we believe that the European security is really going to be increased concerning the protection against ballistic missiles. Obviously, the change of the US approach towards the anti-missile defence in Europe involves wider geopolitical implications which, I suppose, should not always have been of a positive character.

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Besides the NATO allies, Russia should be involved in the cooperation of the anti-missile defence as well. Do you find this strategy sustainable in the long term?

As for the cooperation with Russian involvement in the anti-missile defence, I am fully going along with the NATO position. The anti-missile defence is considered to be one of the priority areas where practical cooperation between NATO and Russia is possible, and the Alliance is very keen to support such an upgraded cooperation. Moreover, the Alliance is ready to examine any options of interconnection of anti-missile systems between NATO and Russia, which has been given an even better opportunity with the new US standpoint of the antimissile defence. Thus the interconnected systems would undoubtedly contribute to the enhancement of European defence.

In the media there recently appeared a story about how part of the new shield planning should complement the anti-missile defence command in the Czech Republic. To what extent is that real? What would that eventually mean for the Ministry of Defence?

The Czech Republic has been currently conducting pre-talks with the US on further cooperation opportunities of both countries in the anti-missile defence area. Apart from the ongoing projects in the field of research and development, further cooperation would be strengthened by the dispatching of the Czech liaison officer to relevant US agencies. As for the expert level, it concerns an option of a timely warning terminal placed before the ballistic missiles launching in the Czech Republic.

In this context, how do you perceive the European Security Policy development? What should be its main focus?

The future of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) consists chiefly in the strengthening of European capabilities (both civil and military), so that the EU would be a strong and reliable partner able to manage its share of responsibility of world security. Its primary advantage is an integration of military and civic units of crisis management, which enables the providing of complex solutions of crisis events, and meeting the so-called Petersberg tasks: the rescue and the humanitarian tasks, the peace-making and peacekeeping tasks, the security forces reconstruction and the rule of law.

One of the current problems of the foreign missions, which is taking place in the Czech Army and in other European armies, is that soldiers basically substitute the role of police.

Would it not be more useful to send more policemen instead soldiers into these missions?

The solution of the current security crisis requires a very complex approach. It seems to be more than obvious that using solely military capabilities is not sufficient. Strengthening the mutual cooperation of military and civic capabilities, and their usage in crisis management, is one of the most essential issues discussed not only within the EU but within NATO at present. Thus the key goal is ensuring for tighter cooperation, partly within already running military operations and civil missions. It particularly concerns the inclusion of a complex reaction to the crisis situation in the near future. It refers to all crisis regions, where our soldiers are actively involved (Afghanistan; Kosovo), altogether with civil mission members whose task it is to strengthen inner security and the functioning of a particular state itself. Therefore, our soldiers do not carry out primarily the role of police in any of these operations, nor are they a substitute. However, they are assisting with the training of police forces in Afghanistan in order that the local police can someday conduct this role by itself.

Supporting the attendance of Czech soldiers in foreign missions is one of your key priorities.

Could you specify it?

The explicit priority remains our involvement in Afghanistan. It was said already many times and it is still valid – Afghanistan still needs our help.

Without it, there still remains the same impending threat, which was lying behind the arrival of international troops in 2001. What we are primarily doing in Afghanistan, and what is in accordance with the strategic plan of NATO as well, is supporting reconstruction activities, supplying aid for building the Afghan security forces, the deployment of special forces, and the support of already deployed forces. The heart of our engagement in Afghanistan is and remains henceforth the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar (PRT), which is led by us and whose key aim is the implementation of civic reconstruction projects. With its help we are able to create better living conditions of the local citizens and training for the Afghan security forces.

Concerning the Czech Army forces, we are going

Leaders Magazine II/2010

19.3.2010 11:36:18

to be invoolved in Kosovo in the future as well. The contingeent establishment of the Armed Forces of the Czecch Republic in the KFOR mission remains preservved at least up to the year 2011; afterwards our enggagement in this operation will be significantlyy reduced, yet it is in compliance with the entire NAATO strategy.

According to you, where does the success lie for the Czech Army forces in the Balkans and in Afghanistan?

T he Czech soldiers have established an outstaanding name and achieved great results among othher allies indeed. According to professional asseessment, our units belong to the best trained, and thheir job is extremely valued. The engagement of the 601 group members has been recently very positively evaluated by the major-general Nick Carter, who is leading the Southern group of international forces ISAF. He wished the Czech special units would return to Afghanistan, and our idea is that it should happen in 2011. Locals are talking similarly – the general-major Muhamad Darwan, the commander of the Afghan air forces, would be happy if we could help them with Army training.

In this context, he acknowledged very gratefully that the Czech Republic was going to send to the Šarana base in Paktíja province the new unit with three helicopters.

By Pavlína Holancová I český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Photo: Archives of the Ministry of Defense

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18.3.2010 14:46:31

interview

Andrey V. Filatov Solar Express s.r.o.

Photo: Mr. Filatov´s archive

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19.3.2010 9:04:53

An interview with Andrey Filatov and Igor Smurov, Russian Investors in the Czech Republic

THERE IS A FAVOURABLE

Climate for Investment in the Czech Republic Andrey V. Filatovv (47) graduated from the Moscow Electrotechnical Institute of Communication, and completed his MBA in the Higher School of Economics. As a majority shareholder he established and has been developing as General Manager JCSC “Telecom-Express” – System Integration Business – which is one of the top in the industry sector. Recently he has launched and is successfully developing “Orion-Express” Ltd. (a satellite TV broadcasting provider) covering almost the entire territory of Russia, with a subscriber base approaching a half-million people.

Igor I. Smurovv (39) graduated from Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO). He has extensive experience in financial and investment spheres. He started his career in Price Waterhouse, and later received solid experience with the M&A division of Commerzbank AG. Later as CFO he was creating from “scratch” the first national CDMA operator “Sky Link”. Later he joined one of the top Russian financial groups where he arranged, launched and conducted a number of investment projects in the telecoms, banking and leasing sectors, as well as the semiconductor industry. Andrey Filatov and Igor Smurov are starting a PV business in Přerov.

Whose idea was to start the PV business?

Smurov: It was a joint idea. At first it was developing separately and based on different motives – Andrey as a technically and technologically advanced individual, with a business sense to move into the hitech sphere. I myself had an investment development background, and a feeling for long-term market perspectives and financial potential. So we figured that the PV market is one of the most lucrative, promising and challenging in which to apply our efforts.

Filatov:: It is important to note that as a result of Filatov the crisis, together with the fact that PV programs in Germany and Spain have reached their cap (i.e. fulfilled), the PV business has been losing its dynamics since the end of 2008. Czech Republic has also approached its cap and by the end of 2010 the country will have to “shut the door” for solar farms development. These facts led some people to pessimism with respect to the further development of the PV sector. But as we continued to analyse the market situation and trends, we realised that such pessimism is based on “surface” analysis and short-term thinking, despite the rank of people that base their opinions on such scepticism. However, at the beginning of January 2011 when the whole EU starts to apply unified PPA tariffs – 0.35 Eurocent per kW/hour – thus stimulating such market development as in France, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria (where PPA tariffs are currently comparatively low), it is obvious that the PV market shall enter into a second booming period. And we should also not forget about the technology development that is on the verge of reducing PV production costs to such levels that would make PV generated power cheaper then gas… This is our conclusion and we believe we are right in time to enter the PV market.

Why wasn’t Russia a suitable place for doing your PV business?

Fillattov: Once we decid Fi idedd to enter t th the PV PV business i jointly, our first intention was to start developing the business in Russia. Our Prime Minister, Mr. Putin, issued a decree providing for the state to purchase from alternative power sources, and we started to

believe that it could work out in the near future. So we decided first to check a number of free economic zones in the Russian Federation that offered fantastic benefits for those who invest, but when we looked at the places there, we realised that the infrastructure is too underdeveloped to set up new production facilities. Lease rates at existing production facilities that are applicable for PV production were too expensive, and there were unreasonably expensive financial sources. sources The only choice for us was to build everything from “scratch” scratch . SiSi multaneously, we had low hopes for the quick shift of the Russian market to the “European” type of alternative energy state stimulation, as we saw that the Prime Minister’s decree had no practical development.

Smurov: Due to strong oil and gas anti-lobbying there has been an absence of stimulating legislation for alternative power development, and because of the strong influence of high power consuming industries like metallurgy, the low internal power tariffs have been secured. We thus decided to look for the opportunity in the EU. EU is a global market leader in the PV sector and has fair market regulation (free trade, movement of goods and competition), developed infrastructure, andd a clear l business i Igor I. Smurov initiation procedure. However, Solar Express s.r.o. our future intention is to expand into the Russian Photo: Vladimír Weiss market once the PV business

environment there changes. We hope that the Russian government remains consistent with its strategy and the situation will promptly improve for the better.

Why did you choose the Czech Republic?

Filatov: We looked for the opportunity in Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, and in some other

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22.3.2010 11:43:00

Andrey V. Filatov Solar Express s.r.o.

Photo: Mr. Filatov´s archive

places. Comparing the pros and cons about where to do it, we decided to start our business in the Czech Republic because it has the best acting stimulating investment regulation, comfortable and clear rules for starting a business, a developed infrastructure, and qualified market personnel etc. All of these things can guarantee the success of a business.

Along with pragmatic considerations there are some emotional attitudes among Czech people that we found beneficial – such as language and psycholopsycholo gical similarity.

Why Přerov specifically?

Smurov: We travelled all across the Czech Republic to find the best place for our PV panel production plant and found CTPark Hranice (Přerov) as the most applicable for both the initial production set up, and for the most probable production and technological expansion (local infrastructure facilities, premises with extra availability and favourable conditions, and a qualified local working force that remained from the previous Philips production). And later we found out about the “sweetener” for Přerov – that any investment there is to receive additional investment benefits.

Do you cooperate with CzechInvest?

Filatov: Yes, we do. Part of our decision was the investment climate. CzechInvest has worked out a quite reasonable investment policy for the Czech Republic. The requirements are pretty strict, but they work.

Smurov: We also understand that CzechInvest offers some good opportunities for investors. They can take part in various programmes, both European and local. We chose programmes that fit perfectly with our undertaking, so for us it was just a lucky decision.

Do you have any other partners involved in this business?

Filatov: Not at the moment. However, there are potential partners both of Russian and European origin that have serious track-records on the subject, as well as associated industries that have an appe-

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tite for participation in our undertaking. We are in contact with them and we are trying to understand their complimentary value-added benefits to our undertaking.

You talked about investment benefits. How do you finance your business here, in the Czech Republic?

Smurov: We are ready to cover up to 50 % of the investment cost for the PV module part of our project (8 millions Euro) by ourselves, as an equity contribution to our newly established company Solar Express s.r.o. And we are working with banks operating in the Czech market to attract the rest of the funding as debt. Thus the financial leverage of our entry project should be 50/50, which corresponds with CzechInvest’s requirements that are necessary to receive 5 years of tax relief for Solar Express Corporate.

The above leverage also represents a lucrative arrangement for the bankers, though it will take an effort to convince them of our project. It is clear that we are still “strangers” in the Czech Republic, and that some of our country-fellows have not contributed to building a positive image of Russian business, and that even in the banks there are people who always want to stay on the safe side with respect to the PV market situation that I described above.

This is the reality we have to deal with, but we are confident that healthy reasoning and common sense should prevail.

What is your strategy for the PV business?

Smurov: Our first intention is to establish the production of PV cells. Our initial business strategy is based on the following basic principles: B2B busibusi ness, and the best margin in a value-added PV technological chain. We have established contacts with leading PV cell technology producers, material suppliers, and so on.

Filatov: Meanwhile, from the very start we decided to follow the “Japanese” business initiation approach, which means we spend 85 percent of our time and efforts on studies and analysis, and 15 percent on practical implementation, versus the “Russian” one which is vice a versa. And this approach proves to be right. We analyzed all available reports and surveys, visited the most high-profile events in the PV sector, conferences and exhibitions, conducted our own “field” studies, and built relationships with potential suppliers and consumers. We also applied to a leading cons ultant in the PV sector – US Photon Consulting – and asked them to prepare for us an unbiased and most detailed market and technology analysis.

As they submitted it to us and as we studied it (together with our own observations) we better understood PV market trends and technology development perspectives. In particular, PV module production market entry is safer versus PV cell production due to technology trends, such as the anticipated appearance of technologies in PV cell manufacturing that may make the existing technology obsolete. And PV module technology should remain the same. A second co nd con consi side dera ratition on rev revea eale ledd th that at val value ue-aadd dded ed mar margi ginn for PV modules has increased, exceeding PV cells within the whole PV chain. As a result we had to shift our strategy from PV cell production to PV module production.

What are your expectations?

Filatov: Any expectations should co-relate with the efforts applied and the degree of intention. In our case, when we apply all possible efforts and the degree of intention is strong we expect that our undertaking has to be a success. We expect to set upp stable PV panel production with diversified sale opportunities both in Czech Republic and at uncapped PV markets: Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Greece, France, and Italy.

Smurov: We intend to win an impeccable producer reputation with consumers, and get properly established within the Czech business community, by introducing a quality of products that would meet the highest standards and successfully compete with most reputable PV panel producers, and at the same time be price-competitive with Chinese and Indian PV panel producers.

How do you want to achieve that?

Smurov: Automation. The whole PV module production line is automated – one of the market leaders 3S (a Swiss company – a part of Meyer Burger Holdings) is our equipment supplier. This is first.

Second – we will get high quality materials at reasonable prices. It took an effort to establish a good relationship with material suppliers and reach good prices. More then 85% of the cost is solar cells. We made very good long-term arrangements with cell suppliers…

Do you see any interest in your products?

Filatov: When we first analysed the market, we recorded quite a big interest in our products.

Wee eeven e co concluded c uded se several e a ppreliminary e a y ag agreements ee e ts on our products.

For what kind of clients are your products intended?

Filatov: Solar farm developers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, France and Italy. An investment fund establishment we have initiated would invest in the developer companies, thus ensuring that our PV modules will be installed there.

We also plan for rooftop PV installations. We are preparing to introduce a product “box” (based on our PV module production) to the retail market, so that every single individual may purchase the whole PV installation (LEGO principle) and install it either by themselves or with the help of any certified agency.

Do you plan any further business relating to PV? Smurov: Yes, we do. First, to facilitate our product sale we are to deal with the solar farm development business. We made all necessary arrangements to establish a PV farm equity investment fund as an instrument to secure several PV farm site developments with the condition that our products are to be supplied there. We anticipate the public announcement of the fund road show date, and subscription start date in the end of March 2010.

Filatov: At the second stage (on a 3 year horizon) of our business development we plan to establish siliconn wa co wafe ferr pr prod oduc uctition on aadj djac acen entt to oour ur PPVV pa pane nell pl plan antt.

We shall base such production on new silicon ingot cutting technology. The latter is being developed in Russia by a well known scientific research group which is sponsored by us. Preliminary results show

Leaders Magazine II/2010

19.3.2010 9:05:48

that such technology would avoid waste while cutting, thus making wafers several times cheaper. Such low cost wafers shall stand for lower cost PV cells, which in its turn shall considerably decrease the cost of panels, thus making PV modules more efficient from an investment standpoint. Simultaneously, we shal sh alll es esta tabl blis ishh a PV cel celll pr prod oduc uctition on fac facililitityy to com complete the downstream “silicon cluster” vertical integration within our company.

You have mentioned that the situation in the Russian PV business is not very favourable. When do you expect this could improve?

Filatov: The fact is that Russia is full of natural resources like gas or oil, and everybody regards them as important resources. It thus takes time to rebuild the economy, and to diversify, especially in the energy sector. This also means that very deep infrastructural changes are needed. I think there should also be an understanding that Russian Siberia and the Far East are full of sun, and that there are places that are just perfect for photovoltaics. The problem is that everybody is accustomed to receiving quite big profits from natural resources, and they do not understand how to deal with new energy sources.

Smurov: I actually know that our government is studying the EU approach to this policy, what the subsidies are for this policy, and in which way the EU model could be accepted in Russia. There are quite a number of producers of photovoltaics in Russia.

There is a feeling and understanding that something should be done. The only question is time. Once the new energy policy is declared, then things should move faster, once the Russian economy has partly recovered from the crisis. The government would have enough resources for promoting it. it Did the economic crisis influence your strategy?

Filatov: We put optimistic and pessimistic expectations into the model. So we reckoned with it. The good thing is that the Czech Republic is moving out of the recession, and market forces are moving to the levels it saw before the crisis.

Do you think the economic crisis is over?

Smurov: The Czech Republic is very close to Germany economically, so now that Germany is out of recession, the economy is improving in the Czech Republic as well. That is my understanding. The Czech economy is showing pretty good results.

How did it come up that you two will do business together?

Smurov: We first met in 2004. At that time I was a CFO and Executive GM of the Sky Link, the first Russian CDMA operator. And Andrey came to me when he was at the very start to develop new business in telecommunications. This was TelecomExpress, in its beginnings of arranging equipment supplies for the fast growing Telecom Market and expansion in Russia. During the first meeting there was a mutual sympathy and understanding, so we continued to communicate, and each time we met, the relationship was getting stronger and stronger.

Fina Fi nallllyy, we we re real alis ised ed tha thatt we wer weree frfrie iend ndss an andd co coul uldd do something together.

What are your hobbies?

Filatov: I like mountain skiing in the Alps, horseriding and travelling.

Smurov: One of my hobbies is painting. I paint by oil and mostly nature. I have a number of pictures and they are for myself and my relatives. Sometimes I give my pictures to my friends as presents. I like mountain skiing, the same as Andrey, but if he likes France I prefer skiing in Switzerland. I also go to the gym gy m ev ever eryy da day. y. I lik likee pi pipe pes, s, cig cigar ars, s, and and win wine. e. I am am quite good at wine-tasting. Moreover, in Russia we have a movie production company. This is fun.

What kind of movies do you produce?

Smurov: Now, we are producing two films: a documentary drama and a movie dedicated to one of the most outstanding nobility names of Russia – Golitsyn.

If everything goes right, the documentary drama will be broadcast on the first Russian channel in May. Igor I. Smurov, Solar Express s.r.o.

As for the movie – we anticipate the issue in 2011.

This should be a blockbuster and be a mixture of adventure, action and humour. The script to this movie is being prepared by one of the most famous script-writers in Russia. In Russia, making movies is not an industry yet, it is more like a hobby. And I would sayy it iiss mo sa more re yyet et ppur uree ar art,t, ttho houg ughh we eexp xpec ectt it would have a sounding commercial effect. Everybody is trying to make something similar to a Hollywood movie there, but that is a different story…

By Zuzana Kasáková I český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz Photo: Vladimír Weiss

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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jubilee event

On February 11th Mr. Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group, celebrated his 50th birthday in Mlýnec, one of the most fashionable restaurants in Prague.

SANJIV SURI

From left: Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group, Dana Krautstenglová, Director, Zátiší Group and Markéta Suri

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50 Birthday Celebration

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Performance

This birthday party was different. There were no gifts, but all the invitees were asked to contribute to selected charity projects instead. Mr. Suri doubled all donations and thanked all who made this possible for their humanity: “Thanks to ALL OF YOU I am absolutely speechless at the tremendously generous response to the birthday gifts – we were able to give 1,460,000 CZK to Člověk v tísni for saving lives in Cambodia and 1,188,000 CZK and 1,188,000 CZK to Unicef for children in Rwanda and Sikkim. In total we received 2,648,000 CZK, which I had never expected when we planned this event. Thank you for being so wonderful ☻. I say “CHAPEAU“ or “klobouk dolů“ to each and every one of you. You are amazing people and I love you all and I am very proud to have you all as friends. Thank u, Thank u, Thank u ☻ ☺ ☻ .“ Around 200 guests arrived to experience this night in Hollywood style in the heart of the city, guests not only from the Czech Republic but from the whole world.

19.3.2010 11:44:49

From left: Bernard Bauer, Executive Member of the Board, AHK, Czech German Chamber of Commerce, Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Ing. Radomír Šimek, President, AHK, Czech German Chamber of Commerce

From left: Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group, Dirk Kroonen, Managing Partner, Central Europe South, Ernst & Young with his wife and Markéta Suri

Jiří Hrabovský, Managing Partner, Ewing with his wife

From left: Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group, František Dostálek, Managing Partner, KPMG and Zdeněk Vilímek, Director, Corporate Identity, Public Affairs & Communications, Coca-Cola Europe

Martin Jahn, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen with his wife

From left: Dr. Krautstengl, Dana Krautstenglová, Director, Zátiší Group and Martin Vobořil, Managing Director, Catering Žofín

From left: Peter Formánek, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Jo Weaver, Managing Director, JWA Prague s.r.o., Petra Paulson, Richard A. Paulson, MBA, General Manager, Central & Eastern Europe, Amgen GmbH, Thomas Hrubý, Partner, Hrubý & Buchvaldek, Advocates, Vladimíra Václavíková, Marketing & Editorial Director, Leaders Magazine and Jan Grozdanovič, Lawyer

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IN COOPERATION WITH 33 LEADERS MAGAZINE 19.3.2010 11:46:13

From left: Gilles Bérouard, Managing Director Europe, Euro RSCG Worldwide and Pavel Maurer

From left: Eva Nesvačilová, Pedretti Silvano and Dana Nesvačilová

Alex Cook, Partner, Clifford Chance with his wife

Misja den Haan, Secretary General, Netherlands-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Petra Kandertová, MBA, Marketing & Sales Director, Agentura Carolina Ltd.

From left: Jana Přibylová, Rony Plesl and Hana Dutton

From left: Thomas Hrubý, Partner, Hrubý & Buchvaldek, Jakub Tichý and Daniel Soural

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From left: Ron Adams, CEO/Chairman, Tatra, H.E. William J. Cabaniss, Jr., Member of the Supervisory Board, Tatra and former US Ambassador to CR with his wife Catherine, Markéta Suri and Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group

17.3.2010 19:17:25

From left: Miriam Jansen, Claudia Bauer and Bernard Bauer, Executive Member of the Board, AHK, Czech German Chamber of Commerce

From left: Robert Sulmag and Jan Sýkora, Partner and Director, Wood & Company

From left: Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group, Michal Dlouhý with his wife on the left and Markéta Suri

Weston Stacey, Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce and Markéta Suri

From left: Paul Valka, Esp. Chemie GmbH, Alexandra Lobkowicz, The Lobkowicz Collections and William Lobkowicz, Lobkowicz Events Management

From left: Jiří Zavázal, Professional Golf Coach, JUDr. Martina Plachá, Managing Director, VRea, Markéta Suri and Sanjiv Suri, President & CEO of Zátiší Group

Stunning results, contribution to Člověk v tísni (People in Need), Project Cambodia

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networking/discussion event

From left: Jiří Šedivý, 4-star General (ret.), Executive Head, Generals, s.r.o., General Oldřich Martinů, President of the Czech Police, Police Presidium of CR and Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius

A special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. for making this reportage possible

TOP hotel Praha, January 27, 2010

Round Table of Comenius with Gen. Oldřich Martinů, Czech Police President The first Round Table of Comenius in 2010 was also already the third Round Table held in English in the last six months. It took place on January 27 at the TOP hotel Praha and its VIP guest was the President of the Czech Police Gen. Oldřich Martinů. Among other guests of this discussion dinner were about dozen ambassadors and representatives of foreign missions in the Czech Republic. These included Ambassadors of Slovakia, Belgium, India, Algeria, etc., but also security officers from German or French embassies.

Topics of the discussion dinner revolved around the variety of issues such as cooperation of police units among member countries of the European Union, advantages and disadvantages of Schengen Area or security on Czech roads and highways.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY Comenius.indd 36

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Round Table

19.3.2010 11:58:16

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

networking/discussion event

From left: Michal Bulíř, ČEZ, a.s., Frank Hellmuth, Liaison Officer of Germany´s Federal Criminal Police Office, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and Alain Djian, Attaché of Homeland Security, Embassy of France

From left: Stanislav Novák, Vice President, Comenius and Mirko Lachman, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine

From left: Mrs. Jana Hochmanová, Air Navigation Servicesl CR and Mrs. Tereza Fajtlová, Air Navigation Services CR

From left: Pavel Hlinka, CEO, Orea Hotels, a.s., Ing. Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman of the Board, Top Hotels Group and Miroslav Příkop, CEO, Cimex invest, a.s.

From left: František Steiner, Advisor to the Director, LOM Praha, s.p., o.z. VTÚLaPVO and Stanislav Beneš, Consultant, ČD-Telematika a.s.

From left: Albín Sybera Jr., Advisor to the President, Comenius and Prof. Peter Kozma, CEO, Crytex

From left: H.E. Belaïd Hadjem, Ambassador of Algeria, H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia and Ivo Klimeš, CEO, Intrum Justitia, s.r.o.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

networking/discussion event

Tomáš Jelínek, CEO, DonathBurson-Marsteller

Benke Aikell, your Publisher

Frank Hellmuth, Liaison Officer of Germany´s Federal Criminal Police Office, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Jan Vítů, Executive Head, Döllken

From left: Václav Irovský, Director of the Branch Office, LOM Praha s.p., o.z. VTÚLaPVO, Gen. Oldřich Martinů, President of the Czech Police, Police Presidium of the CR and Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius

From left: Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius and H.E. Renilde Loeckx, Ambassador of Belgium

From left: H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador, Embassy of Slovakia and Miroslav Sedlák, CEO, Sodexho Pass ČR, a.s.

From left: David Liška, Managing Director, Porsche PrahaSmíchov, MUDr. Barbora Taušová, Managing Director, Canadian Medical Care and Gen. Oldřich Martinů, President of the Czech Police, Police Presidium of the CR

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From left: H.E. Belaïd Hadjem, Ambassador of Algeria, Mirko Lachman, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine and Nicolas De Lacoste, 1st Secretary, Embassy of France

Mrs. Miloslava Procházková, Co-owner, Avanti and Jiří Vacek, Co-owner Avanti

From left: Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius and Jan Oberman, Executive

17.3.2010 19:32:14

A special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. for making this reportage possible

networking/discussion event

From left: Vladimír Tošovský, Minister of Industry and Trade of the CR and Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius

Round Table of Comenius with Mr. Vladimír Tošovský, Minister of Industry and Trade The second Round Table of Comenius took place on February 11 at the restaurant ZOOM Unique Place in Prague Congress Center. Its VIP guest was the Minister of Industry and Trade Mr. Vladimír Tošovský, and so the discussion revolved around such topics as Czech export abroad or energy policy.

Right in his opening address Minister explained why the application of the new energy conception has been postponed until September of this year. The main reason was the danger of this conception becoming a topic of the upcoming pre-election campaigns. Regarding the new energy conception Minister also reacted to some of the criticisms such as the alleged limited protection of climate, which Minister Tošovský dismissed, and expressed his opinion that the Czech Republic won’t be able to fulfill its 13% renewable resources requirement regardless of the new energy conception.

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz From left: Vladimír Tošovský, Minister of Industry and Trade of the CR, Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius, Miloš Kratochvíl, CFO, Škoda Holding, a.s., Eugeny N. Rodin, Director of Representation in the CR, Atomstroyexport and Roman Zdebor, Project Manager of the Completion of Temelin, Nuclear Power Plant, Škoda JS, a.s.

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

networking/discussion event

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius and Josef Rada, General Director, Department of Civil Aviation of the CR

Tomáš Tašek, Chief Clerk and Ecexutive Director, ASE, s.r.o.

Petr Kužel, President, Czech Chamber of Commerce

From left: Jan Tašek, Executive Head and Co-owner, ASE, s.r.o. and Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman, Top Hotels Group

From left: Milan Hradický, Member of the Board, IMG a.s. and Eduard Pálka, Commercial Director, Česká Energie, a.s.

From left: Vladimír Tošovský, Minister of Industry and Trade of the CR and Vladimír Vaněk, Partner, Enterprise Risk Services, Deloitte Czech Republic

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Jan Wiesner, President, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Co-operatives

From left: Michal Smetivý, Key Account Manager, Czech Data Systems and Michal Procházka, Director, Avanti

From left: Martin Herrmann, CEO and Chairman, RWE Transgas, a.s. and Jan Mühlfeit, Chairman of Europe Microsoft

17.3.2010 19:34:11

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Martin Bruno Žůrek, Director of Sales, Spielberg CZ, spol. s.r.o.

networking/discussion event

Lubomír Pokorný, Vice Chairman and CEO, Czech Export Bank, a.s.

From left: Vladimír Plašil, Chairman, ALTA, a.s. and František Vaculík, CEO and Chairman, PSJ, a.s.

Martin Herrmann, Chairman and CEO, RWE Transgas, a.s.

From left: Jiří Vacek, Co-owner, Avanti, Vladimír Plašil, Chaiman, ALTA, a.s. and Michal Šimonovský, Chairman, Sigma Group, a.s.

Ivana Střílková, Account Manager, Grayling Czech Republic

From left: Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia & CIS Operation, Comenius, Eugeny N. Rodin, Director of Representation in the CR, Atomstroyexport, Alexander Turov, Commercial Counsellor, Director of Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the CR, JUDr. Milan Kohout, Commercial Director, Škoda JS, a.s., Roman Zdebor, Project Manager of the Completion of Temelin, Nuclear Power Plant, Škoda JS, a.s. and Jan Stolár, PR Manager, Škoda JS, a.s.

Comenius.indd 41

Concerning the support of Czech export abroad Minister believes that there ought to be priority directives in this field as the Czech Republic does not have such a strong enough economy to support all of the export projects. This opinion was questioned a little bit by Mr. Lubomír Pokorný, who thinks the Czech Republic still has room to increase the support of Czech export projects compared to the ratio by which countries such as Sweden or Austria support their export. Similar opinion was suggested by Mr. Plašil, Chairman of ALTA, who expressed his wish to implement a long term strategy of supporting export. The whole discussion dinner was accompanied by the Spielberg winery from Slovácko which supplied all the guests 4 41 of the Round Table with several of its fine products in the course of the dinner.

17.3.2010 19:35:12

networking / charity

Lions Club

Guest of Honor: Senator Karel Schwarzenberg Topic of the Evening: Current Political Situation Venue: Restaurant Paukert

From left: JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador, Senator Karel Schwarzenberg and Ing. Jiří Opichal, Executive Head, Allimex Trading s.r.o. and President of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador with members of the club

Prague Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Prof. MUDr. Jan Betka, University Professor and Ing. Jiří Opichal, Executive Head, Allimex Trading s.r.o. and President of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador

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From left: Ing. Antonín Novotný CEO, CSI, a.s. and Ing. Jiří Kubát, Enterpreneur

From left: Oldřich Hořák, Owner of Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady, MUDr. Jiří Pekárek, former President of the Czech Dental Chamber and Ing. arch. Petr Bílek, Architect´s Studio Bílek Associates, spol. s r.o.

From left: JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador, JUDr. Jan Kotous, Pedagogue, Law Faculty of the Charles Univesity, Michal Pehr, Historian and Political Scientist Behind: Tomáš Ryba, former Governor, LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

19.3.2010 12:14:31

From left: JUDr. Jan Kotous, Pedagogue, Law Faculty of the Charles Univesity, MUDr. Karel Stibral, Psychiatrist, Ing. Antonín Mika, Regional Director for Foreign Trade, Ing. Antonín Novotný, CEO, CSI, a.s. and Ing. František Chaloupecký, Enterpreneur

From left: Ing. Jiří Klumpar, Consultant and JUDr. Jaroslav Novotný, Lawyer, Membership Chairperson, LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador From left: Fra. Karel Paar, Grand Prior of Maltese Knights and Ing. Jiří Opichal, Executive Head, Allimex Trading s.r.o

From left: Ing. Ladislav Bouček, CSc., Enterpreneur and former Governor of LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc, Head of the Institute of Pathology, Ing. Jiří Nejezchleb, Tax Advisor and MUDr. Václav Poláček, CSc., Plastic Surgeon

From left: Prof. MUDr. Jan Betka, University Professor and MUDr. René Vlasák, Doctor

From left: MVDr. Pavel Hradecký, Health Counsellor and JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of LC Prague Bohemia Ambassador Behind: Ing. Jiří Nejezchleb, Tax Advisor, PhDr. Michal Pehr, Historian and Political Scientist and MUDr. Blanka Seifertová, General Practitioner

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IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE 43

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

18.3.2010 17:07:58

A talk with General Jiří Šedivý, former Chief of Staff of the Czech Army

OUR ARMY IS FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON THE MISSIONS General Ing. Jiří Šedivý started his career in the military in 1997. After 1990 he served in several commanding positions and in the first half of 1996 was in command of the Czech contingent of the IFOR mission. He was appointed the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic by President Václav Havel in 1998. In 2002, he retired from the post as the army general in reserve. He currently works as a ssec ecur uritityy is issu sues es ccon onsu sultltan antt an andd he head ad ooff th thee co comp mpan anyy Ge Gene nera rals ls. He rran an iinn th thee Eu Euro rope pean an PPar arliliam amen entt el elec ectition onss fo forr th thee Eu Euro rope pean an DDem emoc ocra ratiticc Pa Part rty ty (EDS) and will run again in the May general elections at the joint candidate list of EDS and Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) in the Pilsen region.

After your retirement from the army you kept focusing on security issues. You also hold a quite critical view on the current reform of the Czech army. What are the major points of your criticism?

I dedicated my whole life to the army and security issues; after that long you cannot leave this field and say that you are not interested in it any more. Our

company EuroEnergy, for example, deals with the evaluation of energy security and with critical infrastructure protection. Thus, naturally many steps that are taken in the army do not escape our attention, and we try to analyze them. The Czech army went through enormous changes that left certain marks.

As early as in 2002 and 2003, when the reform was

being prepared, several major mistakes were made and already then it turned out that there was a preference given to technocratic solutions, and that the army was adjusting too much to the needs of missions abroad. Lately, I have been avoiding the word missions because it has not yet been precisely defined, and almost everything can hide behind it. Soon

Photo: Vladimír Weiss

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Leaders Magazine II/2010

18.3.2010 13:12:15

thereafter, budgetary problems emerged; the overwhelming majority of technical equipment purchases are tailored to the missions, and also the operational structure is changing, as well as the training of the commanding officers and staffs. Another major problem, related to the current reform, is marginalization of the development of human resources. The full professionalization of the army, which was of course supp su ppor orte tedd by mos mostt of the the com comma mand ndin ingg of offifice cers rs,, to took ok place, but many steps in the human resources area should have followed. The army leadership is coming back to it now but we lost five or seven years. Under thee pr th pres essu sure re we we ar aree mi miss ssin ingg th thee fa fact ct tha thatt co comp mpre rehe hennsive analyses of the role of the army in the new security milieu are needed, and that the issues connected to the reform cannot be solved within the defence ministry only. A wide discussion between the civil and military sectors should take place, a full-scale political debate about aims and goals which should be fulfilled by the security forces of the Czech Republic.

There was a pressure to reform the army from the outside, and on the discursive level the accession to NATO was used in order to justify all steps taken. Would the reform look otherwise if there was no NATO entry?

A lot of Czech politicians or other experts argue that a particular reform was insisted on from the side of NATO. It is not true. The Alliance only says which capacities are needed, but to reform and how, is in fact an autonomous decision of a member state. We are expected to make a certain sovereign decision, support it with logical arguments and then fulfil it.

NATO can criticise us – and it often did in the past for many non-conceptual steps. It has always been an issue of mutual agreement and political dialogue. To blame ourselves that we had to make, or couldn´t make particular reforms because of NATO is an alibi.

There are new security threats being discussed as well as the ways how a security system of a country should face them. How should the Czech army change in order to be able to manage these challenges?

The Czech army experienced a complicated development. We inherited a certain structure that was adjusted, but it did not correspond in size, equipment and training with the needs of NATO. However, the original reform plan was much more complex than the current one. Without any major contribution of our strategists, the army was at that time ready for deployment abroad, as the IFOR mission proved. There was still quite a big capacity within the commanding structures for the army to be able to also fulfil other tasks at home. The reform shattered the army structures and, given the parallel downsizing of the personn so nnel el,, wh whic ichh wa wass sp spee eede dedd up by by th thee la lack ck of of fifina nann ces, the army started to narrow its capabilities down to the specialized segments that are being hidden behind the word “mission”. We do not realize it is more mo re nnec eces essa sary ry ttha hann ev ever er ttha hatt th thee ar army my fful ulfifils ls ddififfe ferent tasks within the national territory. The new US strategy shows this very clearly; it puts a lot of emphasis on the homeland security, and, for example, on the capabilities to react to natural or industrial disasters. The frequency of natural disasters is rising and industrial accidents can be far more complex

than in the past. Society expects the army, which swallows large portions of budgets, will secure certain tasks at home. But if it is too narrowly specialized, without a well trained staff and the adequate technical equipment, it will only be able to send certain manpower somewhere. For example, the commanding staff in Tábor that was responsible for managing the army involvement in the floods of 2002, was dissolv so lved ed.. Th Thee In Inte tegr grat ated ed RRes escu cuee Sy Syst stem em ooff th thee Cz Czec echh Republic, of which the army is part, is very well established but has its limits. These are technically well equipped, but small groups of people. If the structure of tthe he ssys yste tem m is nnot ot ssuf uffifici cien entt, tthe he aarm rmyy ha hass to sste tepp in in.

And if the army is not ready for it, it will obstruct rather than help. The need for the army to fight terrorism within its own territory was discussed, but even now there are deficits which cannot be solved by improvisation at a time of crisis.

From the energy security point of view, is Europe better prepared after last year´s gas crisis?

Energy is turning into a tool of influence and the Czech Republic is significantly dependent on the import of oil and gas. We have to find a way of securing a balanced “energy mix”. One way forward is definitely nuclear energy, which can counterbalance our electricity consumption needs, but cannot solve all problems.

Securing the supplies of oil and gas is essential. The EU offers certain solutions, but because it is not united, despite declaring joint interests, we have to prepare for the situation of significantly diminished oil reserves, and continue the discussion on who is going to get them; and the winners will be the stronger ones and those with better relations with the producing countries. Playing a crucial role in this game is Russia, which is the major supplier to Europe, and which has started using her resources as a foreign policy tool. Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is a country which can feel the impact of the lack of transport capacities in the near future. Our only good luck is that we diversified our transport routes in the 1990´s.

Do you think the EU is rather focusing on pipelines and transport routes, but has not been able to work effectively on good relations with supplier countries?

Russians haven´t been using the energy policy as a pressure tool on their neighbours for quite a long time; they returned to it only during the tenure of President Putin. His way of strategic thinking brought Russia back to the period of the Cold War. His considerations and a tendency to solve problems by power – the conflict in Tchetchenie, debate about the missile shield, oil and gas crises, have damaged Russia on one hand, but on the other the country showed her strength. It is evident that it is necessary to foc focus us tod today ay bbot othh on the the ttra rans nspo port rt cap capac acititie ies, s, w whi hich ch should be interconnected, and on relations with the supplier countries; but there are not so many of them and, also, Russia pushed through agreements which sayy th sa that at m mos ostt of tthe he ppip ipel elin ines es ttha hatt ar aree be bein ingg bu buililtt in the countries of Central Asia would partly go through the Russian territory. It is necessary to talk about where the resources are, how to get them to Europe, and to establish such a network of pipelines that would secure the supplies to Europe as a whole, not only to several countries.

How do you regard the recent Russian security strategy?

The new Russian strategy is far more different to those of NATO or the USA. Russians explicitly say who their enemy is. They have never abandoned hard rhetoric but now it has been fully articulated. Russia is, and will be, a problem but there is a big competitor on the rise and that is China.

Part of the Central and Eastern Europe stakeholders feel that the current politics of the USA to Russia is a bit unfortunate, that the approach “Russia first” is, considering the increasing Russian influence, dangerous for the region. What do you think?

Finally we have to realize that we are not the centre of the world. We might be a geographical centre of Europe but we are not of such importance as we might think. After the end of the bipolar world, the US does not see reasons why to keep significant forces in Europe. Russia is considered a strategic partner, not an enemy, despite the fact that Russia considers otherwise. So the Americans are behaving more rationally than we think – they do not regard Russians as enemies and so they try to make an understanding with them. That the Obama administration is going to burn its fingers like in the case of Iran is quite a realistic scenario, and the cooling relations between the US and Russia are evident even today. The US tried to approach Russia and meet them half way but by this step, unfortunately, it rather freed certain room for Russia to fill it in. They did not understand that a hand offered to compromise and further joint development would not be accepted. That is a reality we have to take into account and we have to realize the Russian pressure on its former sphere of influence will continue; that the energy resources and economic influence will be standard political tools employed.

Russian companies entering our markets are unfortunately promoting and are backed by the Russian national interests; it is not a clean competition.

Promotion of the Russian state interests through economic actors, together with an effort to influence Czech politics is a real problem.

In the European Parliament elections you ran for the European Democratic Party and you are allegedly on the joint candidate list of EDS and KDU-ČSL in the Pilsen region for the general elections. Is that correct?

Yes, it is true. The preliminary agreement is that I am on the second place of the candidate list in the Pilsen region. I will see how the campaign unfolds. It is another interesting career step and a follow-up of my previous activities. In the past, I did not engage actively in politics, but as the Chief of General Staff I al alwa ways ys rel relat ated ed to to po polilititics cs and and was was als alsoo as asso soci ciat ated ed with it. EDS is not historically connected with any of the traditional political parties; it plays the role of an independent, small, emerging party that is trying to bbui uild ld iits ts aact ctiv ivititie iess on eexp xper ertt ca capa pabi bililitities es aand nd kkno now wledge, not only on political belonging.

By Věra Řiháčková I český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

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women can event

From left: Jane Gilson, CEO, Microsoft Czech Republic and Jane Hannah, CEO, České Radiokomunikace

Opening Windows The Professional Women Initiative The Professional Women Initiative launched by Microsoft Czech Republic and US Business School Praha in September 2009, organized a second social evening for its members. It took place in the charming premises of Zahrada v Opeře restaurant on 28th January 2010. The event was held under the auspices of Jane Gilson, General Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic, and Markus Köhler, HR Director, Microsoft Czech Republic and elegantly moderated by Jana Ryšlinková, Dean of US Business School Praha.

More than forty women of different professional backgrounds attended the event and engaged in lively discussions among each other and with special guest speakers – Jane Hannah, CEO of České Radiokomunikace and Jan Václav Čep, CEO of Tiscali Media.

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Markus Köhler, HR Director, Microsoft Czech Republic

17.3.2010 18:45:05

From left: Václava Kloudová-Jiříčková, Marketing Communication, GE Money Bank, Štěpánka Parimuchová, Account Manager – Expert Sales, Telefonica O2, Markus Köhler, HR Director, Microsoft Czech Republic, Gabriela Machů, Key Account Manager, LG Electronics and Kateřina Křížová, Pre-sales Manager, Cisco

Jan Václav Čep, CEO, Tiscali Media and Jana Knesplová, Business Development Manager, USBSP

Part of the audience

Gary Webster, Recruitment Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic and Michaela Benátčanová, Customer Services Specialist, AIG

From left: Alice Skyarová, Sr. Manager ATM Distribution, GE Money Bank, Dagmar Zárubová, Project Manager, Lexxus and Gabriela Ivanco, Tax Manager, Mazars From left: Markus Köhler, HR Director, Microsoft Czech Republic, Petr Karásek, Director of Marketing, Microsoft Czech Republic, Jana Máchová, HR Business Partner, Microsoft Czech Republic, Petr Tichý, Deputy Sales Director, Barrandov Studios and Dalibor Lukeš, Delivery Practice Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic

From left: Jana Máchová, HR Business Partner, Microsoft Czech Republic, Jana Břichnáčová, Senior Consultant Office Services, Grafton Recruitment, Dominika Zentner, Sr. Recruitment Specialist, Tesco and Yana Lychová, Recruitment Consultant Finance & Banking, Grafton Recruitment

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17.3.2010 18:45:29

From left: Dalibor Lukeš, Delivery Practice Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic, Jana Máchová, HR Business Partner, Microsoft Czech Republic and Miroslav Hampl, Resource Practice Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Jane Gilson, CEO, Microsoft Czech Republic

Alice Zápotocká, Marketing Manager, SAP and Petr Karásek, Director of Marketing, Microsoft Czech Republic

From left: Tereza Kocisová, Account Director, EMC Group and Monika Jindrová, Strategic Sales & Professional Services Operations Manager, Telefonica 02

From left: Tereza Vranková, Marketing Director, GTS Novera and Monika Kubíčková, Director, TalentOn

From left: Gabriela Machů, Key Account Manager, LG Electronics and Kateřina Křížová, Pre-sales Manager, Cisco

From left: Jane Hannah CEO, České Radiokomunikace, Jan Václav Čep, CEO, Tiscali Media and Jana Ryšlinková, Executive Director and Dean, USBSP

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Opening Windows...

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From left: Dagmar Zárubová, Project Manager, Jan Václav Čep, CEO, Tiscali Media in his speech, Jana Máchová, HR Business Partner, Microsoft Czech Republic, Jana Břichnáčová, Senior Consultant Office Services, Grafton Recruitment

From left: Vanda Smolíková, Sales Specialist, LMC and Jana Štěpánová, Recruitment Manager, PriceWaterhouse Coopers Dagmar Zárubová, Project Manager, Lexxus and Gary Webster, Recruitment Manager, Microsoft Czech Republic

From left: Jana Břichnáčová, Senior Consultant Office Services, Grafton Recruitment and Dominika Zentner, Sr. Recruitment Specialist, Tesco

From left: Jana Ryšlinková, Executive Director and Dean, USBSP, Andrea Hylmarová, Unicredit Bank and Andrea Mele, Freelance Consultant, ex Vodafone, Manager

The Opening Windows initiative aims to provide an exchange platform for professional women in the Czech Republic to enable them to network, share experiences and support each other. Or, as one of the members, Andrea, puts it: “Opening Windows represents a fantastic initiative that basically opens the windows to those Czech women that are eager to step out from the crowd, build on their careers and really catch their chances proactively. Not just waiting for whatever comes”.

Members meet regularly for Breakfast get-togethers, share their views on the initiative’s website www.openingwindows.cz and, quarterly, they meet for larger social events where they also have an opportunity to discuss issues of interest with inspiring guest speakers from top business as well as other areas.

Opening Windows is open to professional women with over five years of experience. If you would like to enquire about becoming a member, please visit www.openingwindows.cz or contact the group on LinkedIn where you will also find out more about upcoming events.

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Jane Hannah, CEO, České Radiokomunikace in her speech

17.3.2010 18:47:58

An interview with Jiří Krejča, Managing Director of G4S Security Services

EMPATHY, QUALITY and Trust Are All Keys to Success Jiří Krejča graduated in foreign trade from the University of Economics in Prague. Between 1983 and 1990 he worked in Strojexport, having responsibility for the export of engineering machinery and similar devices to the Middle East. During that time, he worked in Abu Ghraib in Iraq, as well as Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. From 1991 he held a number of different positions in Thomas Cook, a. s., eventually being promoted to Chairman of the Board of Directors, a position that he held from 1996 until 2001. When Travelex took over the foreign exchange division of Thomas Cook, he moved with the division and was made Chairman of the Board of Directors of Travelex Czech Republic. Since September 2007 he has been Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Manager of G4S Security Services (CZ), a. s. Jiří Krejča is married with five children.

Pho Photo: hoto: Vl Vladi adimír mír We Weiss iss ss

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What brought you to G4S Security Services?

I was contacted by a renowned personnel agency during a time when it was generally known that, after many years, I was leaving a prominent international company, albeit engaged in an entirely different type of business – financial and foreign exchange services.

My initial reaction was that I could not imagine what benefit I could bring to such a different type of company, but once I had acquainted myself with its strategy, development, and overall emphasis on intelligent soso lutions using the latest technologies, I was extremely impressed and was persuaded to put myself forward.

In what way was the strategy of the company close to you?

I was attracted by the fact that the company did not only offer the individual services or products that most of the companies in the security services market did, but it treated security as a complex issue, and aimed to offer a solution that is tailored to the demands of the customer, in various price categories. This is the kind of approach that I like and that we have adopted in some of my previous firms, and I guess you could say that it was a decisive reason for my accepting the offer.

How did your colleagues accept you? Were they not a bit wary that you came from a completely different environment?

It was not easy at first. I came from the civil sector into a completely new environment, in which information plays an even more important role than usual.

I think that some of my colleagues were a bit surprised that they could not find anything on me! It was an interesting beginning for all of us – even though I am always in a hurry to see results (perhaps a bit ‘hyperactive’!), I tried to stop and listen to what the issues were and to build my colleagues trust in me; I am pleased to say that most things changed within the first year, particularly when they realized that I am not really a “cat’s-paw” from the British Intelligence services, and that I live a normal family life; at that point, they started to talk to me in a normal way!

What were your tasks?

I had two main tasks. The first one was the restructuring of the firm, as it had been without any sort of local

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management for more than three years. There was also a generation problem, as several key positions were held by people in retirement or close to retirement.

This was a big challenge, but I felt that the setting-up of a company’s corporate structure is not so much dependent on the type of business, but more on its overall management, and it was a big advantage for me that the headquarters of the company are in London, and its culture and management is British. I had been working in this type of environment since 1991, and had had plenty of time to familiarize myself with its rules and principles. It was not, therefore, such a big change for me, but it was not easy, particularly during the first year. Nevertheless, we managed to implement the changes gradually, in a way that enabled us to reach a level that is manageable and sustainable for me. But the immense support and trust of the parent company was, of course, extremely important.

The other task was the stabilization of the company’s top 20 custtomers iin th the short h testt pos sibl ible titime, as tthhey had started to lose confidence in us, due in no small part to the company’s lack of local management, and were beginning to doubt whether we were the right partner for them. This was mainly caused by the regular changing of the general manager and a stable person was really vital to guaranteeing the continuity of the customers. It definitely helped that I knew quite a few of the customers already and that I spoke their language and understood their issues. We gradually managed to restore confidence in our regular customers, and even started to attract a few new ones as well, even before we had started any sort of sales campaign.

Is it therefore all about people?

Of course. Working with the people is crucial. If you have capable people and you provide quality services, you gain i confidence fid andd the th customer t is i satisfied. ti fi d Equipment is also important, but, again, people work with it and, as such, they have to be able to use it in the right way. Recently there has been a detailed discussion about the electronic surveillance of inmates under house detention. G4S is number one in the world in this activity, but in the Czech Republic the debate is almost solely about the bracelets for inmates (our company produces bracelets in its factory in Canada). However, from our many years of international experience we know that the bracelet represents only a small part of the whole process of electronic monitoring. People, and the quality of their performance during the surveillance of inmates, as well as the correct evaluation of sent signals, play an equally important role.

What qualities do you look for when recruiting new personnel?

The personality and professional profile of the candidate has to comply with the needs of our customers and fulfil the requirements of us as the employer. I am personally involved in the selection of staff for positions of high importance, and I try to openly assess whether the candidate is suitable for a given position, whilst also considering whether the vacancy and company culture have been correctly evaluated by the candidate.

In other words, it is no good just concentrating on whether the person suits us; we will invest considerable amounts of time and effort into their personal development, so we need to be sure that we will suit them too!

You work in the area of security. This is a very broad term. What is your understanding of it?

Security is not only about protection against thieves, it is about people’s lives, about the reputation and culture of the company. It can also be seen positively, in its preventative quality. The better the security set-up at the beginning, in accordance with company culture, valid legislation, and conditions of the facility, the less problems there are to be solved, and the lower the insurance costs and the possible consequences of emergency situations to be eliminated afterwards.

It is crucial to address the issue of security in a systematic way, but this is not always the case.

Do you think that security issues are often underestimated?

Mostly they are. And I am speaking from my own experience. Managers are not really interested in this issue. They only address it when it comes to budget or when something happens. Unsystematic pressure on price cuts in security compromises the quality of both technology and human resources. For example, I know abboutt severall ddeveloper l s’’ projjects t where h th the security of their construction and their future tenants was not dealt with professionally at the start, and shortcomings had to be handled and the system adjusted when the development was already in operation and the tenants had already moved in. That meant additional investment and, above all, higher operating costs. It is my ambition to persuade investors and managers that an optimal security system solution should be in place from the very beginning; in the end it will be in their own best interest.

Recently there has been a discussion about the monitoring of employees at work. What is your opinion on this?

I am not a big supporter of the monitoring of people as I experienced it personally when I was monitored by a colleague ll off mine i during d i my stay t iin IIraq. In I spite it off th that,t however, I am aware of the fact that monitoring employees is permitted by law, and can be used reasonably as an effective preventive measure. It does not harm honest workers and it minimizes the danger of “bad behaviour”. One of our customers is a big international company whose company culture does not allow the monitoring of employees at work. Frequent thefts of small but expensive components are rarely investigated. This leads to a growing mistrust amongst employees (“which of us is a thief?”), and to the disruption of the company culture that, on the other hand, is being consciously cultivated. A reasonable compromise between confidence and prevention is my recommendation.

You have talked about the strategy of offering complex services. What services do you have in mind?

On the basis of a risk analysis and a security audit we recommend and provide security technology that is tailored to the demands of customers and their connected services. We provide our clients with a highly sophisticated “Alarm Receiving Centre” where we are able to monitor their premises from our own offices, plus have mobile patrols operating throughout the Czech Republic.

We also offer physical security, reception services and assistance in opening and closing facilities. In cooperation with our sister company, G4S Cash Services, we are able to prepare a complex security solution, including the transport and processing of cash. You would be surprised how many customers want a complex security solution provided by just the one supplier.

The emphasis on the complexity of our services has led us to consider a change of the company’s global name from Security Services to Security Solutions. We think that this better reflects the sort of approach that we have to our clients, since we offer an effective solution that optimizes both quality and price.

For anyone that would like to better understand a complex security solution, I am happy to invite them to an excursion of the O2 Arena in Prague, where G4S guarantees security to its fullest extent.

You have mentioned your own technologies. What kind of technologies do you develop?

G4S is working on the production of a number of different technologies in various different countries.

Besides Canada, we have our own factory near Birmingham, where a wide range of entrance security and camera systems are produced. For example, we supply our own modern Multimax software that integrates the individual parts of a security system, and thus siimplif th lifiies itits managgement.t Ruzyněě PPraggue Ai Airport, branches of the Czech National Bank, as well as the U.S. Pentagon are equipped with this software.

You have been working in international business for 27 years. What do you regard as important in order to succeed in it?

I think that the key to success is a combination of understanding your employer and understanding your customer; understanding what your employer expects of you, and offering a business partner a solution that they need and want, and then selling it to them at a profit. That is my life’s philosophy. The quality of your products and services as well as confidence plays an important role. Confidence between the employer and employee and between a seller and a buyer reflects the confidence between the respective owners or managers. I consistently i t tl pay attention tt ti tto th the abidance bid off game rules and commitments. For example, I always try to have a new business relationship well treated and documented. If the business cooperation proceeds in accordance with the contract and both sides fairly fulfil their commitments, the written contract becomes a document to be stored in an archive and rarely looked at again. In case of a problem, the written contract returns to the table, and then we find out whether we paid enough attention to the preparation of our business relationship.

In nature as well as in life the stronger one wins, and it is necessary to reckon with this in business relationships too. I always try to create a strong position for negotiations and, at the same time, an environment of trust and confidence. Sometimes it has happened that a partner has perceived my quest for fair play as my weakness and tried to take advantage of it. In such cases I toughen and make it clear that I would defend our business interests strongly. The winner in business negotiations is whoever knows their aim and consistently works to achieve it. Everything that happens during the negotiations is a show, with intentionally chosen tools to reach the aim. And that is why I enjoy business.

Compiled by LM ■

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

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analysis

DO WE MEASURE?!

The basic condition of every economic activity is its measurability, whether the given activity is effective and offers something worthwhile. To measure means to define the target, set the criteria of success, the methods of measurement and to use the feedback on potential corrections. When I was working at Microsoft and somebody came to me to ask for cash for something immeasurable or that he could not measure he often walked away empty-handed.

Now, how does it look when money is taken from our pockets by the state? The aim is not defined or only vaguely so. Is it the redistribution of money taken from our children or is it how to win an election lottery? Are the officers following the rule “Another man’s disease is not hard to endure”? Is there any other method of measurement than in the end of year statistically find out that we are overddrawn? ? IIff the h corporatiions hadd a siimililar strategy, what else other than bankruptcy and economic death could they expect? Do you think that states cannot go belly up?

Or that this problem only occurs in Africa?

Such crises have also occurred in Iceland, the Baltic Region and Greece. We have been on a down-slide for a long time and a substantial crash is coming. Is it possible to do anything about it? Do not look for the answer in election programs. Instead, use common sense.

If you fail while working in a commercial company, punishment, a wage-cut or getting the sack will follow. Some of the managers or owners of the firms affected by the crisis have willingly decreased their salaries to the minimum wage in Czech Republic or even as low as one dollar. Do you remember there being a scramble for a percentage or two of a European or Czech parliament members’ wage? If we want to save money, we cannot preach water and drink wine. Might our representatives not reduce their salaries by half? Within a budget, money should be approved only for necessary and essential matt ma tter erss. Bud Budge gett di disc scip ipliline ne mus mustt be abs absol olut utee and penalties for its non-observance heavy and immediate. Every investment project has

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Photo: Vladimír Weiss

to be approved with the projection of the investment’s return. If the expected effect is not evident, immediate correction is necessary.

We are on the chopping block. It is the penalty for being too inactive too long. For a long titime me, we hav havee to tole lera rate tedd po polilititics cs as as th thee pr proofitable business of our elected representatives either due to their persistence or our

passivity. There is nothing else to do but draw in our horns as well.

By Ivan Pilný I President of Tuesday Business Network Former Chairman of Czech Telecom In partnership with Leaders Magazine český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/2010

19.3.2010 12:07:51

EURO-TREND GROUP consulting – taxation – audit – property valuation The Velvet Revolution did not bring only the end of a historical period, but above all, it opened the doors for an individual’s activities, the founding of firms, and a tremendous growth in business activity. Throughout this year, a number of such firms and business entities will celebrate the twentieth anniversaryy of their foundingg.

Among the first to celebrate such an anniversary this year was EuroTrend s.r.o., well-known in the Czech Republic and abroad as specialists in the area of tax advising and auditing.

This position is due first and foremost to the persona of its founder, Mr. Jiří Nekovář, who has served in the administration of the Chamber of Tax Advisors since 1993, and as president of the chamber since 1996.

Since 2006 he has been vice president of the Confederation Fiscal Europeene, the top organization of tax advisors in the European Union.

In his opening speech (at the anniversary party) Mr. Nekovář began by high g ligh g ti t ngg hiss coo oope pera rati tion on wit withh Mr Mr.. Ry Ryne ness wh whoo jo join ined ed the the tea team m in 199 1997.

7.

This allowed a subsidiary auditing company to be successfully formed, thereby offering complete service for clients. He also thanked two colleagues who have worked with him from the beginning to the present – Mrs. Eva Mrázová and Mr. Václav Oklestek.

Euro-Trend gradually developed and today is composed of firms engaged in taxation, economic consultancy and auditing. The entire team is very active, and aware of its social responsibility. Therefore they are engaged in the Chamber of Tax Advisors, the Chamber of Auditors, and the bodies in the Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic. Social engagements are expressed in the areas of non-profit and charity projects.

Noteworthy is the 16 year-long work with the Jan and Meda Mladek foundation, the foundation of CEZ, as well as the support of visual arts.

Also very interesting is the support of cooperation between Cambodia andd th an thee Cz Czec echh Re Repu publ blic ic.

Ing. Jiří Nekovář, Founder of Euro-Trend s.r.o.

Photo: Archive

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jubilee event

EURO-TREND 20 Year Celebration From left: Ing. Petr Ryneš, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Euro-Trend Audit, Ing. Tomáš Krsek, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, Škoda Holding, JUDr. Tereza Nekovářová, Michal Frankl, Section Director in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ing. Jiří Nekovář, Partner and Executive, Euro-Trend, s.r.o.

From left: Ing. Helena Škábová, Head of the Appraisal Department, EuroTrend, Ing. Libor Hájek, President of ELTODO EG, a.s, Ing. Zdeňka Molnárová, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, ELTODO EG, Ing. Jiří Nekovář, Partner and Executive, Euro-Trend, s.r.o., Mgr. Iva Kárníková, Ing. Petr Ryneš, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Euro-Trend Audit and JUDr. Dana Rynešová

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From left: Ing. Jiří Nekovář, Partner and Executive, Euro-Trend, s.r.o. and Tewfik Sabongui, Joint Managing Director of Jones Lang LaSalle

Ing. Jan Klak, Adviser to the Minister of Finance and JUDr. Alena Kohoutková, Lawyer

From left: Radim Ochvat, Director of the Press Department of the President of the Czech Republic, JUDr. Tereza Nekovářová and JUDr. Michal Havlík, Lawyer

19.3.2010 13:04:25

From left: Ing. Přemysl Klíma, Helena Klímová and Mgr. Renata Sabongui

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Eva Chmelová, Artist and Jiří Šimáně, Chairman, Unimex Group From left: Doc. Ing. Antonín Kubíček and Ing. Václav Okleštek, Euro-Trend

From left: Prof. JUDr. Miroslav Bělina, CSc., Advokátní kancelář Kříž a Bělina, JUDr. Petr Polák, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Ing. Libor Svoboda, Bursar, VŠE, Prof. Ing. Stanislava Hronová, CSc., Vice-Chancellor and Prof. Ing. Richard Hindls, CSc. dr.h.c., Chancellor, VŠE

Ing. Richard Kalhous, HDS Detail Czech Republic and Ing. Sofie Komrsková, Head of the Tax Departement, Euro-Trend

From left: Prof. Michal Mejstřík, CSc., Director, IES and Ing. František Jakub, Secretary General of Senate

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Jovo Savič, Kogo

From left: Ing. Petr Pakosta, Senator, Ing. Petr Chrenko, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance, Ing. Jiří Nekovář, Partner and Executive, Euro-Trend, s.r.o. and Ing. Eduard Janota, Minister, Ministry of Finance

19.3.2010 13:05:29

premiére event

From left: Mrs. Renata Savič, Jovo Savič, Owner of Caffe In Palais Kolowrat and Gábina Partyšová, Moderator

OPENING OF

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Caffe In Palais Kolowrat

From left: Ing. Martin Slaný, Advisor to the President of the CR, Office of the President, Mgr. Blanka Havelková, Head of Department, České dráhy, a.s. and JUDr. Tereza Nekovářová, Project Manager, Euro-Trend, s.r.o.

Jana Doleželová, Miss Czech Republic 2004

Mrs. Monika Michálková, MM PROMOTION with Jovo Savič, Owner of Caffe In Palais Kolowrat

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Zděněk Vrba, Moderator, Český rozhlas and Mrs. Diana Mužíková-Vrbová, Editor in Chief, Magazine Statuss

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From left: Jovo Savič, Owner of Caffe In Palais Kolowrat with his friends

18.3.2010 17:40:51

From left: Mrs. Martincová, Mr. Gorišek, Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Mr. Gramlich

Some of the guests in Caffe In Palais Kolowrat

Marian Vrtoch and Ms. Jana Jusnová

Interview with Mrs. Kateřina Neumannová, former Czech Cross-country Skier, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion in Cross-country Skiing

The Wilkinsons: Grace, Jon, Paul, Jon (Jr.)

Caffe In Palais Kolowrat is the 5th enterprise belonging to the restaurants chain Kogo. The café is styled after Milan’s legendary “Cova Café” and is located in the renovated Kolowrat palace and can accommodate about 120 people. The café is decorated with the fashion photographs by Robert Vano and with paintings by the academy artist Eva Chmelová. The café’s concept is based on typical Italian and Spanish cuisine, is rich in seafood, cheeses and meats, and also contains a bakery and a patisserie, which prepare fresh bakery and confectionery products daily. Cakes can also be ordered as taken away.

From 8:00 a.m. on you can choose from a wide range of breakfasts followed by a special threecourse lunch menu, which is discounted and regularly renewed. Happy hour starts at 17:00 and goes until 22:00, which means that with each glass of wine, champagne or other drink bought guests will receive a small plate of canapés on the house. To balance the atmosphere, there will be live music in the evenings while at other times DJs will be performing live.

In the summer two gardens will be open – one on the street and the other in the quieter part of the courtyard, which will sporadically host wine tastings, fashion shows and various other inspired events.

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz From left: Ing. Petr Žaluda, Director General and Chairman, České dráhy, a.s., Gabriela Pecičová, Prague Kabinet, Jan Kalousek, Musician, with his wife and Ranko Pecič, Owner, Saga Trade

18.3.2010 17:42:08

networking/charity

From left: Jan Bříza, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Managing Director, General University Hospital in Prague, MUDr. Pavel Horák, CSc., MBA, Director, VZP ČR and Prof. Zdeněk Krška, M.D., Ph.D., Head of 1st Department of Surgery, General University Hospital, Charles University Prague

A special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. for making this reportage possible

Lions Club Prague Eagle

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

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From left: Dr. Petr Svoboda, General Director, Baxter CZECH spol. s r.o., Stanislav Svoboda, Director for Government Relations, RPG RE Management, s.r.o., František Janů and Michael Vít, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Public Health Officer, Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic

17.3.2010 18:30:50

From left: Joseph Drebitko, Chairman/CEO Activ a.s., Ing. Arch. Iva Drebitková, President of Triga and Ing. Václav Červenka, Managing Director, PBM

From left: Prof. Dr.h.c. JUDr. Jan Kříž, CSc., Advocate, Kříž a Bělina s.r.o. and JUDr. Jaroslav Bureš, Judge

From left: Brigadier General (ret.) Andor Šándor, President of the Lions Club Prague Eagle, Ingrid Šmerdová, Valean and MUDr. Štefan Vítko, CSc., IKEM

From left: Brigadier General (ret.) Andor Šándor, President of the Lions Club Prague Eagle and Ing. Zbyněk Štáf, Quality Season Product s.r.o.

From left: Brigadier General (ret.) Andor Šándor, President of the Lions Club Prague Eagle and JUDr. Luboš Richter, Director, Alfavita, s.r.o.

Dr. Harold E. “Bill” Neal, Jr, Vice President – Europe, Contubernium and Mgr. Sára Petrová, Associate, Contubernium

From left: Stanislav Svoboda, Director for Government Relations, RPG RE Management, s.r.o., RNDr. Karla Říhová, Regional Public Health Authority, Olomouc and Vratislav Janda

RNDr. Daniela Kolejková, Director of the Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Jakub Šebesta, Minister of Agriculture From left: Zdeněk Čáp, Managing Partner, Equity Solutions s.r.o. and JUDr. Luboš Richter, Director, Alfavita, s.r.o.

From left: Jaroslav Kubišta, Secretary, Lions Club Prague Eagle, Mrs. Germenis, Director of Castle Blatná and Joseph Drebitko, Chairman/CEO Activ a.s.

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From left: Miroslav Votruba, Sales Director, ICOM Transport a.s., Mr. Germenis, Director of Castle Blatna, Ladislav Maria Wagner, Artist and his wife

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17.3.2010 18:35:56

political event

Evgenij M. Primakov in his speech

A rare and important visit by Jevgenij Primakov to the CR was the reason for H.E. Alexej Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to arrange a reception at his residence. Jevgenij M. Primakov, born 1929 in Kiev, journalist, politician, former prime minister 1998–1999 and now president of the Trade and Industrial Chamber of the Russian Federation.

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Christening the Book

BY JEVGENIJ PRIMAKOV “A WORLD WITHOUT RUSSIA?”

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Ing. Jan Šolta, CSc., Secretary of Department, Department of Economic and Social Sciences, Bankovní Institut Vysoká Škola, Jan Kavan B.Sc., Anatoly Agapov, Minister-Councellor, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic and Ing. Jaroslav Fingerland, CSc and PhDr. Emil Voráček, DrSc., Historical Institute AV ČR, v.v.i.

17.3.2010 18:54:00

From left: Evgenij M. Primakov, H.E. Alexej L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Vlastimil Svoboda, Ottovo Publishing House christening the book “A World without Russia?”

From left: Evgenij M. Primakov and František Janouch, Chairman, Foundation Charter 77 From left: Vladislav Nakorchemny, Counsellor, Russian Embassy and Peter Bopkov, 2nd Secretary, Russian Embassy

From left: Ing. Vladimír Laštůvka, Consultant and Miloš Zeman, former Prime Minister of CR

From left: Ilona Šprcová, Translator, Evgenij M. Primakov, H.E. Alexej L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Vlastimil Svoboda, Ottovo Publishing House

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From left: Alexej N. Kelin, President of the Coordinary Council of the Russian Compatriots in the Czech Republic, Natalia Sudlianková and Anatoly Agapov, Minister-Councellor, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic

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17.3.2010 18:54:38

From left: PhDr. Emil Voráček, DrSc., Historical Institute AV ČR, v.v.i. and Miloš Balabán, Ph.D., Head of the Center, CESES

From left: H.E. Dr. László Szöke, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Hungary and Benjamín Szakál, Galerie SOGA Prague

From left: MUDr. Richard Sequens, PhD. and Evgenij M. Primakov, signing the books

From left: Ing. Ivo Grim, President, SVSOK Trade Chamber and Igor Samoškin, Consul, Head of Consular Department, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Czech Republic

From left: Ulviyja Taghizade, wife of the Ambassador of Azerbaijan, H.E. Tsoggerel Suren, Ambassador of Mongolia with his wife

From left: František Janouch, Chairman, Foundation Charter 77, Karel Schwarzenberg, Senator and former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Miloš Zeman, former Prime Minister of CR

From left: Bořivoj Čuda and doc. Ing. Václav Petříček, CSc., Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

From left: Josef Jurka, Member of Audit Committee, International Economic Consortium and PhDr. Ján Skovajsa, Chairman of the Board, Foundation Smer

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From left: H.E. Alexej L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation and Jiří Dienstbier, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, Parliament of the Czech Republic, Senate

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Evgenij M. Primakov and H.E. Alexej L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation

19.3.2010 12:25:53

The conference was supported

by Fincentrum as a main partner, Arbes, Thomson Reuters and Leaders Magazine.

The conference was titled “THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE NEW EU LEGISLATION FOR THE FINANCIAL MARKET”.

The conference gave its participants a comprehensive overview of the current situation of financial products on the market in regard to the EU legislation, and shared experiences regarding the implementation of new legislative rules and directions of future development.

AFIZ and AKAT have managed to attract many interesting speakers from European Professional Associations and representatives from the EU Commission. The opening speaker was the Vice-Governor of the Czech National Bank, Mr. Miroslav Singer.

AFIZ (Association of Financial Intermediaries and Financial Advisers of the Czech Republic) in cooperation with AKAT (Association for Czech Capital Market) organized in January a conference in the Congress Hall of the Czech National Bank.

CONFERENCE

From left: John Beaney, AILO, Marta Gellová, Secretary General AFIZ and Alan de Miomandre, Chairman of BIPAR

From left: Jean Pierre Paelinck, Euro Shareholders and Vincent Derudder, Secretary General, FECIF

From left: Filip Duchoň, Director of Financial Advisory Division, Fincentrum and Milan Repka, Director, Fincentrum Slovakia

From left: Jiří Krol, Financial Services Policy, EU Commission, Marta Gellová, Secretary General AFIZ and Petr Stuchlík, Chairman of the Board of AFIZ, CEO, Fincentrum

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Miroslav Singer, Vice-Governor of CNB

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Conference Hall

19.3.2010 13:45:50

A talk with Ivo Hlaváč, former Deputy of the Minister for Regional Development, Minister of Agriculture, and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) candidate for the 2010 parliamentary election

A HIGHLY PRINCIPLED Anticommunist Position Is One of the Main Reasons I Entered into Politics

What led you to the decision of being actively involved in politics?

My interest in politics, as most things in life, began with my upbringing and family. Politics has always been talked about openly in our family. After all, they were emigrants and active opponents of regime and ordinary members of the Communist party. Yet, my parents and

grandparents never disguised their critical attitude towards communists. An immense breakthrough, and my first big “political experience”, occurred in November 1989. Although I was not yet 15 years old, I lived my life very intensely and actively. Moreover, the experience of freedom burrowed into my psyche very deeply.

Could you explain this in more detail?

First of all, I graduated from the language gymnasium, and completed my studies of philosophy and sociology at a free, by ideology not distorted University, or travel to study in Paris or Geneva. A lot of people of my generation are very sensitive to the presence of the communists in our society. Thus, a highly principled anti-

Photo: Vladimír Weiss

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communist position is one of the main reasons I entered into politics. The second motive is simple: I like this country and Prague and feel responsible for the Czech Republic as a country that belongs to the succession of a well-educated, free and prosperous Europe. On top of this, I feel responsible for the Czech Republic and want for it to avoid further disastrous ideologies and security threats.

You are on the ODS ballot within the Czech parliamentary election at the moment. Where do you see the ODS´s power for winning the upcoming parliamentary election?

I am convinced that the ODS is the only real liberal-conservative alternative in the Czech Republic. It has a firm values base and an ability to grow and address new topics. Inviolable privacy, an affordable state apparatus, a future clear of debts and the solidarity of responsible individuals are primary and solid programme tenets immune to both the corrosion of time and utilitarian shifts. Since its conception, the ODS has symbolized the idea of freedom as well as its enforcement. Freedom is being endangered by two sides today, partly, from an unmanageable and rapidly growing state, penetrating into heart of our privacy. Threats to freedom, a lack of respect for the rights of others, and a general endangering of the peoples’ existence is what can be expected from criminal regimes. In addition, this year’s election is crucial for the further direction of our country.

In what respect?

We are living in a period of significant uncertainties. A financial crisis. An economic slowdown. Growing living costs. Rising social and ethnic problems. Global security problems.

And so on… I am very well aware of how sensitively people perceive each of these issues.

The ODS takes these fears seriously and has prepared the party’s policy for any period that brings less prosperity and certainties than in previous years. The 2010 programme as well as our long-term Vision 2020 represents an effort to say fairly to citizens that there are no easy and quick solutions to complicated and long-term economic problems. Only populists and demagogues can insist on this. Thus, I see the biggest power of the ODS to be the only power with an ability to guarantee the post-1989 development of our country. Beyond this, it primarily offers credible solutions to a broad range of ages and social groups.

What specific steps do you want to undertake?

The following years are going to be an era of painful stabilization, of budget cuts and reducing mandatory expenditures. A strictly addressed social system needs to be carefully established and should be aiding only those really in need; pension and health care reform has to be accomplished at the same time. The ODS will

focus on economic boost renovation without restricting entrepreneurs and their businesses with burdens like unwise taxation level or a great amount of unreasonable rules. Holding a low level of inflation and interest rates and fighting corruption will be important as well. Simply put, the ODS in 2010 is an alternative for those, who, in the events of recent months have lost their faith in politics, and yet have not lost faith in themselves.

Your specialization is the EU agenda, as you successfully showed during the Czech EU Presidency. What is your idea of an “ideally” integrated Europe?

For me, Europe is a place of cooperating national states in which the Czech Republic will always promote its own independent foreign and security policy including an emphasis on our NATO membership. Europe based on a free market, initiative and openness. After a new wave of enlargement consisting of Croatia, Iceland and Serbia, it will become the biggest economic area in the world with more than half a billion in population. I hope that Europe can learn from its own mistakes of the past and stop dividing member states into “old” and “new”. Thus, the ideal EU, if this is conceivable, should be specific about observing fundamental freedoms as it creates free competition and leads to the pressures of innovation. Not allowing the single market to become a refugee of economic nationalism, or the member states to use protectionism as a tool of economic policy is equally important.

Can you be more specific?

I would consider it unfavourable if the federalist trends prevailed with a greater extent of regulation, with their efforts at tax harmonization or a united immigration EU policy. Our EU membership is certainly important with regards to security and the economy and there is no alternative in the world today. We should, however, keep supporting reform measures that do not weaken the equality of new member states, strengthen the democracy and transparency of the Union’s decision-making bodies, holds an open door to future member states and improves competitiveness of Europe on the global stage. Yet, based on the EU´s experience, I suspect that integration efforts and federalist dreams are going to continue. And, as conservative politics is thin on the ground within the EU, it is necessary for its voice to be heard here.

Among others, you were in charge of the agriculture reform as the former Deputy Agriculture Minister. How do you perceive the utilization of renewable energy sources and land aimed at the cultivation of energy crop plants within our means?

It is said that renewable energy sources can help to develop a low-carbon economy. On the contrary, they cannot assist with sustainable,

long-term, or self-sustaining Czech energy. In the long run, the only credible solution for us is a combination of nuclear energy and new clean technologies while maintaining the maximal usage of domestic resources. Nonetheless, there is, without question, a space for energy crop plants, primarily at the local level aimed at the production of heat. Renewable sources must be in particular “disideologized”. Fortunately, no “political will” can influence the wind power, quantity of sunshine or area of agricultural land that we have been getting from the city of Cheb to the city of Ostrava, since time immemorial. I suggest, therefore, generally supporting only those renewable resources, which do not depend on subsidies or the regulation of redemption prices during their life cycle.

Concerning energy crop plants based on agricultural land, this is mostly a question of biofuels. It is a technological cul-de-sac, in my view.

Moreover, hardly anyone questions their cultivation effects and negative environmental impact, especially with food prices and famine deepening. This was also progressively introduced in the reports of the UN, the OECD and the European Commission. The new generation of biofuels is still an issue of research, yet I can see analogous risks. I suppose that agricultural land should be used primarily for the production of foodstuffs.

In your view, how essential is energy intensity reduction in terms of the EU energy policy goal observance?

The energy intensity reduction of the Czech economics is inevitable. We are supposed to create a bigger space for our enterprises aimed at investment in ecologically economical and effective technologies. Support for innovation and investment in a low-carbon, clean technology, which helps protecting the environment and has the ability to create new job opportunities is related to that. The Czech Republic still has at its disposal reserves within the area energy efficiency. Reaching maximal energy conservation in both the economy and households must be part of responsible energy policy.

Should the existing European subsidies, as well as the whole administrative red tape of their distribution, have any tenable sense at all, it should definitely not exist in the subsidizing of non-competitive renewable energy sources, but rather in the investment in the conservation of heat in buildings, the use of effective appliances, in low-cost distribution systems, and in the implementation of ecologically-friendly transport, especially in big cities.

By Pavlína Holancová I

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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art and gastronomy

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

From left: Giampietro Pastorelli, Commercial Attaché, Italian Embassy and Founder of Italian Vision Club and H.E. Fabio Pigliapocco, Ambassador of Italy

Evening topic: Art and Gastronomy – five paintings of the Renaissance and the influence of Italian cuisine in Europe Speaker: Mgr. Karel Holub, Project Specialist, Prague City Hall/Culture, Monument Care and Tourism Department

at Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa

Italian Vision Club

From left: Ivo Gajdoš, Director of Business Development ZTE, Ing. arch. Lubomír Zeman, Executive Head, LZ Atelier and Ing. Jakub Horáček, Executive Head, Re/Max Action Plus

Veronika Chotěborská, General Manager, Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

Sameena Qureshi, Commercial Counsellor Embassy of Canada

H.E. Athar Mahmood, Ambassador of Pakistan and Monika Michálková, MM Pro Motion and Journalist

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From left: Gianclemente de Felice, Counsellor Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Italy, Eva Usai Blumental, Director, Clients and Markets Czech Republic and Slovakia, Deloitte and her husband Giovanni Usai

18.3.2010 17:37:18

From left: Ing. arch. Lubomír Zeman, Executive Head, LZ Atelier, Ing. Jakub Horáček, Executive Head, Re/ Max Action Plus and Enzo Balestrazzi, Executive Head, Baumatic – ČR, spol. s r.o.

Mgr. Karel Holub, Project Specialist, Prague City Hall in his Lecture about Art and Gastronomy From left: Gianclemente de Felice, Counsellor Deputy Head, Embassy of Italy and Paolo D´Orso, MBA, Hills

Mrs. Mahmood, wife of the Ambassador of Pakistan and Giorgio Bonelli, Owner, Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa

From left: Angelo Barni, Savino and Partners, Giampietro Pastorelli, Commercial Attaché, Italian Embassy and Founder of Italian Vision Club, Avelino Sorgato, restaurant Da Nico and Daniele Govoni, Administrator B.I.M.

Guests of honor: H.E. Athar MAHMOOD, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with Mrs. Nafisa Mahmood and Miss Mahmood; H.E. Fabio Pigliapoco, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy Moderator: Monika Michálková, journalist, editor-in-chief and founder of the Czech edition of the magazine “La Cucina Italiana” The Italian Vision Club is the focal point for quality and excellence of Italian management and entrepreneurship in the Czech Republic.

WHAT IT IS • A parlor and a meeting point for entrepreneurs, top managers and representatives of the public sectors as well as Italian institutions in the Czech Republic • It is a club created thanks to the support and dedication of a group of people in the Italian business community • All activities are funded through the contributions of each participant PURPOSE • To promote and consolidate a positive and dynamic perception of the Italian business community in the Czech Republic, and a wider scope of Italy • To facilitate and develop relationships between members of this community • To share professional experiences, exchange opinions on various subjects and to stimulate further debate and thinking • To develop a wide range of projects and initiatives

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz Blanka Turturro, Vice President, Slow Food Prague and Peter J. Kalaš, Advisor to the Prime Minister, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

19.3.2010 14:13:52

gala evening

Organized by the Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries under the auspices of H.E. Alexey Leonidovich Fedotov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Czech Republic

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

From left: Ing. František Masopust, Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries, Anatoly Agapov, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in the CR and Doc. Ing. Václav Petříček, CSc., Chairman, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

IX. Czech Russian Business Ball at Žofín

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Petr Vyroubal, Attorney at Law, Vyroubal Krajhanzl Školout Law Firm, Ltd. with his partner Petra Zmeškalová and Ing. Jan Málek, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance with his wife

19.3.2010 12:40:59

Michal Bakajsa, Member of the Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Czech Export Bank with his partner

Anatoly Tomnikov, First Secretary, Embassy of the Russian Federation in the CR with his wife

Ing. Rostislav Žoudlík, General Director, Fans, a.s. with his wife

From left: Hiroo Advani, M.A. (Cantab.), Barrister-atlaw, Senior Partner, Advani & Co., Jaroslav Hubacek, Director, Jehace, s.r.o. with his wife

Alexander Akulinin, Project Manager, Russia & CIS Operations, Comenius with his wife

Petr Kužel, President, Czech Chamber of Commerce and Jana Kordačová, Deputy Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

From left: Jan Hamáček, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, PSP ČR and Ing. František Masopust, Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries with his wife

Anatoly Agapov, Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in the CR with wife Elena From left: Roman Ya. Popov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, First Czech-Russian Bank and Ing. Vladimír Hořejší, Vice Chairman, EuroRussian Bank in Prague

69 Dancing performance by TK Astra Praha

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18.3.2010 17:27:45

From left: Martin Ďurina, Director, Export Credit Insurance, Vendula Ďurinová and Ing. Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Jaromír Drábek, Vice-Chairman, TOP 09 with his wife Miroslav Hrnčíř, Adviser ot the Bank Board, Czech National Bank and his wife Miroslava Hrnčířová, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board IPIDC

Josef Hušek, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Director General, INEKON Group, a.s. with his wife

Ing. Robert Sobol, Agency Director, NKL Žofín s.r.o. with his wife

Ondřej Peterka, Managing Partner, Peterka & Partners and Mgr. Pavla Přikrylová, Advocate, Peterka & Partners

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From left: Miloslav Vlček, Chairman, PS PČR, Ing. František Masopust, Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries and Jana Kordačová, Deputy Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

18.3.2010 17:29:54

From left: Ing. Jan Malicher, Karex, a.s. with his daughter to the left and Jana Kordačová, Deputy Executive Director, Chamber of Trade and Industry for CIS Countries

Ing. Jiří Vacek, Head of Representation of First Czech-Russian Bank in Prague with his wife

Martin Vacek, Director, Peterka & Partners and Magdaléna Vyškovská, Conseil fiscal, Peterka & Partners

Ivan Ermakov, Head Specialist, Gazprom Export with his partner

Lucie Výborná and Mgr. Jiří Klapka, Chairman, ČAR

From left: Elena Agapova, Lidya A. Gertsena, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, First CzechRussian Bank with husband Alexander Gertsen

Ing. Vladimír Laštůvka with his wife

Ing. René Lašťovka, CSc., Head of Representation of First Czech-Russian Bank in Bratislava and Ing. Dagmar Nouzovská, Regional Planning, Globus PWI, k.s.

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Marina Vyskvorkina, Soloist, State Opera in Prague

Alexander Kaverin, Advisor, Commercial Service of the Russian Federation in the CR with his wife

From left: Ing. Lubomír Vorel, Head of Commercial Department, ALTA, a.s. and Jiří Komeda, Manager, Export and Structured Trade Finance, ČSOB

18.3.2010 17:31:17

A talk with Zdeněk Štěpánek, the President of the Czech Proof House for Firearms and Ammunition

Czech Weapons Still Have an Outstanding Sound in the World Could you mention some essential changes which the Czech Proof House for Firearms and Ammunition has underwent since its foundation?

Onee ha On hass to lloo ookk al almo most st a hhun undr dred ed yea years rs bbac ackk

for an answer to this question, to the time of the rash increase in the volume of weapons production. In the late 18th century test rooms of a qualitatively new type were established in all Euro Eu rope pean an cou count ntriries es wit withh a de deve velo lope pedd pr prod oduc uctition on

of weapons. There was no exception in AustriaHungary, which was establishing test rooms in Prague, Vejprty, Ferlach and Wiena in 1891. The then Czechoslovakian state took over two test room ro omss si situ tuat ated ed in in ititss te terr rrititor ory; y; i.e. e th thee on onee in

P oto: Pho oto: to: o Vl VVlad add mír adi adimír mírr We Weiss iss ss

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Prague and one in Vejprty, after its foundation in 1918. Prague’s test room was named “the Czechoslovakian test room of weapons and ammunition for civil need.” It was runningg under this name as an organizational part of the “EEng ngin inee eeriring ng ttes estt in inst stititut utio ion” n w witithh th thee se seat at iinn Brno up to the year 2000. However, the situation called for meeting obligations within our legal order, resulting from the International Convention on mutual recognition of proof marks of hand ha nd fir f irea earm rmss an andd am ammu muni nitition on (C (C.II.PP.)) wh whic ichh was signed by the Czech Republic as well.

Could you specify the tasks thus emerging for our entrepreneurs?

It obviously signifies essential help for our producers, exporters or importers because of the disposing of technical barriers of export andd im an impo port rt. Th Thee fu fund ndam amen enta tall re requ quirirem emen entt of the C.I.P. is the carrying out of the official test by a state established official test room. However, this C.I.P. obligation had not been met by the Czech Republic before, because the test was done by the private subject, and this situation was strongly questioned by other C.I.P. members. Th Therefore, f th the Cze C chh Pro P off House H for f Fi Firearms and Ammunition (Czech Proof House) was established with a nation-wide sphere of authority, as an administrative body subordinated to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

So, what does the Czech Proof House deal with at present?

Currently, we verify the ammunition, the pyrotechnic products, explosives, and issues concerning ballistic resistant materials. We process not only in the form of specialist activities, but also in national and international certification andd ho an homo molo loga gatition on.. In add addititio ionn to tha that, t, the there re are are other activities involved in the Czech Proof House’s work. The most important ones include a supervision of fulfilling necessary tasks set by the law of corporations or natural persons when launching products on the market; repeated verification of used shooting weapons with regard ga rd to to ririsk skss re rela late tedd to the theirir usa usage ge;; th thee ra rang ngin ingg of shooting weapons or ammunition types into categories A to D; allocation of control and devaluation marks; approval of the technological process of devaluation, chain production or weapons destruction and their main parts including weapons supplements; the creation of the the tec techn hnic ical al nor norms ms – the the ČSN ČSN or or of the the European norms within the framework of the CEN/CENELEC, the leadership and management of the Czech Permanent Working Delegation to the C.I.P. including the Secretariat., etc.

What kinds of particular weapons do you test and how? What does the test itself consist of?

Each piece of shooting weapon is tested.

This includes scatterguns, rifled guns, weapons equipped with scatter barrels and rifled barrels, weapons with restricted kinetic energy, disposable weapo p ns, historic weapo p ns, repl p ica gu g ns and historic weapons imitations, ballistic gauges aime ai medd at bbal allilist stic ic vval alue uess de dete tect ctio ionn (f(for or iins nsta tanc ncee of the pressure, of the scatter, of the bullet speed) signal guns, anaesthetic guns, expansive appliances with the primary source of energy being explosive matter (slaughter appliances, shoo sh ootiting ng app applilian ance cess, sha shapi ping ng app applilian ance cess, thr throw ow-ing appliances, etc.). The Czech Proof House tests only representatives of the weapons production runs, i.e. the homologation, of some shooting weapons.

Can you specify it?

Under the homologation, there are some kinds of exp expan ansi sive ve wea weapo pons ns suc suchh as the the aco acous ustiticc weapons, the granulated guns, and the gas guns. A detached workplace has been established in the Czech Proof House, for producers of a significant amount of weapons. The verification of particular pieces of new handoperated shooting guns must be completed here before f theiri markkett ddiispattchh. O Our emplloyees take part directly in the production process, i.e. they can still exercise weapons control anytime before completion.

If citizens have any suspicion of their guns being dangerous, can they turn to the Czech Proof House individually?

Yes, of course. The Czech Proof House provides a completely professional service to those gun keepers who are individually coming to ask for their tests. The weapon is accepted with necessary papers by the test engineer. Then, the preliminary inspection is completed, i.e. a mechan ch anic ic w wililll ru runn co cont ntro roll of a w wea eapo ponn be befo fore re iits ts first testing shot. Part of this operation is a detailed weapon’s dismantling, and scaling of measurement essentials with regard to security under the strict C.I.P. requirements. We use balls with increased pressure of powder gases for testing shoots. After that, a weapon’s examinatition on fol follo lows ws aga again in, th this is tim timee af afte terr a gu guns nsho hott. In In the case that everything goes well and the weapon meets test requirements, it is labelled with the official test marks.

With what norms is the Czech production of weapons governed?

The weapons need to meet technical requireme re ment ntss se sett in the the C.II.P. P re reso solu lutition onss, and and the these se are consequently introduced into the Czech legal or technical orders and norms. The C.I.P., concerning weapons, sets only the safety requirements, for instance measures of a cartriridg dgee ch cham ambe berr an andd a bl blas astt ho hole le, a we weap apon on’ss functionality including the safety and striking mechanism, material compactness, etc. Other requirements – concerning e.g. the quality of

surface protection, wood components, sight construction, ergonometry, etc. is set up by the producer itself, mostly based upon the requirements of consumers, the market, internal norms, and traditions, or in order to be competitititive pe ve.

Weapons production has a rather declining tendency since the beginning of the new millennia in the Czech Republic. How do you explain it?

I wo woul uldd lilike ke ttoo di disc scus usss th this is iiss ssue ue. To aans nswe werr it correctly we need to distinguish weapons into two categories, military and civil weapons.

Production of military weapons has basically stopped in the Czech Republic, because of the radical reorganization of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (AČR). There has been a ra radi dica call de decl clin inee in sol soldi dier er’ss siz sizee of 80 80 %. Mor Moreeover, there has begun the sale or a complete disposal of Army stocks in all areas of military material – weapons, ammunition, technology, etc. Thus, the AČR demand in new weapons became pointless until 2009, when the AČR called for tender regarding the supply of new military smallll arms. A clear l winner i was tthhe big bigggestt Czech weapon’s producer. Production of civil weapons – i.e. those which are tested by the Czech Proof House – is very stable, and according to our statistics its amount fluctuates around the number 160.000 weapons a year.

Czech sports and hunting weapons, or weapons for personnel protection, still have a great sound abroad and their demand grows yearly.

Does your profession project into your hobbies as well?

Yes, it does. My biggest hobbies primarily include hunting and sport shooting. I was very keen ke en ooff sk skee eett sh shoo ootiting ng,, tr trap ap ssho hoot otin ingg or ppar arco cour ur shooting. Yet, I have very little free time these days. Formerly, I used to shoot about ten thousand shot-gun shells a year; now just about a thousand. So, I am at least trying to shoot a target with a handgun in a fire-tunnel in order to recall not only the principles of aimed shootingg, bbut in ut aals lsoo sa safe fety ty man manip ipul ulat atio ionn wi with th a gun gun.

I also belong to the orthodox hunters who adhere to the beautiful hunting traditions. I prefer the individual way of hunting, but I also never refuse an invitation to a well prepared and organized hunt for wild boar or small game.

By P Pav avlílína na H Hol olan anco cová vá ■

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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global perspectives

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Jan Muehlfeit Chairman Europe Microsoft Corporation Photo: Paul Pacey

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Battling Green Fatigue Weather vs. climatte? Information technologies as a solution or a problem? Low carbon vs. low tax? Individual vss. corporate responsibility?

Well, those are only soome of the tough questions that we try to find answ wers to when my colleagues and I spend time thinking about and discussing the topic of environmental sustainability. We look at this basically from two main angles – how the information technnologies can help to solve it and how our industry can help to keep it on top of the global agenda. At the same time I feel that we as well as the actuaal participants of the recent COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copennhagen, have to be honest and admit that expectt ations for this major event were simply unrealisttic. Just like in business or sports, when you set goals are that way beyond of what you can achieve, the failure is unfortunately almost guarantteed.

Indeed, the enviroonmental sustainability is a big challenge for evveryone. It is a global problem that will requiree global hat and a global mindset. Yet when itt comes to addressing it, many politicians stilll tend to look at it purely from their national perspectives. While for example roughly 80% of world’s coal power plants are based in India annd China and hence these two major players aree often labeled as major offenders, they in returnn have their very fair points too as when you start to compare pollution per capita or pollution generated “to-date”, over the past number of decaades, the developed world has clearly been ressponsible for much bigger negative impact on our global environment.

And again, we also have to look at this issue with realistic expecc tations. While European Union’s triple goal off the “20-20-20” initiative for 2020, which means a saving of 20 % of the Union’s primary energg y consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,, as well as the inclusion of 20 % of renewable energies in energy consumption, is great, even iff the entire Europe “shutdown”, it would onlyy solve about 10–12% of the global CO2 emisssions problem.

I am a strong belieever that when it comes to resolving the challennge of environmental sustainability, informatioon technologies will have a major positive role to play. While IT is also part of the problem and its carbon footprint represents about 2% of thee total (caused typically by relatively high power consumption in datacenters and server farms)), I have no doubt that our industry’s positive im mpact will be significantly higher. When you start to analyze drivers of the remaining 98% of thee issue, you quickly realize that about 40% of CO2 footprint is caused by

housing. That’s exactly an area, where technologies can tremendously help whether in building smart electricity grids or producing smart home appliances that turn itself on and off based on peak and off-peak hours and thanks to their software have improved power consumption capabilities in general.

In fact I am also convinced that this particular space also represents a real opportunity for Czech home appliances producers, an area in which we have historically excelled not only in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc.

Now should be the time for such companies to invest heavily into innovation, and inclusion of smart software elements into their newly launched products. Not only I believe that this is now a great market opportunity, equally I think that in a few years time, such features will become a must. While many governments are already setting themselves various environment-related targets, such as the already mentioned EU’s “20-20-20” or the 1,000 U.S. mayors who have agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the cities where the majority of Americans live, I am sure that many will also start to introduce and institute green purchasing standards which will impact virtually every industry and product.

Both at Microsoft and in many international organizations in which I happen to represent our corporation, thousands of very smart individuals are already thinking how (obviously not only our) industry can help governments address this major global challenge of our century. Internally, we have dedicated many of our brightest brains to make sure that we, too, lead by example. We have set ourselves a bold goal of reducing our own carbon footprint by over 30% by 2012 all thru our improved corporate environmental practices, such as more efficient data center operations, reducing transportation, using renewable power, efficient design of office buildings or waste reduction. More importantly however, our software design engineers spend a lot of time looking into how we can help our customers, both in public and private sectors, achieve their own environmental goals. This is where as I have noted IT will have a major role to play in not only reducing the energy required to run software and hardware, but also in using technology to reduce travel, driving changes in transportation, using software to drive scientific knowledge, visualizing the impact of climate change or helping our customers to manage and measure their own carbon footprint.

One particular solution which we already launched in close partnershipp with the European Environmental Agency and thhat I am very proud of is the so-called “Eye On Earth”. Available at http://www.eyeonearth.eu inn 28 European languages, the Eye On Earth proovides 500 million of European Union’s citizens with online access to real-time data about quuality of Europe’s more than 22,000 bathing sites together with data from over 1,000 air quality monitoring stations throughout the conttinent. By bringing together scientific informatioon, visualizing it in a very user-friendly way ass well as allowing for direct user feedback andd comparison with observations of ordinary cittizens, I think Eye On Earth is a flagship of what technologies can do in this arena and a waay to go for our industry as a whole. In fact let me here quote Ms Jacqueline McGlade, Exeecutive Director of the European Environmentaal Agency who on the occasion of its launch said “Our environment is changing. We all nootice small differences where we live or reguularly visit. Eye On Earth gives all of us the oppportunity to inform and be informed of such channges. The Microsoft technology behind Eye On Earth makes environmental information muchh more accessible.

As more people understand what’s happening in their area, more will contribbute to solving environmental problems.”

While not biggest in the woorld in its size, the European Union now has a unique opportunity to become a leader in leveraaging the smart IT solutions to tangibly address s the global environmental issues and to heelp to present this agenda to the public in a waay that will help to battle the green fatigue. Yeet as we all know, strategy without execution is merely an illusion.

So let us make sure that compared for example to the Lisbon agenda that wee set on improving competitiveness and later foound very difficult to deliver against, we do a beetter job in making this one real. It’s a time to waalk the talk.

Jan Muehlfeit Chairman Europe Microosoft Corporation

český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www..leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 20010

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prague castle event

Randy Brecker, Trumpet and Jakubovic Q

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Jazz at the Castle

with Jakubovic Q and Randy Brecker

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Mrs. Fischerovรก, Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and Prof. Vรกclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

17.3.2010 18:25:39

JUDr. Ivana Syrůčková, Mr. Martin Syrůček and Jaromír Šlápota, Chairman, The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute

From left: H.E. Renilde Loeckx, Ambassador of Belgium and H.E. Ole. E. Moesby, Ambassador of Denmark

Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic welcoming all the guests

Prof. MUDr. Aleksi Šedo, DrSc., Vice Dean for Grant Issues and External Relations, Head of the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University in Prague with his wife

From left: Benoit Chatard, Dr. Zita Zemanová, Vladimír Suchánek and Mrs. Marie Chatardová, Director of EU Communication Strategy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prague

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17.3.2010 18:26:06

On the left: Gen. Ivo Zbořil and right Augustin Sibol with his wife Markéta

From left: Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic and MUDr. Martin Barták, Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic

Jaroslav Jakubovic and Prof. Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Felix A. Slováček, TRv Big Bang, MusicModelTrust s.r.o. and Anton Gerak, Ph.D., Senior Project Manager, Renewable Power Resources

From left: Martin Šiler, Advisor to the General Director, SŽDC, Ing. Miloš Janů and his son

Ing. Vladimíra Václavíková, Marketing & Editorial Director, Leaders Magazine and Petr Havelka, Executive Head, A.W.I.S.

Alena Veliká, Press Service Head, Office of the President and Jindřich Forejt, Head of Protocol, Office of the President

Emil Viklický and his wife

78 8 Zdeněk Kratochvíl with his wife Bohuslava

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From left: Antonín Matzner, Programme Adviser, Prague Spring, Vácav Kadeřábek and Jiří Stivín, Legendary Musician

17.3.2010 18:26:56

HOW AVATAR WILL Emil Jimenez started working in the communications industry in 1998 as a web designer in NYC. After graduating Rutgers University with a degree in Psychology he moved to Miami where he continued his education and received a Masters in Creative Communications from Florida International University and the renowned Miami Ad School. Mr. Jimenez has worked for United Bank of Switzerland, Citibank, MTV Latin America, Leo Burnett Budapest, Leo Burnett Prague, Lowe worldwide Prague and has recently opened Passion Communications. Passion Communications is a full service communications agency which specializes in bridging traditional media with the digital world. emil@passioncommunications.com In Hinduism, an avatar is a manifestation of a deity in an earthly form. Avatar the movie is the incarnation of a new form of cinema which will change the way we consume content. After watching Avatar 3D I felt as if I just experienced a moment in history. It was probably the same awe people experienced when they saw motion pictures for the first time, or movies with sound.

The cinema screen has always tried to wow the audience by the use of storytelling and cinematic technique.

However, the technology available always dictated the limitations of a film. The demand for quality 3D entertainment has always been there but with Avatar, we are at a point in time where technology is meeting demand.

When I was a kid I collected comic books. My parents encouraged it because they knew I wouldn’t read anything without pictures. One of my many comic books was a 3D issue of Nam (as in Vietnam) complete with 3D glasses. This was my first taste of 3D entertainment.

Twenty minutes later I completed the comic book with a headache and cross-eyed. Here is an example of where technology was trying to meet demand but it was failing miserably. James Cameron, the director of Avatar, wanted to film Avatar in 1996 but according to him, the technology wasn’t available to meet his vision. Years went by and he tinkered with different cameras and techniques until he and his visual affects partners at Digital Domain got together and began to create the technology needed to complete the film.

They actually developed a new Reality CameraSystem where the camera had a preprogrammed 3D world embedded into the memory so that as the camera moved, the world would be displayed. Actors would then actt on green screen andd th the t wo world lds would ld meett.

If the director wants to make the scene night, all he had to do was hit a couple of switches and the world changed.

Gone are the days where film crews depended on the weather or real actors for that matter. Steven Spielberg, who was given an opportunity to test the new technology described it as, “digital makeup, not augmented animation... Motion capture brings the director back to a kind of intimacy that actors and directors only know when they’re working in live theatre.” Seeing it from a director’s perspective, Spielberg saw how he will apply this technology with his films. However, Spielberg failed to realise how this technology will begin to change our everyday lives.

Is it a coincidence that in the same year a block buster 3D film comes out, every major television maker is announcing the launch of 3D ready televisions. According to Samsung, “Technology for the first DLP® 3-D television was introduced to displays in 2007.” In 2007 the

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technology was there but it was probably too expensive to produce on a mass scale. In fact these new 3D TVs are still outside the mass market price point but in the near future they will become mainstream. Once this new technology achieves mass market penetration, the way consumers will view advertisements will literally take on another dimension. Imagine a product demonstration where the product is virtually coming off the screen. Or a video game where rockets and monsters are flying past your head. This will be immersive media on a level only surpassed by a Star Wars like hologram teleconference Of which rence. which, might I add add, we are also not too far away. In fact, during the 2008 election, CNN had the first hologram teleconference on television when one news caster from Chicago was teleported to the Atlanta studio as a hologram.

The trick to this was that only the television viewer got to see the hologram. People in the studio only saw a marker on the floor.

It’s kind of like the when the weather woman gets all the satellite imaging placed behind her and she needs to see a screen to interpret the maps. Butt what th hat will happen when this technology goes from the TV screen to the mobile phone? According to the mobile phone maker Kyocera, “compared to PCs, mobile handsets are still limited in their data processing capacity and bandwidth.” Once we can pack more power into these small devices the way we interact with the world will change. Our 3D world online will begin to blend with our real 3D world offline.

Avatar will be remembered as the tipping point in 3D technology. We will begin to experience a connec-

tion to our devices which we have never had before.

It will be only a matter of time when we can have hologram conferencing, 3D gaming, immersive movies, and other things that I cannot even imagine yet. How marketers will react to that will be interesting to see. Competitor brands will probably be the first to use this technology as they seek to differentiate themselves in the market.

While the mainstream brands will look at some absurd matrix system about the market penetration of 3D TV’s and embrace this technology very late in the game.

Either way, I can’t wait for the future, it’s going to be awesome. awesome I Photo: Brian Fleming

18.3.2010 13:20:07

diplomatic event

From left: Moshe Arens, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and three-time Defense Minister of Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to the USA and Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Czech Republic and Israel 20 Years after Renewal of Relations IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

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From left: Shmuel Micha, Consul, Embassy of Israel, Ellen Levy, wife of H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic, Jan Kohout, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Moshe Arens, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and three-time Defense Minister of Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to the USA, Jiří Dienstbier, Senator, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security, Senator, Jiřina Dienstbierová and Miloš Pojar, former Czech Ambassador to Israel (1990–1994)

18.3.2010 17:22:12

From left: Pavel Smutný, President of the Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce, Moshe Arens, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and three-time Defense Minister of Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to USA, H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic and Klára Muzikářová, Executive Secretary, Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce

Mirek Topolánek, Chairman of ODS, former Prime Minister and President of the European Council

H.E. Mr. José Luis Bernal Rodriguéz, Ambassador of Mexico with his wife Berta Alicia Garcia Rangel

From left: Jiří Schneider, Program Director of Prague Security Studies Institute, former Czech Ambassador to Israel (1995–1998), H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic, Mina Goldiak, Deputy Chief Scientist, International R&D Relations and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry Trade & Labor, Israel

On February 9 we marked the 20th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Czechoslovakia and Israel after the end of Cold War during a visit of Moshe Arens, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel in 1990. Czechoslovakia was then among the first former Soviet bloc states to renew diplomatic relations with Israel thus beginning to reinstate the excellent relations which prevailed between both nations before the communists took power in 1948. The conference, under the auspices of Prime Minister Jan Fischer, took place in the Liechtenstein Palace and brought together prominent Czech and Israeli politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs, experts, representatives of academia, media, and civil society who examined developments over the last 20 years. Participants suggested future prospects on enhancing relations, particularly in the diplomatic, security, and economic fields and between both societies in general.

Those who attended the conference, as well as many other distinguished guests, gathered in the evening in the Spanish Synagogue for a concert dedicated to the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the renewal of diplomatic relations between the two states.

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From left: H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic, Jiří Schneider, Program Director of Prague Security Studies Institute, former Czech Ambassador to Israel (1995–1998), Alexander Vondra, Senator, former Czech Foreign Minister, former deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs and Tomáš Smetánka, Director of Middle East and North Africa Department, Section for Non-European Countries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former Czech Ambassador to Seoul

18.3.2010 17:22:37

Mina Goldiak, Deputy Chief Scientist, International R&D Relations and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry Trade & Labor, Israel

Irena Kalhousová, Analyst, Research fellow and the Head of the Middle Eastern Program at the Association of International Affairs

Ondřej Liška, Chairman of the Green Party, former Minister of Education

From left: Moshe Arens, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and three-time Defense Minister of Israel, former Israeli Ambassador to the USA, Eliška Hašková-Coolidge, former Assistant to five US Presidents, Coolidge Consulting Services and Miloš Pojar, former Czech Ambassador to Israel (1990–1994)

H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic

Petr Brod, Freelance Journalist, former Editor, BBC Czech Service

From left: Mrs. Ellen Levy, H.E. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador of Israel to the Czech Republic and Jan Kohout, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

From left: Tomáš Bohrn, Chairman of the Board, Chipinvest, Mina Goldiak, Deputy Chief Scientist International R&D Relations and Cooperation Ministry of Industry Trade & Labor, Israel, Mirek Topolánek, Chairman of ODS, former Prime Minister and President of the European Council and Pavel Smutný, President of the Czech-Israeli Mutual Chamber of Commerce

Jiří Drahoš, President, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

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From left: Lydie Härtelová, Harpist and Ludmila Vernerová-Nováková, Soprano

From left: Lukáš Přibyl, Politologist and Documentarist, Director of the European Shoah Legacy Institute and Tomáš Kraus, Executive Director, Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic

Jan Herzmann, Director General, Factum Invenio

18.3.2010 17:24:05

Production PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES: • Catalogue of the Security and Defence Technologies of CR • IDET NEWS - magazine • ISET NEWS - magazine • CDIS Review - magazine • CDIS Review Special

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19.1.2010 15:08:28 22.3.2010 9:39:03

Evening topics: Colon Diseases and Treatment by Prof. Miroslav Zavoral and Prof.

Zdeněk Krška

networking/charity

From left: George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. with his wife Šárka Parobek, Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. on the left and Joseph Drebitko, Chairman/ CEO Activa a.s. with his wife Iva Drebitko, President of Triga, Patrons´ Club of the National Theatre

A special thanks to Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd. for making this reportage possible

Lions Club Prague Eagle

From left: Ing. Stanislav Slavík, Brigadier General Andor Šándor (ret), Senior Consultant and President of Lions Club Prague Eagle and plk. MUDr. Štefan Brunclík, UVN

From left: Jan Bříza, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Deputy Director, General University Hospital in Prague and Jaroslav Kubišta, Secretary of Lions Club Prague Eagle

JUDr. Jiří Teryngel

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From left: Ing. Václav Červenka, Managing Director, PBM and Prof. Zdeněk Krška, M.D., Ph.D., Head of 1st Department of Surgery, General University Hospital, Charles University Prague

From left: Prof. Zdeněk Krška, M.D., Ph.D., Head of 1st Department of Surgery, General University Hospital, Charles University Prague and Ing. Zbyněk Štáf, Quality Season Product s.r.o

17.3.2010 18:22:12

From left: Mr. Benke Aikell, your Publisher, JUDr. Fantišek Zelenický and George Parobek, General Director, Ifield Computer Consultancy Ltd.

From left: Petr Materna, former Managing Director, Air Navigation Service and JUDr. František Zelenický

RNDr. Daniela Kolejková, Director of the Authority Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Ing. Jakub Šebesta, Minister of Agriculture in CR

From left: JUDr. Luboš Richter, Director, Alfavita, s.r.o. and Ing. Petr Nevický, portfolio investor

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz From left: Brigadier General Andor Šándor (ret), Senior Consultant and President of Lions Club Prague Eagle, Ing. Miloslav Vaněk, General Director, Office for the Government Representation in Property Affairs, Michael Vít, Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Public Health Officer, Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and Prof. Miroslav Zavoral

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IFIELD COMPUTER CONSULTANCY

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Josef Vejvoda, Drums

prague castle event Josef Vejvoda – Drums Kryštof Marek – Piano Ondřej Štajnochr – Contrabass Petr Král – Saxophone Stano Palúch – Violin Marcel Comendant – Cymbal

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

with Vejvoda Josef 65

Jazz at the Castle

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Benoit Chatard, H.E. Alberto Salas Barahona, Ambassador of Peru and H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia with his wife

17.3.2010 19:20:56

From left: P. J. Ryba, Jazz Bassist, JUDr. Dagmar Raupachová, Advocate, Mgr. Barbora Polášková, Production, Cultural Department, Prague Castle Administration and JUDr. Jan Černý, Černý-Raupachová, Attorney’s Office

From left: Michael Vít, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Public Health Officer of the Czech Republic and Mirko Lachman, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine Ariosto D’Meza and Marie Chlupová

From left: Alena Sudická, Andrej Šebesta, Tatiana Šebestová, Ing. Jan Hnilica, Managing Director, Čerozfrucht s.r.o., Professor Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, Anna, Eva, Martina and Ferdinand Sudický, Čerozfrucht

Stano Palúch, Violin

Ondřej Štajnochr, Bassist From left: Miroslava Jelínková, Roman Minařík, Romax and Jana Marková, Alphaflight

Professor Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic proudly presents his new book “SEVENTH YEAR”

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17.3.2010 19:21:21

From left: Martin Šiler, Advisor to the General Director, SŽDC, Ing. Jan Komárek, General Director, SŽDC, Professor Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, Ing. Miloš Janů and his son

From left: Benoit Chatard and H.E. Pierre Levy, Ambassador of France

From left: Ing. Jiří Švorc, MUDr. Milena Švorcová, Ophthalmologist, Václav Flegl, Head of External Affairs Department, ČŠI with his wife, Ing. Daniela Medová and Ing. Zdeněk Med, Director of the Government Administration, Office of the Government of CR

From left: Ing. Jan Komárek, General Director, SŽDC and Professor Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Iva Brožová, Ing. Pavel Sedláček, Reno Music and Proffesor Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Ing. Vladimír Laštůvka, Counselor and Tomáš Kladívka, Senator

Josef Vejvoda, Musician with his wife and daughter From left: Ing. Michal Škoda, Hollandia and JUDr. Jan Mareš

From left: Mgr. Petr Rudlovčák, Advocate, JUDr. et MUDr. Dan Podstatzky-Lichtenstein, Lawyer and Arbitrator and JUDr. Jan Mareš

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From left: Jaromír Šlápota, Chairman, Czecho Slovak Foreign Institute and PhDr. Přemysl Čech, Presenter, Česká Televize with his wife Hana

17.3.2010 19:23:21

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IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

FAILURES: Karin Genton-L’Epée has 15 years of management experience in the United States, France and the Czech Republic.

For the last 10 years Karin has worked as a successful business coach in the Czech Republic offering international professional expertise. As a business coach, Karin has developed a range of coaching and training programs for mid- and top-level managers to focus on leadership development, cross-cultural understanding and effective communication in an international environment. With her knowledge, skills and range of experience, Karin has been a frequent guest speaker at business conferences and educational institutions. She is also a regular contributor to business journals and magazines. Karin works in English and French and can be reached at karin@coaching.cz

THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS

THE BENEFITS OF SUCCESS

The story goes that, during a lecture, a student asked a successful businessman the usual question: “Can you tell us the key to your success?”

The businessman looked at him and replied: “Young man, having been able to make good decisions has been key to my success.” To that the student replied: “Thank you sir, but how did you manage to make good decisions?”

“Experience,” answered the businessman.

“I understand,” said the student. “However, could you tell me which experience allowed you to make good decisions?”

“Very simple,” replied the businessman. “My most valuable experience was acquired by making bad decisions.”

Growing into success is not an easy thing to achieve.

We don’t always get into the school we want, or get the promotion we expect. We may be rejected by the girl or guy of our dreams. We might fail to make a sale, or even lose a job.

But while we usually do our best to avoid mistakes, it is impossible to live without making them; and having to deal with failing at something is inevitable. Fortunately, no matter how uncomfortable we might be with our own failures, a lot can be learned from them, and we can also learn from the successful failures of famous people.

When Thomas Edison was a boy, a teacher told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.” And Edison tried more than nine thousand times before successfully creating the first working light bulb. The first business Bill Gates and Paul Allen engaged in together – Traf-O-Data – was a flop. And Michael Jordan missed thousands of shots during his career, and lost 300 games.

We wouldn’t think of any of these men today as failures. Edison held 1,093 U.S. patents and we benefit to this day from many of his inventions. Bill Gates and Paul Allen are two of the wealthiest men in the world and almost everyone connected to a computer uses one or more of their products. As for Michael Jordan, many consider him the greatest basketball player of all time.

These men learned from their experiences. And while we strive for success and do our best to avoid failure, both success and failure provide us with valuable feedback, if we are prepared to take advantage of it.

Success is an indicator of what yoou like and what you are good at. When you do something suc u cessfully, the positive experience imprints itself in yourr br b ain as something that gives you pleasure, and you seek to recreate that pleasurable experience. More success lead adss to more attempts to recreate the experience, and then continuing practice builds skills and competences.

The students who are good at math and receive positive feedback when they arrive at correct answers will enjoy learning math and will get better at math. Those who read and write easily will gain skill in that area, and so on. We label our experiences with respect to their outcomes. When the outcome matches our expectations, we continue behaving and doing what has successfully worked for us in the past.

We use these experiences as a guide to deal with future challenges. By studying and assessing our successes, what we did right, what worked and why it worked, and finding how to repeat it, we develop our strengths and increase our chances for future successes.

But what happens when the outcome doesn’t match our expectations?

Everyone agrees that failure is an inevitable part of exploration and innovation, and most people claim failure as an important element for growth and learning.

Search for “learning from failure” on the internet, and you’ll find plenty of banalities about how much we can learn from failure. “We believe in failure.” “We embrace failure.” “We learn our greatest lessons from failure.”

But do we really learn from failures and use that knowledge to reap future success, or is it just wishful thinking?

REFOCUSING FAILURE Maybe the problem lies in how we perceive failure.

Failure makes us feel bad (we feel incompetent) and look bad (we become ashamed and afraid of what people will think of us), and no one likes to feel bad or look bad.

Instead of looking at failure as a lack of success we need to refocus our perception of failure as feedback from our experience and start to appreciate the learning it can bring.

Emerson said, “Life is a series of experiments, the

more you make the better.” Edison would certainly have agreed, even as his experiments to produce a light bulb failed to yield the anticipated result for the seven, eight, nine thousand times, and more.

As an attendee at one of my recent Power Lunches said, “A mistake is a failure if you don’t learn from your experience.” If instead of learning from his experiences, E ison had decided to focus on his failing attempts and Ed give ve up after the first lack of result, he would have never succeeede d d.

Each fai ailu lure is a trial in an experiment and an opportunity for growth. h Even when a failure bears financial costs, the educational be bene n fits can far outweigh the loss.

THE BENEFITS OF FAILURE Trial and error are usuaallllyy the prime means to experience life. Yet we sometimes av avoid undertaking the trial because we’re afraid of risking fa failiure. But in failure lie the seeds of success, as failure provi vides the feedback that points the way to success.

In her June 2008 commencement addresss at Harvard University, J.K. Rowling, author of the best selliing Harry Potter book series, said that for her, “Failure me meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretendinng to myself and others that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me.”

Rowling asserted that “failure can set you free by teaching you things about yourself that you could not have learned any other way,” and suggested that one should “embrace failure as a chance to know yourself.”

It is time to recognize that the parts of our lives that are not successful – the mistakes and sometimes failures – have just as important a role to play in helping us find out who we are and what we really want. These setbacks can ultimately lead us to success in our professional and personal lives.

Failing doesn’t equate to being unsuccessful. It only means that our actions didn’t produce the expected results. There is as much to learn from what doesn’t work as there is to learn from what does.

As the great Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Do not hesitate to take as many shots as you can and make sure to enjoy the learning experience.

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18.3.2010 13:20:33

jubilee event

In the Army House Prague on 12th January 2010, a traditional jubilee meeting of the Editorial Board of the magazine CDIS Review took place. This representative board, consisting of more than a hundred significant representatives of the State and Public Administration, Army of the Czech Republic, Police of the Czech Republic, Fire Rescue Brigade of the Czech Republic, Association of Defence and Security Industry of the Czech Republic and top managers of companies and firms from the defence industry, discussed important issues in a ceremonial setting. The meeting took place during the tenth jubilee of the magazine CDAI and CDIS Review in the Czech and foreign medial fields and marked fifteen years of the publishing of MS Line, s.r.o. as an important medial partner of the Czech Defence and Security Industry.

Jubilee Meeting

From left: Ing. František Padělek, Deputy Minister of Defence and Karel Prskavec, Director, Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Department of Defence, Security and Secretariat of the National Security Council

of the Editorial Board 2010 of CDIS Review

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Jozef Povrazník, Consultant, Chem Protect, Tomáš Jedlička, Chairman of the Advisory Board, Chem Protect and Brig. Gen. Pavel Zbořil, M.D., Surgeon General of the Czech Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

22.3.2010 8:13:00

From left: JUDr. Ing. Břetislav Grégr, Director of the SFs Coordination Dpt., Structural Funds Section, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ing. Jiří Abraham, Chief of the Board of Directors, Messag Time a.s. and Ing. Jan Hajný

From left: Pavel Berg, Executive Director, Trade Fides, a.s. and Ing. Milan Marek, MBA, Trade Fides, a.s.

From left: Lenka Mikulová and Hana Trávníková, Government Account Manager, Saab Czech s.r.o.

From left: Col Jiří Novák, Deputy Police President for Economy Police, Police Presidium of the Czech Republic, Václav Irovský, Branch Office Director, Lom Praha s.p. and Jindřich Ploch, President, DSIA

Ing. Jaroslav Kopřiva, Deputy Minister of Defence and Major General Lubomír Kvíčala (ret.)

From left: Jiří Staněk, Director of Armaments Section of MoD CR and Jiří Stříteský, Executive Head of DAHER KAR-BOX, awarded Manager of the Year 2009

From left: Michael Hrbata, Deputy Chairman of Committee for Defence of the CR Parliament and Ing. David Brázda, Director of Praga Export, awarded Businessman of the Year 2009 in Defence Section

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, giving award to Hartmut Bühl, Senior Editor European Affairs Publisher of the European Security and Defence Union From left: Ing. Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and Ing. Karel Torn, CSc., Vicepresident, AOBP

From left: Ing. Miloš Soukup, Editor in Chief of CDIS Review and Dr. Karel Šimána, Advisor to the Chairperson of Chamber of Deputies

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From left: Vratislav Vajnar, Vladimír Karas, Commercial Director, TTC Telekomunikace Ltd., Michal Hon, CEO and General Director, Omnipol, a.s. and Ing. Jiří Řezáč, trade Deputy Director, Omnipol, a.s.

19.3.2010 14:05:27

From left: Colonel Bohdan Horovenko, Defence Attaché, Embassy of Ukraine, Miloš Balabán, Ph.D., Head of the Center, CESES, his wife Gabriela and LieutenantColonel Bruno Bucherie, Defence Attaché, Embassy of the French Republic

From left: Ing. Karel Torn, CSc., Vicepresident, AOBP, and Ing. Jiří Abraham, Chief of the Board of Directors, Messag Time a.s.

From left: Ing. Luboš Müller, Deputy Director, TTC Telekomunikace, s.r.o. and Ing. Ivan Říčař, CSc., TTC Telekomunikace, s.r.o.

Mgr. Jana Pařízková and Ing. Libor Svoboda, Managing Director, ABI Special s.r.o.

From left: Ing. Miloš Titz, CSc., Karin Vlková, Assistant to Commercial Director, Macroflex s.r.o. and Ing. Václav Renč, Director, Tesla

From left: JUDr. Petr Markvart, Management Consultant, Lom Praha and JUDr. Miroslav Somol, CSc., Member of the Board, EGAP

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Eva Soukupová, Editor in Chief of IDET NEWS and Andrej Čírtek MD CR, Press Agent

From left: Miloslav Vlček, Chairperson of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and František Nečas, Secretariat of the National Security Council of the CR, awarded Acknowledgement of Long Life Cooperation

19.3.2010 14:58:31

From left: Michael Hrbata, Deputy Chairman of Committee for Defence of the CR Parliament, Bohuslav Šafář, Director of Division VTÚO Brno, Adolf Veřmiřovský, Director of VOP-026 Šternberk and Jiří Staněk, Director of Armaments Section of MoD CR. Division VTÚO Brno was awarded The Best New Product of the Year 2009.

From left: František Padělek, Deputy Minister of Defence of MoD CR, Petr Neuman, Director of Dirickx Bohemia. Company Dirickx Bohemia was awarded Company of the Year 2009.

From left: Václav Irovský, Branch Office Director of LOM PRAHA, František Padělek, Deputy Minister of Defence, Jindřich Ploch, CEO of LOM PRAHA, President of Defence and Security Industry Association of the CR, Miloslav Vlček, Chairperson of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Václav Irovský and Jindřich Ploch received Award The Best New Product of the Year 2009.

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher and Milan Hovorka, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.

Milan Hovorka got the Award for Management of Exhibition FIDAE (deputy).

From left: Zdeněk Lamač, Director of STILL CR, Miloslav Vlček, Chairperson of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Company STILL CR was awarded Company of the Decade.

From left: Miroslav Matocha, Chief Executive Officer of Aon Central and Eastern Europe, Pavel Mužák, Technical Director of RETIA and Peter Štefanča, Commercial Director of RETIA. Company RETIA was awarded Product of the Year 2009.

From left: Ivan Říčař, General Director of TTC Telekomunikace receiving Acknowledgement of Long Life Cooperation Award, Jindřich Ploch, President of Defence and Security Industry Association of the CR

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From left: Antonín Seďa, Deputy Chairman of Committee for Defence of the CR Parliament and Michal Kuník, President and Country Manager of SECURITAS CR, awarded Manager of the Year 2009

From left: Antonín Seďa, Deputy Chairman of Committee for Defence of the CR Parliament and Ivan Jandl, Director of E-COM. Company E-COM was awarded Exhibitor of the Year 2009.

From left: Jaroslav Kopřiva, Deputy Minister of Defence for Armaments of MoD CR and Jindřich Ploch, CEO of LOM PRAHA. Company LOM PRAHA was awarded Acknowledgement of Lonf Life Cooperation.

18.3.2010 17:05:15

networking/charity

From left: JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of the LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador, Mgr. Marek Vácha, PhD., Head of the Institute of Ethics, 3rd LFUK Prague and PhDr. Ladislav Říha, Owner CK RI-Tours and former President LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

at Restaurant Paukert topic: Ethics in Medical Practise

Guest of Honor: Mgr. Marek Vácha, Ph.D., Head of the Institute of Ethics, 3rd LFUK Prague

Lions Club

Prague Bohemia Ambassador

From left: MUDr. Václav Poláček, CSc., Plastic Surgeon and Ing. Aleš Haur, Enterpreneur

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From left: JUDr. Vojtěch Trapl, Lawyer, former Governor, LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and Ing. Ladislav Bouček, CSc., Enterpreneur, former Governor, LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

From left: Oldřich Hořák, Owner, Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady and JUDr. Jaroslav Novotný, Lawyer, Membership Chairperson, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

From left: Richard Švec, Enterpreneur, PhDr. Ladislav Říha, Owner CK RI-Tours, former President LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and Ing. Jaromír Kaulfus, Enterpreneur

19.3.2010 15:43:49

From left: Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Head of the Institute of Pathology, Petr Laštovka, Enterpreneur and Oldřich Hořák, Owner, Hotel Bílá Růže in Poděbrady

From left: RNDr. Pavel Kalášek, Consultant, former CEO Hewlett Packard and Ing. Petr Kučera, CSc., Authorized Expert for the Construction Field

MUDr. Jiří Pekárek, President of the Czech Dental Chamber

Front left: Jan Budín, Professor, Deyl´s Academy, Ing. Tomáš Jadrníček, Project Engineer and JUDr. Jaroslav Šátral, Judge of the Municipal Court in Prague

From left: Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Head of the Institute of Pathology and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

Ing. Tomáš Jadrníček, Project Engineer

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Ing. Ladislav Bouček, CSc., Enterpreneur, former Governor, LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, JUDr. PhDr. Oldřich Choděra, Lawyer, Charter President and Secretary of LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador and JUDr. Vojtěch Trapl, Lawyer, former Governor, LCI Czech Republic and Slovak Republic

17.3.2010 18:29:34

The Moravian-Silesian Region IN THE YEAR 2010 Photo: Archive

We ask sked ed Jar Jar arossla l v Pa Pala laas, the the he Govverrno norr off the h M ra Mo r vi vian an-S - iles esia iann Re R gion giion on:: Heal He alth thca care r and schoo chhool oool sy s st stem em ms are arre agai aggai ainn th thee ma main inn p iori pr ioorir tit es e forr thi h s ye y arr.

Inn 200110 wee pla lann on f innis ishi hing hi ngg tthe h Intteg he egra raatteed Se Secu cu-cu rir ty CCen entr en tree inn Ost tr sttrava raava witth a to tota taal bu budg dget dg ett ccos ostt off CCZK os Z ZK 6880 mi m lllio ion. n. T he Cenntr tree in inte tegr te g at gr a es e rec ecei eeiivi ving ng aalllll eme merrgeenc ncyy caallls frf om the h RReg he egio eg i na io n l te terr rrititi or oryy an a d se serv rvves e as thhe si the s ng ngle le ope p ration on cenntrtree foor al alll el e em emen ents en t s of th ts thee in inte teeg at gr ated e res ed escue system m. Fu F rt r heerm mor ore, e we pl e, plan an oonn re reco conco n nsttruucttingg thee un unused pre remi mise sess off the h lan a gu guag agee sccho ag hool o ol inn Ost stra raava va esp esp s ec ecia i llly fo ia forr th t e ne need edss of tthe ed hee Offic fff ic i e of of thee Regi Re gion gi onnal a Coouunccili of th thee Moraavi vian a -S an -Siles S eessiaan Co Cohesi Cohe heesi s onn Reggi Re gionn. Thhe am gion amou ountt ooff in ou ount inveest sm meent is i appprrox oxim im mat atel elyy CZ el C K 1 0 mi 10 millllllio ion. io n Mor n. o e thhann CCZK ZK 50 mi millllio i n wi w lll be us u ed e for o thee re th reco c ns nstrtruc trtrucctit onn of th t e “HH” pa p vilion o (ha haaem e od odia dia ialysis)) i the in he Silles e iaan Ho Hosppitt al a iin Opav Op va; anoth Op ther er CZK ZK 30 mi m l-lliion forr thhee reconst lion s ruuct st ction of the rehabilitatioon de d paarttment inn Tř me Třin inec in ec Hos ec o pitaal; and app pproxi pp xima xi maate tely ly CZK 5500 milillion o for on o the rec re onnst stru ruct ru ctio ct ion and mode io dern r issation of the cate ca teririring te ng ffac a ililiti y inn tthe ac h Hos he ospi p tall an a d cl clinnic inn Havířov.

Some So me oth me therr imp mpor orta tant nt investm t ents will be started thiss yea th ear. I can mention the Leoš Janáček Airport in O Ostrava where the airplane clearance area will be exxpand nded edd witi h a bu budg dget dg eted et ed ccos ostt of os of aabo b utt CCZK bo ZK 100 milKozlovice Mill

Brno_Ostrava.indd 96

liion o . W Wee aals l o wa ls w ntt to co c mp mple ple lete te tthe he reeccon onst stru st ruuct c io ionn ooff thee old l bui u ldin lddin ingg off the h int nter erna er nall me na m dici c nee deeppar a tt meent of th m thee H Hoosp spititital al andd cliinic nic inn Nov ni ovýý JiJ čín fo forr almo moosstt CZKK 18 CZ 1 0 mi m lllioon,, andd we ar a e go goin inng to t staartt rec e on onsstruc tr ucc titing ngg the h psy s ch c iaatrricc pavvililio ioon in T řiřine necc Hoosp ne spititital a for al more mo ree tha hann CZ CZKK 600 mililliliion o . Ho Howe weeve verr I caann n ot o for orget ge t ge thhe in i vest veest s me ment ntt priror oritt y off oour ur Reg egio ionn, whi hich ich is buuillding diing n thhe ne the n w Mo M rraavi viann-S -Silieessia iann sc scie ient ie ntififf ic nt i libbra rary a y.

Favoour Fa urab a lee ccha ab haang n ess are ahe head ad of us ad u iinn th t e spphere of tra r ns n poort rt. Of thee major or con onst stru ruuct ctio ioons in th t e Re Regi gion gi onn’s ’ terrrrrittorr y, te y, we ex e pe p ctt to st star a t th ar thee co cons nstrtrtruc uctiton o iinc n luded nc in the Rev e itital a isat a ioon of at o tthe hee are r a inn front roont n of thhe raiilwa waay stat st attio ionn inn Osttraava va-S -SSvi v noov, Stage t agee II,I, and tthe ta h roa o d III /4 /479 7 – Čessko 79 k br brat atrs rsská ká sstrtrt eeet,t Con onst sttrruuct c ioon III, wheere r thhe Mo M ra r vi vian ann-S an-S -Silililes essia iann Re R gi gion onn coo oope p raate tes with the h cityy he ooff Ost strraava ava va. Al A moost st CZK 200 00 m million on are reserve v d for thhe said saaidd con onst sttru stru ruct ctioons n iinn th thee Re Regi gion gi on’s on ’ bud u ge g t for thee yeear a 201 010.

10.

0 Reestor sttor orat a ioon ooff roa at oads ds aand nd briridg dges dg es dam es amag aged ag e by thee ed flfloo ooods wililll coont ntin innue in 20 2010 100, be 10, bein inng inn the RReg eggion’ ioon’ n s co commpeete tenc ncie nc iess in the ie thee sph sphheerre of of tra rans n po ns port rt.. Wee als rt lso ex expe pect pe cctt to star st artt so ar s mee ssel ellec elec e te tedd co cons nstrtrtruc ns truc uctitition o s co on c -ff in i anced from EU f nds, fu ndds, s, for exaamp mple lee, thhe reco le, constrtuction of the II/4 / 64 Stud St u én ud énka ka–M ka –Moš –M ošno oš šnoov ro road ad. Co ad. ad Cons n trrucctiton off Ka Karlrova ovva St S udánk dá nkaa – cl nk clea earw ea rw way Noo.. II/ I/44 4455 wi 44 w ll be co comp m leetteedd.. W mp Wee exxpe pect c com ct ompl plet etio et ionn of io o the II/5 //556 Místecckáá highw igghway ay accce c ss s roa oadd an andd to putt thee ssec econ ec ond lane of th thee D1 D hig ighhwayy inn the Běl wa ě ot otín ínn–HHlaadk dkéé ŽŽiivo votitice cee secction int ntto opper nto eraatition onn, wh whic ichh iss in ic in th thee coomp mpet eten et encci en cies es of th thee Rooadss an andd HHiigh igh ghwa ways wa ys D Dirirec ecto ec tora to r te ra te.. Thhe D1 D hig hig ighw hway hw ay sec sec ectition tiion o ffro rom m Bohumín to the Poland bo bordder is un u de der co cons nstrtruc uctition. Inn regards to express ways and 1stt cl clas a s ro roadds, s the h fol ollooww ing are under construction: the R48 Rychhaltitce c –Frý rýde d kMístek, seections of the I/11 road, Hrádek – cl c earway and Mokré Lazce–Opava district borders, Ostrava. The Příbor bypass is to be built on the road I/58. In the railw y infrastructure, construction works continue in the wa

IIIIII ra raillwaay corr coorrr id i or iinn th thee seect ctio ioon frfrom om Čeesskýý Těš ěšín ín via Byysttřiřice cee nad Olš lšíí to t the ssta tate ta tee bor orde derr wi de with th Slo l vaaki k a.

A I hav As avee al alre read re addy me ment nttio i ne n d, d, hea e ltthccar aree an andd sc scho hoool syyst s em ms ar aree th thee pr p io i riity t . We wan antt to pput utt pre ress sssuurre onn heeal a thh iins n ur ns u an a cee coom mpaani nies ess ttoo ma maxi x miisee tthe xi heiriri payyhe ment me n s and nt annd too imp mple leme le eme menntt aus ment uste teririrty mea te easu sure su rees soo tha hatt we w willlll bee aabble to ma wi main inta in ntaain tthe h exi he x sttinng sccop o e, qqua uaalility tyy and avai av a laabi ai b lilityy of heal heal he alth thca th caare care r foorr ouurr ccititizizzen e s. s T he aaus usteeririty tyy meas me asur u es ur e in th t e Reegi gion o ’s on ’ med edic iccal a facillittie iess wi w ll iinc n lu nc l dee thee sy syst stem em of shhaarred con ontrtrac act ac ctingg thr h ouugh eleect c ronicc anno nounnce ceme m nt of pu me p bl b ic tende ders rs.

Thee hi Th high ghher e vvol o ume of invves e tm mentss in thhe Reegi gion’s meedi dica call fa facililititities, whichh will staart in th t e co comi miing yearr and wh whicch have v alrrea e dy d been ap appr p ovved as a pa p rt of thee Re R gion on’s budget, can be su s relyy vieewe wedd poosi s tiive v ly.

We also ex expe p ct a higgher voolu lume m of mo moneey to be wi with thth d awn from dr om the Europeaan Un Unioon fu fund ndds in 201 nds 0 0.

0 For exam ex mpl p e, e the h tecchn hniical equ q ip qu i m meent for hospitals and a new w vehiiclle flflee eeet fo f r the medical emergency service shou sh ould uldd be b purchased or reinstated from the Regional Operation Programme funds. Equipping the hospitaal in Nový Jičín should be completed from the integratedd opperation pr p oggramme in relation with itss activittie ies unde un deer th t e co comp mple mp lex on lex le onco collo co logy ccen logy enttrtre en t r e.

Inn 2201 0100, 01 0, tthe he RReg egio eg ion’ io n’ss sc n’ scho choool o sys y te t m wi willll,, de desp s ititee th sp thee exis ex istiting ngg ccrisis,, conntinue supporting sppecialisedd educatition on w wititth particcular focus on the technica cal indust sttries. We expe ex pect ct another more significant decreaase se in thee number of sstu tudeentt s inn the 15 years age grouup, p, and the h refore a decr decrea ease s in th se t e nu numb m err ooff st mb stud udden ents t s enr ts n ol olle leed to seecond co ndar a y sc scho hool ols. In 2010 we anticipa pate imp m leeme m ntt aa titon off maany pro roje jects financed by EUU opera r tingg prora gramme m s to t bring investmen e t andd noonn inveest s ment nt funds to the school system m in thee amou o nt off hu ou h ndre ree reds of million Czech crowns.

By Jar aarros o lav Pa Palas I Presidentt of o the Moraviann-Silesian nann Regionn Photos: Štefan Špic

17.3.2010 19:27:32

Moravskoslezský kraj v roce 2010 Zeptali jsme se hejtmana Moravskoslezského kraje Jaroslava Palase.

Hlavními prioritami i pro tento rok jsou především zdravotnictví a školství.

V roce 2010 plánujeme dokončit Integrované bezpeečn č ostní centrum v Ostravě o celkových rozpočtových nákl ná klad kl a ec ad ech 68 ech 680 80 mi m l. Kč. č. Centrum integruje příjem všech tít sň sňov o ýc ov ýchh voolá lání ání n z úze zemí m kra mí kra raje j a vytváří jedno operační je sttředisk stře skoo pr proo vššechn hnyy slož složky sl kyy int nteg eggroova v ného záchranného né ho ssys ysté ys t muu. Dá té D le l rek ekonst s ru st rukc k e bu kc b do dovy vy nevv yuužižtýých prros o toor ja j zy z kové koovéé ško k lyy v O Ost stra raavěě pře ř ddeevšším m pro pro r pottře řeby b by Úřad Úř a u Reegi ad gion oonnál ální ní rad adyy regi gion onnu sooud u ržžnoost s i Mo Mora ravs ra vsko vs kooslez sl ezsk ez sko. sk o. Objjem e invves estititice cee cca c 100 000 milil.. Kčč, re r koonnsstrtruk ukce uk ce p vi pa vilo lonu lo nu H – hhem e ooddiaalý em lýza ý za ve Sl Slez ezsk ez skké ne ské nemo m cn mo c ic icii v Op Opaaa-v za ví vě více ce nežž 50 mi mil.l. Kč, rek ekonnst stru ruukc rukc kce ce reha reeha habi bililita t ce ta c v Neemo mocn c ic cn icii Třin i ec za ccca 300 mill. Kč a ttak akéé re ak r ko k nstrukc stru st ruukkcce ce a mo mode ddeeern rnnizzacce st stra ravo ra vovaací cího íhoo pro rovo v zu vo z v Nemoc em moc o nniici ci s pol olik ikklilini niiko kouu v Ha H ví vířo řově věě zzaa zh z ruuba 50 mi m l.. Kč N kt Ně k er e é význ v ý zn vý znam a né invves esttitičn čníí ak akce cee bbud u ou ud ou let etos zaháje há jeny je eny n . Moohu zmínit Le Letištěě Le Leoš ošee Ja Janá nááčk čkaa v Osstrtrav a ě, av k e do kd d jdde k ro rozš ozššíření od odba bavo ba avo v va vacíí plooch chy proo le letaadl da o ro rozp zpoč zp očto oč tový to vých vý ch nnák ákla ák laade lade dech ch ccca ca 1000 m ca mill. Kč K . Ch Chce c me m komp ko mple mp lexn le xníí re xn reko kons ko nstrtrtruk ns u ci ssta uk taré ta réé bud udov ovyy in ov inte teern r y Neemo m cnice ni c s pol p lik iklililini niiko kouu v No Nové vém vé m JiJičí č ně za čí za té témě m ř 1880 mi mě mil.l.l. KKč, č, č, z čnnem za eme s re r ko kons nstruk ns ukcí uk cí ppav avilillon av onuu ps psyc ychi yc hiat hi atriririee v Neemo at moccnici ni c Třine necc za víc ne íce neež 600 milil. Kč Kč. Ne Nemo mohu mo hu vša šakk za zapo po-po meno nou na inv no nvestičn čnní prioririritu tu kraje je a touu je No Novo vost vo stavvba st Mora Mo ravs ra vssko kosl slez lez ezsk z sk skéé věde věěde deck cké kn ck cké knihov knih ihov ih ovny ny. ny V obl obblast lastii do dopr p avv y ná náss ta také ké čekaj k jí přříjemné íj é změ měny mě ny. ny.

Z velkých staveb naa území kraje se předpokládá zahájení staveb Revitaliizace pře řeed nádražního prostoruu ná-draží v Ostravě-Svinnov, II. et ap a a a komunikace II/4779 – ulice Českobratrskáá, III. st staav av kde MSK spolupraacujee avba, see staatu t tá tárn rním měsste rn rním tem Os Ostrtrtrav avaa.. V roz av o poočt čtuu kr kraj ajje naa rokk 20010 1 jee pr p o ty tyto t sta to tavbby vy v čl člen e ěn en ěnoo téémě měřř 200 2000 mil. mil.l. Kč. mi V pů působn bnostiti kraje bn je budde v ob o laast stii do dopr prav pr avv y v ro roce ce 2010 pok 20 o račo čova čo v t ob obno n vaa ppovod odní od n poš oškoze zený ze nýých kkom omuom unika kací a mos ka o tů, dá dále see př p edpo pokl po k ádáá za zaháájeení n vyb ybra yb raný ra ných ých stavveb spooluufinanc nccov o anýc ýchh z prros ýc ostředků kůů EU, U, nappř.ř. reekonstrruk u ce silililni n ce II//46 464 Stud udén ud é ka–M –Moš –M o nov. v Uko konč nčen enaa bude sta tavba Kaarlrlova Stud ta udánka – pprůtah si ud siln lnice č. II/ ln I 44 4 5.

Beskydy, cyclists

V pů půso soobn b os o ti Řed editititel elst el stt ví v sililni nicc a dááln ni lnicc oče čeká kává ká vááme d ko do k nč nčen eníí ddááln en lnič iční ič n ho ní ho přiřiva vvaadě děče če I/5 /566 Mí M st s ecká ecká a zzpr ec p oo-pr vooznněn ěníí dr druh uhhéh é o pr p uhhu dá d lnnic icee D11 v úseeku BBěl ělot ěl otín ot ín–– ín Hlad Hl adké ké Živvottic i e, e ve výýstt av avbě běě jjee ússek D D11 z Bo Bohu humí hu m naa mí k hr h an anic icci s Po Polsske kem. m. Na rych c lo lost s ní st n chh koom munnik ikac kaaccícch a si sil-lniicí c ch I. třtříříd ídy je vee vý výst stt av a bě bě R48 Ryc ycha haltltltic ha ice– ic e Frr ýd e– ýdek ekek M sttek Mí ek,, na n sillni nici II/1 //111 ús úsek e y Hr ek Hrád ádek ád ek – prů r ta tahh a Mo Mokr ké kr Laazc Lazc zcee – hr h an a iicce okre okkre resu O Opa p va, pa vaa, Os Ostrtrravva. a. Na siiln lnic icii I//58 ic 58 obbch c vaat Př Příb íborra. V žel elez ezni ez ničn ni č í innfras čn frras a trtruk ukk tu uktu t ře ppok okkra okra raču čujíjí ču stav st avveb ebníí prááce ební c naa III. IIII.I žel elez eznni ez ničn čním čním ím korrid idor oruu v ús or úsek ekuu od ek ČČeeskkéh Česk ého Tě Těší š naa pře ř s By B st střiřiřicci ci nadd O Olš lšíí ke lš ke stá t átn t í hr h annicci se Slovens nsske kem. m m.

Jak jsem m jižž zmí m ni nill prrio ioririito touu je j zdr drav avotni av n ctt ví a ško ni k ls lstv lstv t í.

Chceme v yv y íjí et ttla laak na n zzdr d av dr avot o ní pojišťo ť vn ťo v y na na max axi-i-i malizaci pla late teeb a reeal teb aliziizzov o at úsporná n opaatřřenní,í t ak ná a aaby bby chom bylii sc scho h pn ho pnii za zach chov ch ovat ov at sstá at t ávaajíjící tá táva ící roz ozsa saah, h kva v litu va t tu a doossttuuppno nost zdr drav avot avot av o ní péč éče pr p o obča obbča čany čany ny. V rá ny. r mcci úspo ús sppoorn rnýc nýc ýchh oppat atře řeeníí bud udee v kr kraj ajsk aj skk ýc ýchh zd z raavo votn tnic tn ický ic kých ký ýchh zaříříříze za zení ze ních nap ních ní apříříkl k ad kl ad sspu pušt pu štěn št ěn syt y ém sspo pole po lečn le čnýc čn ýchh ýc náku ná kupů ku pů ppro rost sttře ředn dnnicctv tvím ím eele lekt le k tro kt roni ro n ck ni c éh éhoo za zadá dává dá váání n vveř eřřej ej-ných ný ch zak akáz ázzekk. ázek J ko Ja k poz o ittiv ivní n lzee zce ní c laa jistě isstěě vvní n mat ní mat vy ma v ššší ob obje jem em innvestič iční ních c akcí v kr ch k aj ajskýc skk ýc ých zd ých z ra ravo votn tnniiccký kých c zařřízízen ch eníc ích, h, kter kt eréé v př er p íštím roce zap apoč oččno nouu a kt kter ter eré jijižž by eré byly lyy sch sch chvá vále vá leny le ny ny

v rá rámc mcii kr mc kraj a sk ského rozppoč očtu tu.. Současně něě se ttaaké ké v roc ocee 2200010 10 oče č kkáává v yš yšší š míríraa če ší čerp rppán rpán ání ní fin fif ina nančční nanč n ch c ppro rroost osttře ředkků z fo f nddů Ev Evro roops p ké k uni nie. e. Tak nnap apříříříkl ap klad ad z Reggio ioná náln ná áln lníh íhoo íh opperač erraačční čn hoo proogr gram am mu byy měl ě a býý t po poříříze z na ze n ččii ob obno nnoove vena n na přís př přís í trtroj ojjoovvá teech chni n ka ni k ppro r nem ro emooc ocniice a nnov ovv ý vo vozo zový zo v par vý arkk p o zd pr zdra draavootnic tnnic icko kouu zá ko zách c ra ch rann nnnou o služb luužb ž u. u. Z iint ntteg egro rova ro vané va ného né hhoo o er op erač ační ač ního pro ní rogr g am gr a u bbyy mělla bý b t zd zdra ravo ra v tnic vo tnnic icko k u te t ch ch-n ko ni kouu do dovy vyba bave veena na Nem emoc occnniice v Nov ovéém ém JJič iččín íně v so s uv u is is-lost lo sti see ssvo sti st v u čiinn vo nnos ostítít v rám os ámci cii kom mpllex e níího h onk nkol o oggiicckého ké hoo cen entrtrra. a.

V ro roce ce 20110 buude kra rajs j ké šško js kols lsství t ví i př přes řes e trvvajjící ící kr íc krizi izzi pokr po k ač kr ačov ovat ov a v pod at poddpo poře roz poře ozvo v jjee odbborrné vo n ho v zdděl ěláv ávání se áván zaaměěře ření ním ní m na na ttec echn ec hnic hn iccké oobo bory bo ry,, oč ry oček ekkáv á á see dal a ší š v raazn vý zněj ější ěj šíí pok o le l s po p čt čtuu žá ž ků vvěk ěkov ěk ovvé sk skup uppin upin inyy 155 let e, a te tedy dy i pok o lees žá žáků ků přiř jíj ma ků maný nýýchh na stře sttředn řeedn dní škol škkol o y. V roc o e 2010 20 100 poččítítám áám me s re r al a izac izzaaccí řa řady dy pro roje jekt je ktůů fifina kt nanc na ncov nc o an ov anýc ýcch z opperačční n ch c proogr gram amůů EUU, kt am k ter eréé př er přin ines in esoouu invveessttiičn esou es č í i ne nein innveestič inve stt ční pro rost stře st řeedkk y doo ško kols lsstvví v řáde řáádeech c sto tove v k milililión mi ónůů ko ón koru r n. ru n.

JJaaro rosl slav sl av Palas a la s I al heejt jtma maan Mo m Mora raavssko kosl sllez slez e skkéh éhoo kr k aj ajee Supp Su upp ppor orte ters r s aandd Gener er al eral er al Par Par a tn tner er s er of Mor or av orav avia via iannn-Si n-Si Sille lesi siian ann Reggio i n:: Wooden church in Bílá

Brno_Ostrava.indd 97

17.3.2010 19:27:57

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THE CZECHS RECEIVE THE GREATEST EU SUBSIDY IN 2009

EU PARLIAMENT APPROVES NEW COMMISSION BY BIG MAJORITY

THE LAST OBSTACLE TO THE BALTIC NORD STREAM FALLS

In 2009, the Czech Republicc received back a total of 78 billion Czech crowns in EU funds,, which was 42.3 billion more mo than the country’s regular annual payments ents in support of the EU (CZK 35.8 billion). So far, this is the gre greatest “net surplus” the Czechs have ever received. The information rm was reported by the Czech Ministryy of Finance. This sudden increase in the amount of funding received was primarily the result of the Czech’s more intensive utilization of EU funds, while their contributions to the EU’s budget saw only a minimal increase. Most of the funds received for Czech projects came from EU Cohesion Funds and from EU Structural Funds (CZK 51.9 billion). Czech farmers received CZK 23.2 billionn from EU agricultural agricultu support programs and another 9.7 billion was allocated from fro these programs for rural development projects. ojects. Aside ffrom the above monies, farmers also receivedd direct payments paym totaling 13.5 billion crowns. Over the he years, the Czech Czec Ministry of Finance has reported that hat the country’s “net income” inco from the EU budget has “totaled (the sum m of) CZK 97.5 billion”. b This is because, frfrom om tthe he beg begin inni ning ng ooff itss me memb m mber ersh ship ip in in th thee EU EU, th thee Cz Czec echs hs hhav avee contributed CZK 182.5 82. billion to the joint EU budget while receiving back a total ta CZK 280.0 billion from the EU. The surplus of income over contributions with respect to the EU budget started to become increasingly favorable to the Czechs in 2007 when the new framework EU budget for the 2007–2013 period came into force. Until last year, there was a significant sign gap between the money pledged to the country and an the money actually received. However, according ording to data supplied by the Ministry for Regional Development, opment, the Cz Czech Republic has received a total of CZK 70.3 billion from the EU since 2007.

The vast majority of these hese funds – CZK 68.5 billion billio – came into the country’s accounts last yeaar.

The new European Commission, which is headed by José Manuel Barroso, received the support of an overwhelming majority of the European Parliament. 488 of the Parliament’s members voted in favor with only 137 against and 72 abstaining. In the debates leading up to the vote, the prime target for criticism was the EU’s new dipplomatic chief, Catherine Ashton, and her performance, which many of the Parliament’s members looked upon as unsatisfactory. The new Commission also received the support of the three most powerful factions in Parliament – the European People’s Party, the liberals and the socialists. Those who voted against the new Commission also included, in addition to the extremes on the right and left, the pro-European Greens. The Euro-skeptic conservatives abstained during the voting. The vote produced some paradoxical results among the Czech communists. This was because, despite warnings from the leadership of this faction that Barroso’s team represented just “neo-liberal policies”, two of the Czech communists still ended up voting for Barroso’s Comm Co mmis issi sion on. Št Štef efan an Fül Fülee, a for forme merr me memb mber er of of th thee Cz Czec echh communist party is also part of the new EU Commission. Just two days after its election, the stream of support for Barroso however split over the issue of the agreement to provide European banking data to the US. This agreement had been negotiated by the EU and was being supported by the member states. Notwithstanding, the socialists, along with the liberals, part of the People’s Party and the Greens ended up rejecting the agreement.

This gas pipeline, which is to run under the Baltic Sea, has finally received a building permit from authorities in Southern Finland. This has eliminated the last political obstacle standing in the way of the new 1,223 kilometer pipeline on which construction is expected to start this April. “Our project has become possible thanks to a wide rangi g ngg collaboration that has involved many European countries. It will make a major contribution to Europe’s energy security,” said Matthias Warnig, the head of the consortium that will be building the pipeline. ne.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has, on the otherr hand, hand ha n , referred to the project as a demonstration of a “lack of energy solidarity” within the EU. By the end of next year, the first gas should start to flow through the pipeline and the second parallel line should be completed by 2012. Once fully completed, the pipeline will be able to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Besides Germany, the pipeline will supply gas to Holland, Denmark, Belgium, France and Great Britain. The construction of the pipeline will be a technically chal ch alle leng ngin ingg pr proj ojec ectt – no nott ju just stt because bec becau ause se the t he pi pip pipel elin inee wi willll be be running along the bottom of the sea, but also because unexploded World War II ammunition munition and mines m will have to be removed from the seabed..

Contributions and Payments In 2009, the Czech Republic’s ic net income or surplus received from EU funds was double the amount received in 2008 andd nearly triple the amount received in 2007. This “net incom ncome” consisted not just of cash payments, which were mostly made to farmers, but also funding for all types of projects where the funding was only pledged by the EU. But it makes no sense to cheer about these surpluses unless the “pledged” money actually gets deposited into Czech accounts; and, this is something which, for a long time, has been a problem – according to the information maintained by the Ministry for Regional Development. It wasn’t until last year that the EU, according to the Ministry, paid out CZK 68.5 billion that was duee fo du forr re real aliz ized ed pro proje ject cts. s. In In th thee tw twoo ye year arss pr prio iorr to tha that,t, the the EU EU had paid out less than CZK 2 billion for projects that were already underway. It is however unclear from the Ministry’s information, whether these delays were due to the fact that the projects hadn’t been fully completed (the EU only pays after the project has been completed) or whether problems on the Czech side also played a part.

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EU_matters.indd 98

A New Order?

With only one exception (the 1999–2004 04 term), the European Parliament Europe arliam has, for the past thirty years, ars, been under the he control of a coalition made up of the European ropean People’s Peopl Partyy and an the he soci cial alis istts. Ho However, tthe he recent ecent approv approval off th the new Comm mmission has demonstrated ed that the liberals ar are now playin ying a far more important role – evenn though they did poorly in last st year’s EU elections. This has too do with the fact that hat the socialists socia also failed to do well in last ast s year’s y elections aand their defeat resulted in a radicalization of o the party, which became evident in last year’s clashes over the re-election of Barroso. The rise of the liberals does however not mean that the People’s Party, which is currently the most powerful faction in the Parliament, will now be able to freely maneuver between the pro-European factions of the Parliament. This is because they also could end up being pushed out as was shown in the recent vote on the new EU-USA agreement. It seems as though thee fu th futu ture re ooff th thee Eu Euro rope pean an PPar arliliam amen entt wi willll nnow ow bbee de deci cide dedd by conflict-ridden collaboration instead of a solid coalition.

Collaborative Success The new pipeline line project, most of which will be owned by Russia’s Gazprom, has been en the ssubject of dispute throughout its existence. This should however how change nothing about the fact that the final decision on to go ahead with the project is a successful example of European collaboration. All one has to do is to look at the list of the project’s future customers in order to see that the Russians have been able to successfully involve in this project all major countries located in the area to be servedd by tthe he pip ipel elin ine. The Theirir opponentts – tthe he PPol oles and nd the Baltic States – have never been able to achieve anything like this, even though they are members of the EU, which is the destination for the gas.

europlatform

Amsterdam Athinai Berlin Bratislava Bruxelles Bucureşti Budapest Dublin Helsingfors Kobenhavn Lefkosia Lisboa Ljubljana London Luxembourg Madrid Paris Praha Rïga Roma Sofia Stockholm Tallinn Valletta Vilnius Warszawa Wien

19.3.2010 15:55:08

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…banks share the risk in leading?

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Bank Austria shared the risk in lending to small and medium businesses. This activity was carried out under the project to assist this sector of the Austrian economy. Both institutes have signed an agreement in Vienna called RSA (Risk Sharingg Agr g eement).) The EIB will provide 75 million euros while Bank Austria will add the same amount. If thee client c en fails in the payment of the loan, the banks will each pay 50 % of the remaining amount from their heir reserves. reserves …the Czech Republic obtains a total of 71.8 billion crowns from the EU? Last year, the Czech Republic ic managed man obtaining 78.1 billion crowns from the European Euro Union, while it contributed by 35.8 billion on crowns to the EU budgget. The difference of 42.3 billion crowns is the best result since the accession to the EU. The situation has improved thanks to the increasing utilization of EU funds. Since joining the EU the Czech Republic managed receiving 280 billion crowns and putting 1182.5 82.5 billion crowns c into the EU budget. …BUSINESSEUROPE proposed solutions for the crisis?

The European uropean Confederatio Confederation of Industry Unions BUSINESSEUROPE PE proposed a number of solutions to the the cri crisi siss, inc incl cludi l ding ing the the pro promo motition on of of th thee ec econ onoomic growth in Europe.

Eu This program, called Go for Grow proposes an agenda to the European Union for the period from 2010 to 2014. The precondition of the assigned targets is an incitement to taking appropriate business risks,, ensuring transparency tran of market prices, the protection ection and ddevelopment of intellectual property rights hts and the eradication of failures competition.. BUSINESSEURO BUSINESSEUROPE states that achieving Europe’s e’s economic growth w will be particularly important for the crea creation of new jobs and thee re th redu duct ctio ionn of tthe he ppub ublilic dde debt bt bbyy 45 4500 bi billllio ionn eu euro ross by 2014. …the European Association of Chambers of Commerce has made progress in trade negotiations?

The European Association of Chambers of Commerce (EUROCHAMBRES) is focusing again on issues of development and facilitation of the world trade for European entrepreneurs. The current round of trade negotiations began in 2001. It was broken in 2008 due to disagreements on agricultural import rules. The aim of the current talks in Doha, Qatar is to reduce trade barriers and increase global trade. Trade facilitation and faster custom clearances can reduce the costs for small and medium-sized enterprises. These discussions about the state of the economy will relate to labour market reforms due to the flexibility and productivity improvements that are needed to restore the growth and increase private investments in research.

…the number of corporate bankruptcies grew by 42% Thee CCzech Credit Bureau released statistics of the co corporate bankruptcies, which grew by 42 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. While 1480 bankruptcies were declared, 86 percent of them were made byy leggal persons and 14 pe p rcent byy entrepreneurs. In 2009, 133 bankruptcies were reported every month. The average of the growth insolvency proposals was increased by 65 percents, this makes 4754 insolvency proposals overall and 400 insolvency proposals per month in 2009 compared to 240 proposals in 2008. …drop in sales in the Eurozone by 1.6% According to Eurostat, the drop in sales in the Eurozone failed to stop in December 2009. Sales in the Eurozone fell byy 1.6 pe p rcent comppared to the same period in 2008 and to the 0.5 percent in the European Union. The highest monthly sales growth was recorded in Austria and in France. On the contrary, Romania and Malta set on the lowest ranks of the table. …the industrial production increased by 2.1% The industrial production increased by 2.1 percent in December 2009. Such improvement in the Czech Republic is caused by the recovery of the demand in the Eurozone. Growth can be expected in the mont mo nths hs ttoo co come me. Th Thee vo volu lume me ooff ne new w or orde ders rs iinc ncre reas ased ed by 12.5 percent, while export orders increased by 16.9 percent. A gradual improvement of the situation in other sectors provides a moderate industry growth this year. …the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose to 92 points In December 2009, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose to 92 points for the th EU (improvement by 4.1 points) and 91.3 points oints for f the the h Euro zone (improved (im by 2.5 points). It is alread already thee ninth cconsecutive month during ring which this t indicator or has been increasing. g. The increment was wa recorded ed in most of the large ge EU countries, especially in Gre Great Britain and France.

EU IN THE WORLD …the deficit of the Member states is reduced According to Eurostat, the current account deficit of the EU Member States was 27.7 billion Euros in the third quarter of 2009. It is considerably less in comparison with the third quarter of 2008 and with the second quarter of 2009. The results also show that during the third quarter of 2009, the EU had a positive trade balance with the USA, Switzerland, Canada, Hong Kong, and India. A negative trade balance has been reported with China, Russia, and Japan. Investments in the EU from abroad climbed up to 26.9 billion Euros for this period. …new branches for helping small businesses

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The European Union executives would like to build a series of new branches around the world so as to help small businesses in expanding to new markets. The European Union wants to release millions of Euros for the helping centers. In 2008, business and technological centers were opened in India with a total budget of 14.5 million Euros.

Another centre was agreed during the EU-China summit with a budget of 5 million. Other centers will be built in Moscow and Bangkok. In 2010 a centre will be opened in Thailand with a total budget of 2.2 millions Euros. …Serbia asked to be received into the EU Serbian President Boris Tadić asked the Swedish Presidency for his country’s acceptance into the European Union. The application was given by the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

The Serbian president acknowledged that most of the Member States Belgrade was dealing with, supported a future adhesion. Serbia must overcome many obstacles before the adoption; yet Serbian leaders believe that the country could o ld become a new EU member in 2014. ...the extension of EU imports duties The ministers of the Member States of the European Union endorsed a European Commission proposal to extend the existing EU import duties on certain types of footwear manufactured in China and Vietnam. Reppresentatives of the Europe p an Association of footwear ar design are concerned.

According to them, the proposal is ccontrary to the Commission’s statements ent n s on the t h fight against protectionism. The he Associationn w warned that protectionist measures easures go against the th successful European companies es and a especially against consumers. …the EU–Korea Free Trade Agreement The EU is meliorating its relationship with South Korea looks to boost further the vibrant economic ties. The EU and South Korea are currently engaged in two complementary l negotiiation i processes: a Free Trade Agreement and an upgrade of the existing Framework Agreement. Over the next weeks there will be a preparation for a Council Decision that will allow a formal signing of the Agreement with Korea.

It should be translated into all EU languages.

I

BusinessNews brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU (kindly supported by CzechTrade), www.cebre.cz

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An interview with Libor Rouček, Vice President of the European Europeean Parliament Pa

THE EU, THE BEST WAY TO GUARANTEE FREEDOM AND SECURITY

IN THE WHOLE EUROPEAN REGION Libor Rouček was born in Kladno (CZ) in 1954. He emigrated to Austria where he studied political science and sociology at the Vienna University and completed his PhD in international relations in 1984. He studied and lectured at universities and institutes in Australia, the USA and the UK. He was the spokesman of the Czech government in 1998–2002. Involved in the social democratic movement since 1980s, Mr Rouček served as Chairman C of the ČSSD International Affairs Committee (2003–2009), member of the Czech parliament and Vice-Chairman irman of European Integration Committee and International Affairs Committee (2004–2004). He was elected Member of the he Europea Euro ean Parliament in 2004 and worked as Vice-Chairman of the International Affairs Committee (2004–2009). During ring his second term, term Mr Rouček becomes Vice-President of the European Parliament (since 2009).

Dear Mr. Rouček, you are one of the few very experienced Czech MEPs, who already undertook important positions in the previous term. How much did your day-to-day job change since you have been elected VicePresident?

It may sound surprising, but my responsibilities remain to a large extend the same as when I have been the Vice Chair of the AFET Committee because I am also responsible for the external relations in the Bureau of the European Parliament. I am looking after our neighbourhood,

mainly the East, Central Asia, Asia and Africa.

In other words I am continuing the work I have been doing in the AFET Committee with the new responsibility of coordinating the overall policy of the European Parliament.

As the Vice President of the European Parlia arliaPhoto: Archives of th Eu the E ropean Parliament

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ment, I am also talking directly to representatives of parliaments from the other countries.

When the President of the European Parliament is not available, it is me who receive the delegations, for instance the Chairman of the Japanese Parliament, the Chairman of the Russian Duma, etc. I am also responsible for negotiating on behalf of the European Parliament when it comes to foreign affairs policies.

The Czech S&D delegation is much stronger during this term. How did this fact affect the overall atmosphere within the Czech delegation?

As my home party, the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), is concerned, our representation in the European Parliament has rapidly increased after the June 2009 electio elections.

Currently we have 7 memberss compared to t the 2 in the previous term. That at means we can dedicate much more timee to the Committees.

Com In other words, theree are 22 Committees in the European Parliament and we ar are now able to divide our work among our MEP MEPs. In general, the representation nt of the Czech Republic slightly decreased from 24 to 22 members due to the changes brought by the Treaty of Nice. At the time being, we have a similar representation as Belgium, Hungary, Greece or Portugal.

Nonetheless this is formation is very weak as it has only 55 Members. bers. Therefore, Therefo ODS’ influence went rapidly down. wn. All the important negotiations with the European Commission C and the Council are done by the three strongest groups, the EPP, S&D and the Liberals. These major European groups ups determine the agenda. ECR members got sidelined. si The Lisbon Treaty increased the importance of national parliaments in the European legislative process. How do you assess this change? Can national politicians contribute to European legislation?

The cooperation between etween the EEuropean Parliament and national tional parliaments is i evolving.

The practice of joint committee ommittee meetings me has already become a custom. tom And it proves to be to a positive impact on both, bo national and European level.

I think it is a pity that the majority of polit politicians in the Czech parliament does not follow what is going on at the European level. It is not true at all that we can not influence the process.

We have the same opportunity as anybody else from the other Member States. But if we don’t open our minds and look outwards, it is difficult to realise this fact. Instead of taking part in the process, it is always easier to complain about how the big guys do the business.

I think all Czech political parties should pay more attention to the European legislation.

Almost 70% of the national legislation is adopted at the European level and then implemented into national legal orders. Very often, in these discussions, everybody talks about national

-

interests. But they are often unablee ttoo define ne what these interests actually are.

To be actively involved in the European legislative process, one needs to understand the EU. Do you see an added value in educating Czech politicians about the EU? And how is it possible to motivate them that it is worth to come to Brussels?

Raising awarene awareness about the EU has without any doubt a positive influence. Once a businessman sma or politician has seen Brussels, he or she bbecomes more interested. Nonetheless a higher amount of people should be motivated in learning more about the reality of the European integration.

The motivation to learn should come from within the Member States, from the people, businessmen, and the politicians themselves.

One cannot relay on the support coming from the EU funds or from anywhere outside. That is not sustainable.

Speaking of European money, what is your opinion on the use of European structural and cohesion funds?

I have seen a lot of European funds’ money spent on so called education of teachers, politicians, nongovernmental organisation, businesses, etc. But I see only a very limited impact of this money.

Look at the Greeks; they are very efficient in absorbing much higher amounts of European money. In 2008 they managed to invest 6.2 billion Euros. That is three times as much as in our case. Why? Because they have clear priorities: regional policy, agriculture policy and fisheries. And they try to include all of their power and know how on the European as well as the national level to make maximum benefit from it.

The Czech Republic is very different in this respect. We almost have the highest number of thematic and regional operation programmes.

Every ministry and every region wants to have a say and claims being competent forr proposing its own but always a slightly different nt priorities priorities.

Sometimes ometimes the operation programmes rammes are a evenn over overlapping.

Anoth ther threat is the wayy we manage human resources es. Every change of government, rnme from left eft to righ right, but also even withinn one o political stream, brings a change in the relevant l people.

The work they are doing is very demanding, technical and requires a lot of knowledge. It is not easy to learn, it takes years and years. Our Ministry for Regional Development is a very good example of it. As we know, Czech political parties have not been able to find a compromise on a Civil Servant Law that would prevent such manners. And I see it as one of our major political failures.

In your opinion, what are the main dossiers dealt with by the European Parliament that will have a major impact on the business environment in 2010?

In my opinion businesses and and especially business organisations should pay pa closer attention to the overall work of the European Commission and European Parliament and enhance their capacity to asses the impacts of legislativee acts and form a position. Sometimes businesses can not change the direction a political process is leading to: a good example would be REACH. In such case, they need to adapt to it and make the best use of it.

Last months have been very much influenced by the economic crisis, the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and the formation of the new Commission. Now everything seems to be more less in place and it is the right time to get going. On an everyday basis, businesses still feel the impacts of the economic crisis. Therefore the Commission needs to be proactive and propose strategic structural reforms that would help to re-boost the economic growth. The European impact is still limited, the majority of responsibility lies within the Member States.

The Commission can lead pan European projects, work on more effective and less bureaucratic regulations or on a better regulation of financial services, nonetheless the implementation has to be done on the national al level.

One of the dossiers with the impact on businesses is currently being discussed at the European Parliament. It is the review of the Late Payments Directive setting mechanisms to combat late payment in commercial transaction. The main question is whether the public administration should have the same conditions as the private sector as it manages public money. What do you think?

In my opinion thee public administration should act as a role ole model when it comes to its relations withh citizens and businesses. busines That also implies the case of late payments. The public authority is managing ng the public budgets and should therefore stand a up for all of its commercial obligations. In an ideal world, as well as in business-to-business transactions, all payments would be done on time. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Therefore an effective measure should be put in place. But in case of business-to-business transactions, regulating the contractual freedom of businesses is not necessarily an effective measure.

What is your last message to our readers?

In my opinion, the European integration is the best way to guarantee freedom and security in the whole European region. Therefore, small countries with a vibrant history as the Czech Republic should value that. We have our membership, our role to play in the Union and it is completely up to us what we make out of it.

By Michal Kadera I CEBRE

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EU matters Participants of the Services Directive Debate

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DEBATE

ON SERVICES DIRECTIVE

From left: Mrs. Kateřina Zlámalová, Attaché at the Czech Permanent Representation, Mrs. Jana Reinišová, Czech Deputy Permanent Representative and Michal Kadera, Director of CEBRE

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Some of the participants of the Services Directive Debate

17.3.2010 19:42:58

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Business May Be Your Life – But – Life Is Your Business Part III: Finding Your Passion And Purpose A,B

passion and purpose in life. Most of us unwittingly “know” what it is when we are quite young, but for many people the machinations and momentum of modern society are a distraction and they can push us on to another track – one that is often unsatisfying and unproductive. Is it any wonder that studies show only about 20 percent of employees are happy with their jobs1? And as for “successful” business people, less than 20 percent have truly successful marriages and close relationships2. It is my conviction and personal experience that if you earnestly follow your purpose and passion and build your life around them, you are much more capable of creating both a successful and a balanced life, and enriched relationships that flow from success based on this vital sense of balance. If you have lost sight of James A. Cusumano, PhD your passion and purpose, you can recapture it!

I have a friend who is a psychologist, a teacher, a best“Your Personal legend [purpose] is what you have selling author, and from time to time has been my personal always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are advisor. His name is Dr. Gay Hendricks and he has written young, knows what their Personal Legend is. As time passes, numerous books, some of which have appeared on the New a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be York Times Best-Seller list. Long ago, he gave me a single impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.” piece of paper on which were written four key questions.

Paulo Coelho – “The Alchemist” Contemplating those provocative questions helped me focus on and understand what capabilities are unique to me.

KEY CONCEPTS: Each of us has a special set of attributes; we know what they ■ You can find and pursue your true passion and purare when we are young; but as adults, we can lose touch pose in life. with them, and must dig deep to rediscover them.

■ The first step is an honest answer to each of four Years ago, I had asked similar questions of myself. At the provocative questions. time, I was unaware of the positive impact this would have ■ The second step is to develop an action plan that folon my life. Gay’s structure and wisdom helped me to see the lows from your answers, and courageously pursue it. power of his method and how it could help others. These four You are eminently capable of finding that special part key questions are easy to ask, but challenging to answer. of your body, mind and spirit that distinguishes you from However, in doing so, you can achieve significant insight all others in your professional and personal circles – that into your capabilities and match them with your desire for unique “something” which gives you sheer pleasure and has a positive lifelong journey. Gay discusses his approach in the potential to generate great value for both you and the his latest book, “Making The Big Leap3.” world. That “something” is nothing less than your true TTo achieve best results requires a concerted, consistent and focused effort, but the outcome is more than worthwhile. After all, it is yourr life! When contemplating these questions, you might sit comfortably in a quiet place, perhaps in the wilds of nature, at the seaside, or on a mountain – wherever you feel safe, quiet, meditative and inspired. If you are a daily practitioner of meditation, you will find the process to be significantly easier.

In asking these questions, you must be totally honest, and not provide answers that your parents, loved ones, a teacher or your boss might like to hear.

I once worked with a colleague, who is a brilliant and successful scientist. For years, conditioned and influenced by people around him, he thoughtt that he should be a manager. “I want to move Figure 1: The author as lead singer for the Royal Teens during younger and into management and administration. physically more “flexible” days!

I’ve done the science stuff. It’s time for

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me to move up in the world,” he would proclaim. When finally placed in that position, he became utterly distraught, and happily decided to return to the lab.

Answers to these four questions must come from deep within your soul. The answers should be the absolute truth and not – as was the case for my scientist friend – what you think they should be. Also, there is no room for modesty in this undertaking. Don’t worry about being egocentric; you are only speaking to yourself. And please, don’t concern yourself with making lots of money. It will just confuse the process.

Besides, there are literally hundreds of examples which show that financial success often follows from pursuing your passion and purpose in life. To begin the process, I urge you to think back to your youth as well as your current stage in life, and focus on those things that interest you above all others.

Think carefully and deeply. Don’t rush the process.

Your answers to the four questions I will pose below may not have anything to do with what you studied in school or Figure 2: Catalytica Energy Systems’ XONON Technology – The world’s first pollution-free, catalytic combustor for electric power generation.

XONON

what you do in your current job. They could reflect your special ability in athletics, music, photography, art, mechanics, or some other area. And remember, just because certain external influences drove you to become for example, a lawyer or a mechanic, does not mean that you must continue working as a lawyer or a mechanic for the rest of your life. Don’t get stuck!

As I am not a therapist with access to many case histories, I can only provide a single qualified example, and that is my own professional life. So I hope you will bear with me, if I share with you my actual responses to the four questions. To put my answers in perspective, you must first know a few things about my history.

EDITOR’S NOTE – A) This is Part III in a new series of articles based on the author’s experience as an entrepreneur, having founded several successful businesses, including Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a billion-dollar public company.

His experience base currently spans “5 lives” – A multimillion record sales recording artist; R&D Director for Exxon; CEO & founder of 2 public companies; CEO, founder and Executive Producer for Chateau Wally films; and Chairman & Owner of Chateau Mcely, an international award-winning luxury hotel & SPA. This article is extracted from his latest book, currently in preparation and entitled, “My Little Book of Business – Tales of Passion, Life & Enterprise.”

B) The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.Com.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

Figure 3: Movie poster for “What Matters Most,” award winner at numerous film festivals, released in over 45 countries.

To date, I have “lived” five professional lives. Early on, I was a recording artist and sang with a group called the Royal Teens that had several “gold” recordings, one of which sold over 2 million copies (see Figure 1). Subsequently, I was educated in chemistry and physics and then in business. After several years as Director of R&D for Exxon, I spent much of my professional career in Silicon Valley, founding and building companies based in environmentally-sustainable technologies (see Figure 2). Eventually, I returned to entertainment and founded a film company, which produced and distributed worldwide a feature film called “What Matters Most,” (www.ChateauWallyFilms.Biz) (see Figure 3). More recently, I have worked with my wife and business partner, Inez, who had purchased a dilapidated Czech castle the year before we met. Together, we renovated and restored it. Chateau Mcely, conveniently located just outside of Prague in the midst of the St. George Forest, opened in 2006, and is now an international award-winning, luxury hotel, restaurant, spa and forest retreat (www.

ChateauMcely.Com) (see Figure 4).

As the next step in our strategy, I am planning a foundation, based at Chateau Mcely that will bring to the castle “change-makers” and wise thinkers from around the world to address critical global issues and provide the means to teach a new kind of leadership – a leadership that is effective in dealing transparently with critical crises such as economic collapse, energy security, and climate change.

From this summary, you will likely observe that entrepreneurial connections occurred throughout my life at the interface of technology, entertainment and business. I will elaborate on this point as I disclose my answers to the four questions.

Here are the FOUR QUESTIONS and my respective answers: 1. What do I most love to do, so much so that time passes incredibly quickly?? – I love to entertain, and to teach people important concepts of value that I have learned throughout my life. I am particularly drawn to the interface of technology, business and the needs of humanity.

I am interested and experienced in the art of motivating people in business to achieve challenging goals.

As a young boy, three events foreshadowed my lifelong passion and purpose and set the stage for the rest of my professional life. (1.) At age 9, I received a chemistry

set for Christmas. After experimenting my way through the typical shenanigans of making stink bombs and fireworks, I became so inspired by the neat “products” I could make that I set up a lab in the cellar of my parents home, and there I “manufactured” cosmetics, cleaners, inks, adhesives – you name it – and sold them door to door in our neighborhood. What thrilled me most was not the money I made, but the fact that someone was willing to pay for my “products” – an indication that I brought value to the customer. This formed the basis for my career as a technical entrepreneur. (2.) I am the oldest of 10 children, raised in a family of very modest means. From a young age, I worked to support both me and my family.

Growing up in the 1950s in New Jersey, across the river from Manhattan – entertainment capital of the world – I fell in love with rock ‘n roll music. Rather than brave the cold Jersey winters as a paper boy to earn money, I took piano lessons so that I could form a band to do something I was passionate about – playing rock ‘n roll music – and working indoors! This led to my career in entertainment. (3.)

A birthday gift of a toy typewriter and later on a child’s small printing press inspired me to write and “publish” short stories and a neighborhood newspaper, each issue having “paid” advertisements for local merchants. “Paid” usually meant a chocolate candy bar. Over the years, my writing of numerous papers, articles and books sprung forth from that little typewriter and child’s printing press.

2. What work do I do or have I done in the past that I do not consider work?? – I have always enjoyed speaking (teaching), writing and entertaining (singing).

I continue to pursue these joys by writing business and technical articles and books. I find enough time to do a few “Oldies” concerts each year and donate my compensation to charity. Since “charity begins at home,” I continue to sing on stage at Chateau Mcely for special occasions, such as our New Year’s Eve Gala event.

3. What could I do that would create the greatest value for the world around me, as well as the greatest personal satisfaction for the amount of time spent?? – I could bring together and inspire with my sense of vision and mission, talented people –much more talented than I – who are capable of having a positive impact on critical issues facing humanity by the effective interface of business, entertainment and technology.

It was this passion that helped me play a leadership role in founding and building successful businesses in the U.S. and now in Europe. Catalytica Energy Systems developed the world’s first clean catalytic combustion system for generating power and electricity (Figure 2). Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, which created cost-effective, environmentally-sustainable technologies for the manufacture of drugs, was Silicon Valley’s fastest growing company for 2 consecutive years. It grew in less than 5 years from 4 people to 2,000 people with sales of $500 million and a market value of $1 billion (see Part II of this series).

4. What is my unique ability, such that if this skill were truly actualized, it could provide significant benefits to the organization for which I work, to the world, and to me?? – I have a personal presence, and a knowledge of and experience in technology, entertainment and business that quickly connects with most people. My multidisciplinary background often brings great value.

By example, I offer a short story. When my partners and I were raising venture capital for the first time, we sought a valuation for our fledgling company that was 20% higher than the lead venture group was willing to pay. The day before we were to finalize our negotiations, I met the Managing Director of a second venture firm that was interested in putting money into our company.

Figure 4: Chateau Mcely: International award-winning, castle hotel, spa and forest retreat

Over dinner, one of my colleagues told this gentleman about my prior career in music. The gentleman suddenly exclaimed, “Now I know why you look so familiar; I saw you several times some years ago on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand TV Show. That’s just fantastic! Would you be willing to sing for our annual venture party?” The next day his company contributed 50% of our funding and both venture groups agreed to our 20% higher valuation.

Honest answers and an action plan that follows from these answers can make a huge difference in moving you towards goals that make life a much more satisfying, productive and rewarding journey. Why try to live someone else’s dream, even if that dream belongs to your parents, a teacher, or a loved one? It can’t be done. And besides, as impossible as it may seem at this very moment, it requires much less effort to follow your own passion and purpose than to become an unhappy “prisoner” trying to live someone else’s dream.

James A. Cusumano, PhD REFERENCES 1

Gary Hamel, European Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2009.

2 Hohn Cuber and Peggy B. Harrof, http://www.escholarship. org/editions/view?docId=kt9z09q84w&chunk.id=ss2.02& toc.depth=100&toc.id=ss1.35&brand=ucpress.

3 Gay Hendricks, “Making The Big Leap,” Harper Collins, New York, N.Y. 2009.

About the Author: James A. Cusumano is Chairman and owner of Chateau Mcely (www.ChateauMcely.Com), chosen in 2007 by the European Union as the only “Green” 5-star luxury hotel in Central and Eastern Europe and in 2008 by the World Travel Awards as the Leading Green Hotel in the World. He is a former Research Director for Exxon, and subsequently founded two public companies in Silicon Valley, one in clean power generation, the other in pharmaceuticals manufacture via environmentally-benign, low-cost, catalytic technologies. While he was Chairman and CEO, the latter – Catalytica Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – grew in less than 5 years, to a $1 billion enterprise with 2,000 employees. He is co-author of “Freedom from Mid-East Oil,” recently released by World Business Academy Press (www.WorldBusiness.Org) and can be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.Com.

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juridical award event

From left: JUDr. Jan Lata, Ph.D., Attorney General Municipal State Attorney’s Office in Brno and Winner of Talent of the Year Category, presented by JUDr. Daniela Kovářová, Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic

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The Lawyer of the Year 2009

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From left: JUDr. Vladimír Jirousek, Chairman of the Czech Bar Association, Writer Arnošt Lustig, Erich Renner, Secondary School Teacher from Benešov – author of the book „Případ Marie Navarové“ and JUDr. Aleš Čeněk, Publisher of the book and Owner of the publishing company

18.3.2010 17:32:57

JUDr. Miroslav Růžička, Ph.D., the Supreme Public Prosecutor of the Czech Republic, Winner of the Criminal Law Category

JUDr. Milan Skalník, Winner of the Civil Law Category

Jitka Chizolla, CEO of D.A.S. legal Protection Insurance

Mgr. Štěpán Holub, Lawyer and Winner of the Award PRO BONO

From left: Prof. JUDr. Miloslav Bělina,CSc., Winner in the Labor Law Category, JUDr. Vladimír Jirousek, former Chairman of the Czech Bar Association and JUDr. Tomáš Sokol, Winner of the Lawyer of the Year elected by the General Public

From left: Moderator Marek Eben and Prof. JUDr. Pavel Holländer, Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic and Winner of the Civil and Human Rights Category

Prof. JUDr. Milana Hrušáková, CSc., Dean of Law Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc and Winner of the Family Law Category

From left: JUDr. Svatopluk Procházka, Notary, JUDr. Andrea Hrdličková and JUDr. Martin Foukal, President of the Chamber of Notary of the Czech Republic

From left: JUDr. Daniela Kovářová, Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic, Mgr. Miroslav Chochola, MBA, Chairman of Epravo.cz, a.s. and Lucie Chocholová

“Family” photo of all of the awarded

The company EPRAVO.CZ and the Czech Bar Association presented jointly the annual Lawyer Of The Year awards. During this fifth ceremony, the awards presented were depicting Saint Yvo, the patron of judges, lawyers, notaries, priests, turners, poor (especially orphans), abandoned children and Brittany. Saint Yvo Hélory was born in 1253 and was originally from Brittany. He studied theology and law in Paris. He became the lawyer of the poor and oppressed. He was the strictest judge to himself and lived as an ascetic and with the desire for holiness as he was taught by his mother during his childhood. He helped a countless amount of needy people. The awards were presented to the winning lawyers on January 22nd, 2010 during the gala evening at the Brno BOBYCENTRUM.107 This event was with the participation of Minister of Justice and Daniela Kovářová as well as the elite of the Czech justice.

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From Left: JUDr. Martin Vychopeň, President of the Czech Bar Association and JUDr. Daniela Kovářová, Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic

Markéta Mališová, Director of the Franz Kafka Center and Arnošt Lustig, Writer

JUDr. Martin Vychopeň, President of the Czech Bar Association and his wife

From left: JUDr. Jiří Pospíšil, former Minister of Justice and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and Prof. JUDr. Miroslav Bělina, CSc., Lawyer and Winner of the Labor Law Category

JUDr. Otakar Motejl, Ombudsman, who joined the Law Hall of Fame

From left: JUDr. Vladimír Jirousek, former Chairman of the Czech Bar Association and Mgr. Miroslav Chochola, MBA, Chairman of Epravo.cz, a.s.

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From left: Igor Klimeš, Head of the Programme Povodně 09 – by the NGO People in Need and Mgr. David Neveselý, Partner at the Havel a Holásek Law Office, which provided the sponsorship donation

18.3.2010 17:35:32

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

The Children of Czechs

Abroad Want to Learn Czech The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute helps compatriot organizations create this opportunity: Tens of thousands of Czechs are working abroad today. Some live with their families, or are married and have children. They travel regularly to the Czech Republic to visit their relatives there. Many of them expect to return someday, and their children may wantt to lliive th there. Butt tthhese chi hild ldren are going to school abroad, and with their friends they speak German, English, French or some other native language. However, their parents would like them to get a regular education in Czech. How can this be done? The answer to this question began seven years ago, by the opening of a Czech school without frontiers.

“In our schools without frontiers we give these children an opportunityy to find friends of their own age with whom they can speak Czech. This is a challenge for them, and moreover they become more interesting to those around them, when suddenly they speak in another language, language ” says Zuzana JungmaJungma nová, a twenty-nine-year-old artist who founded a Czech school without frontiers in London, under the name of KidsArtClub. She devotes nearly all of her time and effort to this project, in which volunteers and professional educators are involved.

“Czechs travel a lot these days, they do some practical work abroad and they want their children, who are there with them, to continue in their study of Czech,” she says, explaining why she started on this adve ad vent ntur uree in Lon Londo donn in 200 20077. “I wa wass wa warn rned ed tha thatt it would be complicated, a lot of work and that there might be no results, but I was not discouraged,” she adds. Initially the Czech Centre made its premises available to her, but when the number of children increased they had to find something bigger. They succeeded in renting a church hall for an acceptable sum, with a small kitchen and usual facilities. That is where every Saturday 65 children from Czech or mixed families are taught. “Teaching has to be very flexible, for instance we created the ‘Live Museum’ programme, when we jointly visited museums and drew what we saw there and what was happening all around us and talked about it in Czech,” Zuzana describes her work in “her” Czech school without frontiers. “We work by the direct method, mainly through playing. I am an artist and to me the visual image is important. I build on all that, whether they are lessons in our hall or in a ‘Live Museum’,” she says.

For the twelve smallest,, upp to two years,, there are 60 to 70 minutes’ teaching in the morning. Then comes a group of ten pre-school children of up to five years, who get two hours’ tuition, and finally the school-age children have three hours. The activists of the School without frontiers also help the parents.

They consult with them on how to develop the children’s knowledge of Czech or their relationship with the Czech Republic. They buy Czech books for them to be read by them with their children.

In the summer of last year the first Congress of all parts of the Czech School without frontiers, operating in France, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Australi t lia, witithh oth thers in i th the process off estt abli blishme h ntt in further countries with Czech communities, took place in Prague. Two of these have been cooperating with the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Prague since last year, receiving from it part of the finances for its activities. Zuzana Jungmanová had learnt about the existence of the Institute as an organization supporting projects of Czech associations from a colleague at the Congress. She assembled her documentation, went to introduce herself and immediately agreed on cooperation with its chairman Jaromír Šlápota. “The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute helped us a lot by funding the expenses of our activity, especially our rent for the final two months of 2009.

2009 We also received books, which we distributed among the children on St. Nicholas’ Day and also textbooks for our school. It was a wonderful help,” says the founder of the school in London, where until then all expenses had to be met by the parents of the children. Even though the educators in the school work for free, the rent, teaching requisites and operation cost money.

A possible solution for Zuzana is now a change of thee or th orga gani niza zatition on’ss ssta tatu tute tess to a ccha haririty ty, wh whic ichh wo woul uldd give her contacts to British sponsoring institutions which contribute to charitable activities every year.

This would enable the school to cover its expenses and finally pay the educators without the children’s

parents having to pay high school fees. “Times are changing, the number of children from Czech and mixed families will increase, and some of these people will wish to return to the Czech Republic. To prepare them for that homecoming we have to create a linguistic background for them them,” Zuzana Jungmanová emphasizes, pointing out that for children with Czech citizenship, their parents are obliged to provide education in a Czech school. And the Czech School without frontiers wants to be the organization that will systematically provide that education. The Czechoslovak Foreign Institute is helping to create the condition for achieving this aim for its sections in London and Brussels. It also cooperates with fellow countrymen who are preparing for Czech tuition for thei th eirr de desc scen ende dent ntss in W Was ashi hing ngto tonn.

By HEBR I český překlad naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.leadersmagazine.cz

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

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gala evening event

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1 Czech and Slovak Gala Evening

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From left: Jan Kohout, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the CR with his wife and Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic with his wife Jarmila Lajčáková-Hargašová

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Dancing Performance

18.3.2010 17:09:33

Jozefina Škorupová, First Secretary, Head of Consular Section, Embassy of the Slovak Republic and Mr. Škroupa

From left: Jaroslav Miňo, JUDr. Juraj Szabó, PhD., Director of Legal Department, ČEZ, a.s. with his wife

JUDr. Ivan Přikryl, Director of the Chairman´s Office, PS PČR with wife

Petra Holakovská and Zdeněk Pšenica, President, Folk Association of the CR

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Ing. Marie Havlíčková, Chairman, Dámský Klub ČVUT and Prof.

Ing. Václav Havlíček, CSc., Rector, ČVUT

JUDr. Oto Kunz, CSc., Advocate, with wife to the left and Ing. Josef Mixa, Phoenix-Zeppelin, spol. s r.o. with his wife

From left: JUDr. Cyril Svoboda, Chairman of KDU-ČSL with his wife and H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia with his wife

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IN COOPERATION WITH 111 LEADERS MAGAZINE 22.3.2010 10:49:36

From left: Ing. Marcel Kaščák, Member of the Board, Tatra Banka with his wife, Mrs. Kožíšková, Mrs. Debrecká, Marián Kožíšek, General Director, Grafobal, a.s. and Josef Debrecký, Managing Director, Dr. Oetker Slovakia

From left: H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia and Jiří Frkal, Company Manager, European Luxembourg S.A.

From left: MUDr. Ladislav Zgabur, Managing Director, MPI s.r.o. with his wife and MUDr. Ján Lešťák, CSc., Head of the Ophthalmology Department

From left: Ondřej Černý, General Director of the National Theatre and Ing. Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Česká pošta a.s. and former Czech Ambassador to OECD

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Prof. Jiří Drahoš, Professor of Chemical Engineering, President, The Academy of Sciences of the CR with his wife

From left: Martin Klíma, Chief Executive Officer, Vicechairman of the Board, Vegacom a.s., Ing. Vítězslav Chmelík, Director, Eltodo s.r.o. with his wife

PhDr. Peter Kováč, Director General, Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic with his partner Jana Orlická

From left: František Lusk, Chief Executive Officer, Eltodo s.r.o., Libor Ťupa and Jan Fadrný, MBA, Financial Director, Eltodo s.r.o.

18.3.2010 17:11:45

From left: Vladimír Hobza, RNDr. Kateřina Hobzová Chalupová and Ing. Marcela Hrdá, General Director, Česká Pošta

Miloslav Vlček, Chairman PS PČR with his wife

Vladislav Staneček with wife

Jiří Borovec, CEO, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Čepro, a.s. with his wife

From right: PhDr. Michal Lukeš, Ph.D., General Director, National Museum, Ing. Marie Havlíčková, Chairman, Dámský Klub ČVUT, Mrs. Lukešová and Prof. Ing. Václav Havlíček, CSc., Rector, ČVUT Ing. Jiří Maceška, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Česká pošta a.s. and former Czech Ambassador to OECD with his wife

From left: Petr Šimerka, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs with his wife, Ing. Martin Pecina, MBA, Minister of Interior of the CR with his wife and Ing. Karel Muzikář, President of Comenius with his wife

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IN COOPERATION WITH 113 LEADERS MAGAZINE 18.3.2010 17:15:31

THE TUGENDHAT HOUSE will Revive its Beauty and Noblesse The city of Brno offers its citizens and visitors numerous areass of interest, one of which is also architecture. In particular modern architecture in the style know wn here as “functionalism” is some of the best that the city can boast about. The Tugendhat family house, the most famous European project of the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is a gem of functionalist architecture in Brno. At the beginning of 2010, it closed its doors to the public so that a two-year reconstruction, expected to bring back its original glamour and fame, could commence.

Photo: Archive

IT ALL BEGAN WITH A SIGNATURE As a symbolic gesture, on Monday January 25, 20100, I signed a contracc t on the repair of the Tugendhat Housee in the house itself – an architectural jewel from the firsst half of the twentieeth century. The Tugendhat House will bee repaired by the Unnistav company under the supervision of an international expert committee. With the signaturee, the repairs with regard to the design drawn up by thee Association for thhe Tugendhat House, led by the Omniaa company finally began. The design itself was the causee of severe ongoing disputes that delayed the repair of the house for sevveral years. Meanwhile, the city of Brnoo did everything possible (and perhaps impossible) inn order that the recconstruction might actually commencee.

Unistav, as the winner of a tender, offered a costing of 146 million Czechh Crowns and expertise as well. Following the completioon of the reconstruction, the house willl fully show off its original beauty both to experts and layy public once again, and I am extremely pleased by that.

THE UNIQUE TUGENDHAT HOUSE – EXCEPTIONAL SPACES, INTERIOR AND TECHNICAL FACILITIES The house is functionally divided into three parts, which form independent units: social, residential and technical one. The second storey largely consists of residential and social space with a winter garden. The fully glazed garden-facing façade with its large glass panes reaching from the floor to the ceiling connects the interior with the surroundings. In this way, the entire residential space appears to be an extension of the garden outside. The second part of this storey consists of a modern kitchen with food preparation area, dumb waiter, storerooms and staff facilities. The third storey consists of an unpretentious street entrance and the parents’ and children’s bedrooms, bathrooms and dressing rooms are accessible through the hall. The architect Mies van der Rohe personally designed the fixtures and fittings in the house, from the chairs, table, bookshelves, lamps and curtains, to the sculpture of a girl’s torso by the German sculptor Wilhelm Lehmbruck. The onyx wall and the makassar ebony semi-circular wall, which divides the dining area from the living space “like a curtain”, create the two most attractive and also the most valuable elements of the residential space.

TUGENDHAT HOUSE – A BRIEF HISTORY The actual construction of the house began in 1929 and as early as the following year the Tugendhat family moved into their new home. Because of their Jewish origin, at the end of 1938 they were forced to seek refuge in SwitzerTugendhat House, interior; Architekt Mies van der Rohe

land due to the fear of the Nazi threat. Subsequently the house saw two confiscations and the list of “tenants” included Willy Messerschmitt, who once had his designing office here. Another unfortunate episode in the history of the building wass the stay by Malinovsky’s army, which included the Romaanian cavalry brigade, whose horses were stabled in the garden and in the house itself; during this period the interior in particular suffered severe damage.

The usage of the house in the post-war period was varied – a school of danccing, a physiotherapy centre for the children’s hospital and a stately residential facility. It was for the sake of the last-mentioned function that a total renovation of the house took place from 1982 to 1985. The Tugendhat House played ann important role in the division of Czechoslovakia – at thee end of 1992 its main protagonists, Prime Ministers Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar met for discussions right at thiss place. Since 1980, the house has been in the ownership off the city of Brno, and in 1994, its administration was entruusted to the Museum of the City of Brno. In 2001, it was insccribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

FUNCTIONALISM IN BRNO – A STYLE WITH PURE LINES AND LUMINOUS INTERIORS You can find functionalist style buildings on almost every corner of Brno. Their simplicity and even severity stand out, yet they are space saving and comfortable. They are buildings thaat adapt to the terrain and submit to the natural environm ment. The new style with flat roofs found wide acceptancee in Brno within buildings of all types and sizes. As well ass the Tugendhat House, I also recommend you to take a loook inside the Hotel Avion, which is to be found in the pedestrian zone in the very centre of Brno and is one of the naarrowest hotels in Europe. The architect Bohuslav Fuchs had an extremely narrow yet elongated building plot avaailable to him, and the house front is only seven meters wide. The Čedok travel agency opposite the main railway station is also a typical functionalist building with its curved faaçade. In addition, the Zeman café and the recently reconsttructed Dům umění města Brna (Brno City House of Arts) allso have their own charm.

INVITATION TO BRNO You can visitt the South Moravian regional capital in any season of the year and you will always find a wide range of activities for your leisure time. The city of Brno is the second laargest city of the Czech Republic, but it is basically small as everything is nearby and a tour of the centre will take a couple of hours. Only its precious jewel of functionalist architecture has become distant and has closed its doorss to visitors. In this instance, though, its reopening shall certainly be worth the wait.

By Roman Onderka I Mayor of the City of Brno

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VILA TUGENDHAT

“I signed the reconstruction contract of Tugendhat House...”

obnoví svou krásu a noblesu Město Brno nabízí svým občanům a návštěvníkům bohaté vyžití v mnoha oblastech a jednou z nich je i architektura. Zvláště ta modderní ve stylu funkcionalismu patří k tomu nejlepšímu, čím se město může pochlubit. Tyto stavbyy se vyznačují jednoduchostí až strohostí, přitom jsou ale úsporné a pohoodlné. Klenotem funkcionalistickké architektury se v Brně stala rodinná vila manžellů Tugendhatových, nejvýznamnější evropská stavba německého architekkta Ludwiga Miese van der Rohe. Ta se počátkem roku 2010 pro veřejnost uzavřela, aaby mohla být zahájena její dvouletá rekonstrukce, která jí vrátí původní leesk a slávu.

VŠE ZAČALO PODPISEM V pondělí 25. ledna 2010 jsem symbbolicky přímo ve vile podepsal smlouvu o opravě vily Tugeendhat, architektonického skvostu z první poloviny dvacáátého století. Vilu Tugendhat opraví firma Unistav pod dohleddem mezinárodní expertní komise. Tímto podpisem koneččně odstartovaly opravy podle projektu, který vypracovalo Sdružení pro vilu Tugendhat vedené společností Omnia. Práávě samotný projekt byl ale příčinou dlouho trvajících spoorů, které opravu vily o několik let oddálily. Město Brno dělalo přitom vše možné a snad i nemožné pro to, aby rekonsstrukce skutečně mohla začít. Firma Unistav, která zvítězila ve výběrovém řízení, nabídla odpovídající cenu ve výši 1446 milionů a také odbornost. Po dokončení rekonstrukce vila opět předvede odborné i laické veřejnosti svou původnní krásu v plném lesku a já jsem tomu nesmírně rád.

UNIKÁTNÍ TUGENDHATOVA VILA – VÝJIMEČNÉ PROSTORY, INTERIÉR I TECHNICKÉ ZÁZEMÍ Vila je funkčně rozdělena na tři části,, které tvoří samostatné jednotky: společenskou, obytnou a technickou.

Druhé podlaží převážně vyplňuje hlavní obytný a společenský prostor se zimní zahradou. Plně prosklená zahradní fasáda s velkými okenními tabulemi od poddlahy až ke stropu propojuje interiér přímo s venkovním okollím. Takto působí celý obytný prostor jako prodloužení veenkovní zahrady.

Druhou část podlaží tvoří moderně vybbavené zázemí – kuchyně s přípravnou jídel, jídelním výtaahem, komorami a místnosti s příslušenstvím pro personnál. Třetí podlaží zahrnuje z ulice nenápadný vstup a přes halu dostupné ložnice rodičů a dětské pokoje včetně kooupelen a šaten.

Architekt Mies van der Rohe osobně navrhl n i vybavení

interiéru vily, a to nejen křesla, stoly, knihovnu, lampy a závěsy, ale do interiéru umístil i dívčí torzo německého sochaře Wilhelma Lehmbrucka. Dvěma nejatraktivnějšími a také nejdražšími elementy prostorného obytného interiéru se staly onyxová stěna a půloblouková stěna z makassarského ebenu, která „jako závěs“ odděluje jídelní kout od obytného prostoru.

Z HISTORIE VILY TUGENDHAT Samotná stavba vily začala v roce 1929 a již v následujícím roce se Tugendhatovi do své vily stěhovali. Kvůli svému židovskému původu však byli nuceni na sklonku roku 1938 emigrovat z obav před sílící nacistickou hrozbou do Švýcarska. Následně vila prošla dvojí arizační konfiskací a jedním z „nájemníků“ vily byl např. p. Willy Messerschmitt. Ten krátce pobýval v konstrukční kanceláři, která zde byla zřízena. Další nepříliš šťastnou etapou pro budovu byl na sklonku války pobyt Malinovského armády, jejíž součástí byla rumunská jezdecká brigáda. Koně byli ustájeni v zahradě i ve vile a v tomto období došlo ke značnému poničení zejména interiéru. Poválečné využití vily bylo velmi různorodé – od školy rytmiky přes rehabilitační středisko Fakultní dětské nemocnice po reprezentační ubytovací zařízení. Právě pro posledně zmíněnou funkci byla provedena v letech 1982–85 celková obnova objektu.

Vila Tugendhat sehrála také významnou roli při rozdělení Československa – přímo zde se totiž na sklonku roku 1992 sešli jeho hlavní aktéři, tehdejší premiéři Václav Klaus a Vladimír Mečiar. Od roku 1980 je vila ve vlastnictví statutárního města Brna, v roce 1994 byla svěřena do správy Muzea města Brna. V roce 2001 byla zapsána do Seznamu světového kulturního dědictví UNESCO.

FUNKCIONALISMUS V BRNĚ – STYL S ČISTÝMI LINIEMI A PROSVĚTLENÝMI INTERIÉRY Stavby ve funkcionalistickém stylu naajdete v Brně téměř na každém rohu. Vyznačují se svou jednoduchostí až strohostí, ale přitom jsou úsporné a pohodlnné. Jsou to stavby, k teré se přizpůsobují terénu a jsou pokorné k přírodě. Nový styl s rovnými střechami nalezl v Brněě široké uplatnění v budovách všech typů a velikostí. Kromě vily Tugendhat t ak doporučuji v Brně nahlédnout do budovy hotelu Avion, k terý se nachází na pěší zóně v samém ceentru města a patří mezi nejužší hotely v Evropě. Architekt B. Fuchs měl k dispozici extrémně úzkou a přitom dlouhouu stavební parcelu, kdy přední fasáda hotelu měří pouhých sedm metrů. Také budova cestovní kanceláře Čedok naprotti hlavnímu nádraží je typicky funkcionalistickou stavbou s obloukovou fasádou. Své kouzlo návštěvníkům města Brna nabízí třeba t aké Zemanova kavárna nebo právěě zrekonstruovaný Dům umění města Brna.

POZVÁNÍ DO BRNA Ať již zavítáte do jihomoravského krajského města v kterémkoliv ročním období, vždy zdee najdete širokou paletu nabídek, jak strávit volný čas. Město Brno je sice druhé největší v České republice, ale ve své podstatě je malé, všude je relativně blízko a na prohhlídku historického jádra vám bude stačit pár hodin. Jen vzzácný klenot funkcionalistické architektury se nyní vzdáálil a uzavřel návštěvníkům. Čekání na obnovenou premiéru se ale v tomto případě rozhodně vyplatí.

Roman Onderka I primátor statutáárního města Brna

Tugendhat House, exterior; View of the Garden and City Photos: David Židlický

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17.3.2010 19:29:15

New General Director of BVV Trade Fairs Brno

Jiří Kuliš To say that Jiří Kuliš entered the BVV Trade Fairs Brno Company is not quite true; as a matter of fact he re-entered the company. He began here in 1976 as a graduate of the Faculty of Business of the University of Economics in Prague, majoring in foreign trade. He first worked as a project manager and then he held a number of managerial posts. In 1992 at the call of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he left the office of director of the commercial group deals with t international te at o a events e e ts to engage e gage in ddiplomacy. p o acy

At first, he held the office of chargé d´affaires, head of the diplomatic mission in Wellington, New Zealand, and commercial counsellor for Australia and Ne N w Ze Zeal alan andd in Syd y ney. After that he worked as a business and commerciall cou ouns nsel ello lorr in t wo of the commercially most important countries – USA and Japan. The time horizon which he had set for his diplomatic career was membership of the Czech Republic in the European Union.

The professional challenge to take part in the presentation of a “new” Czech Republic as an industrial country with traditionally historical ties to western civilisation, and as a country of western mentality had great appeal for him. He worked abroad at an interesting time when foreign investors were being recruited, obstacles for Czech export were being removed, new contacts were established at a governmental and corporate level, and when scepticism towards the “new” democratic country in Central Europe was being dispelled. Very frequently he applied the geographical argument that Vienna lies east of Prague and not the other way round as many people abroad thought.

He resumed co-operation with BVV Trade Fairs Brno after his return from USA (2005) as the company s outside consultant for internationalisation. pany’s

Thanks to his international experience, he was able to give the management a detached point of view, an international perspective and strategy towards foreign exhibitors and visitors. In 2009 he was appointed manager for external affairs. At the end of thee ye th year ar, he aacc c epted the offer of the BVV Trade Fairs Brno Company owners andd wa wass ap appo pointed General Director by the Board of Directors. He acceded to hi his office under difficult economic conditions. His intention is to tie up with the time-tested business strategy of the company and to accomplish his vision of the Brno exhibition centre as the “Central European Exhibition Centre”, the top exhibition centre in the region of the new Central European countries. His aim is to restore the trust of firms in the fairs as a well-tried multifunctional sales and communication marketing tool. He is ready to exploit his experience acquired abroad, particularly American pragmatism and an optimistic approach to life and business. He sees economic recession as a time which is suitable for looking for one’s own resources and which offers the opportunity to do business in a different and better way.

Photo: Archive BVV

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22.3.2010 9:24:07

A mixture of pride and emotion – that is appropriate description of the feelings of decorated compatriots that were awarded with the Silver Commemorative Medal of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. By this worthy honor, the Czech Republic has acknowledged helpful and devoted activities of Czechs who have been living abroad before 1989 and also afterwards. The Chairman of the Senate Přemysl Sobotka awarded medals to the Czech compatriots altogether with H.E. Petr Kolář, Czech Ambassador to the United States of America and Eliška Žigová, Czech Consul in New York. Ája Vrzáňová, a figure skating legend, members of the New York Sokol Organization such as Norma Žabková or Irena Merglová or the people closely associated with the compatriotic organization BBLA were among awarded personalities. Current president of this non-profit association Josef Baláž or its Vice President and Dvořák Society representative Zuzana Lučáková are obviously ranked among them, but also many ordinary or former BBLA members were awarded the medal – Dr. Alex Čech and Jiřina Šilhánová, just to name a few. A lot of prizes were awarded in memoriam, for instance those presented to the architect linked with the Czech National Building Jan Hird Pokorný or General Miloš Knorr.

czechs abroad awarded

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

COMPATRIOTS IN NEW YORK Were Awarded with a Silver Commemorative Medal of the Czech Senate

From left: Přemysl Sobotka, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Ája Vrzáňová, Czech World Champion in Figure-skating, Sport Legend and Josef Baláž, President of Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association

From left: Mrs. Skáchová, Přemysl Sobotka, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Mr. and Mrs. Suchánek and Ája Vrzáňová, Czech World Champion in Figure-skating, Sport Legend

Petr Fejk, Director, Bohemian National Hall and Czech Center

Jiřina Šilhanová-Sager, Treasurer of Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association and Přemysl Sobotka, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

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Eliška Žigová, Consul General of the Czech Republic in New York

From left: Alex Čech, former President of Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, Petr Bísek, Publisher Americké Listy, Ája Vrzáňová, Czech World Champion in Figure-skating, Sport Legend and Přemysl Sobotka, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

18.3.2010 17:43:53

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

Cascade Resort (OPENS SUMMER 2010) and Cascade Performance Sports Academies (OPENS WINTER 2010) Cascade Resort Apartment

The 5-star Cascade Resort is set to become an admired and respected wellness resort. The resort is beautifully situated on the cliffs above the rock formations and coves of Ponta de Piedade peninsula, Lagos, Algarve in Portugal and enjoys a landmark location and the benefits of the revitalizing energy of the Atlantic Ocean.

Cascade Performance Sports Academies are working together with leading experts, players and organizations and are committed to being a professional and exclusive fitness, football, golf and tennis-training facility. The former world’s No. 1

tennis player, Stefan Edberg, is Director of Tennis and Advissor to the Cascade Performance Tennis Academy and the renowned international football manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, is Director of Football and Advisor to the Cascade Performance Football Academy. Further-more, European Golf Design (EG GD), the golf design company of the PGA European Tour and IMG, has designed the golf practice area and the Cascade Performance Golf Academy. Martina Ertl-Renz, German Alpine Skiier and formeer World Cup no. 1, is Director and Advisor of Outddoor and Recreational Sport.

Whetherr you belong to one of the world’s best football teams; are a tennis or golf player; are a corporation; family or private individual, tailor-made signature programs and facilities are integrated with an approach on health, wellness and performance.

Cascade Performance Sports Academies programs are specifically designed and comprise of integrated services thhat focus on a particular health concern or personaal goal to ensure that you get the most out

of your stay and aid you inn developing healthier habits for life. The team of skkilled and dedicated professionals provide highly personalized attention to create a unique experience and ensure that you have the tools and knowledge too reach your potential and enjoy new levels of health and vitality.

Cascade Resort offers you the opportunity of a personal training destinnation. Be it weight loss for general health and welllbeing or practicing Pilates or Yoga to help keep the body balanced. Walk, hike and bike in the most spectacular of surroundings; immerse yourself in low impact water exercises or build stamina in thee counter-current training pool; Cascade Performance Sports Academies have the program that fits you.

Cascade Resort is also a home for those seeking a professionally managed living environment with security, stunning natural scenery and luxury leisure facilities on the door step. Here you will have the opportunity to acquire your ow wn villa, apartment or townhouse or be an honored guest in the Cascade Hotel.

Pon Ponta ontaa de d Pie Piedad iedade dade dad

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22.3.2010 10:07:27

Sttefan Ste St efan fan EEdber beerg aand be nd CEO nd O Casca Caassca caadee Ressort Res Resort or Ur Urss Wild Wiildd

Sven-Göran Eriksson

THE CASCADE PERFORMANCE SPORTS ACADEMIES INCLUDES: ☛ The Cascade Performaance Golf Academy by European Golf Design ☛ The Cascade Performaance Football Academy

by Sven-Göran Erikssoon ☛ The Cascade Performaance Tennis Academy by Stefan Edberg

☛ The Cascade Tennis Club ☛ The Cascade Out-door Sport and Recreeational Center by Martina Ertl-Renz (Walking, Jogging and Biking Center) ☛ The Cascade Spa and Gym ☛ The Cascade Medical Center ☛ The Cascade Corporate Events & Hosppitality Center

THE CASCADE PERFORMANCE GOLF ACADEMY DESIGNED BY EUROPEAN GOLF DESIGN The Cascade Performance Golf Academy is designed by European Golf Design, the golf design company of the PGA European Tour and IMG. The Academy is set to be a truly professional golf training facility for everyone. With its unique position within the personal and intimate five-star Cascade Cascade Resort Apartment

For more information visit

www.cascade-academy.com

Leaders Magazine II/ I 2010

119

For reservations and introductionary offers contact

info@cascade-academy.com

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18.3.2010 13:23:21

Resort, Cascade Performance Golf Academy offers direct access on the doorstep of Cascade Resort’s hotel, villas and apartments.

Adults, juniors and corporations will find golf programs tailored for their individual needs and levels. Visiting golf professionals, coaches and golf clubs will enjoy special terms and opportunities when visiting and staying at Cascade Resort.

Under the guidance and coaching of Cascade golf professionals you are sure to enjoy the perfect golf holiday and first class tuition and training.

As a Cascade Performance Golf Academy member you will also enjoy playing privileges and reservations at world class golf courses within a few minutes drive from Cascade ort.

THE CASCADE PERFORMANCE FOOTBALL ACADEMY BY SVEN-GÖRAN ERIKSSON The Cascade Performance Football Academy is developed and supervised together with the renowned football manager Sven-Göran Eriksson. The world of football is therefore convinced that the quality and standards will meet the world’s best team’s criteria when selecting the venue for their training camps.

Because of its individual and private atmosphere, the visiting team can enjoy privacy in all aspects of its preparations and training as well as direct and immediate access to all of Cascade Resort’s 5-star facilities.

The Cascade Performance Football Academy offers a first-class year around practice facility in an ideal climate. Everything a team needs is provided for, from the top quality natural grass football pitches, accommodation of the highest standards and full catering service to all other activities such as golf, tennis, gym, spa and a medical clinic.

THE CASCADE PERFORMANCE TENNIS ACADEMY BY STEFAN EDBERG The Cascade Performance Sports Academies is developed and supervised together with former world’s No. 1 tennis player Stefan Edberg. The wonderful climate and floodlit courts give you the opportunity to enjoy a match and professional training all year around, day or night.

Cascade Performance Tennis Academy and Cascade Tennis Club aim to provide tennis training programs and playing opportunities for everyone. Adults, juniors and corporations will find the tennis programs tailored to their needs and skill-levels. Tennis professionals, visiting coaches and tennis clubs will also enjoy special terms and opportunities when visiting and staying at Cascade Resort. When you are under the exclusive and expert guidance of any of the team of tennis professionals, you are sure to enjoy the perfect tennis holiday, first-class tuition and training.

OUTDOOR SPORT AND RECREATIONAL CENTER BY MARTINA ERTL-RENZ On the door step of Cascade Resort are some of the most beautiful walking, running and biking paths that will take you along the Atlantic coastline and through the landscape of the Algarve with its charming villages and panoramic views.

The Recreational Center offers a selection of various outdoor sports and training, guided tours as well as bike rentals.

Swiss born Urs Wild is the CEO of Cascade Resort.

Together with his partner Victor Reis and sports entrepeneur Lars Sternmarker they have initiated the Cascade Performance Sports Academies and its integration within Cascade Resort.

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Cascade Hotel Cascade Hotel

Cascade Performance Tennis Academy

Cascade Performance Football Academy

18.3.2010 13:23:55

A long awaited premiere of the Czech original musical called Baron Prášil took place in Prague´s Hybernia Theatre.

The main persons that are connected with Baron Prášil are Filip Renč – stage director, Oldrich Lichtenberg – producer and Zdeněk Barták with Petr Markov – two authors of the screenplay and also lottery company SYNOT TIP, a.s., which patronizes the performance. SYNOT TIP, a.s. has also supported other famous musicals such as Golem, Angelika, Three Musketeers and Cleopatra. “Promotion of culture belongs to the SYNOT Holding main pillars of public utility. We are glad that we can co-operate with the Czech musical producers for a long time and keep watching better quality and more interesting musicals,” said Katerina Luisa Padera Danhelova, MBA, SYNOT Holding general director and chairperson of the board of directors SYNOT TIP, a.s. “I would like if people would leave the theatre full of energy and boost. Baron Prášil is a musical intended for families. His world is full of fantasy and positive energy,” said Filip Renč, the stage director. He also admits that the Baron Prášil´s choreography is the most difficult thing which he has ever done during his career. “Viewers don´t get glasses like in cinema. 3D in this case means that a ceiling, sides of the hall and a stage are full of presentations, but not on the screen as it is common in every theatre. We project special technologies for spatial sceneries, which are normally gray or white but when we screen, the result is colour decoration on all sides and places,” adds Renč.

culture event

The applause for actors of Baron Prášil´s Premiere

SYNOT TIP

Patron of Baron Prášil Musical more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Kateřina Brožová as Evelina and Jiří Langmajer as Wilcox

From performance Baron Prášil

Also Karel Gott was present at the Premiere

From left: Michal David, Producer and Filip Renč, Stage Director

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From performance Baron Prášil

22.3.2010 9:58:01

At the beginning of December, the premiere of the Faust ballet based on Goethe’s poem under the choreography and direction of Libor Vaculík, took place in the Estate Theatre.

culture event

FAUST

Richard Kročil (Mefisto)

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE From left: Libor Vaculík, Director and Choreographer of the Faust performances and Mrs. Dadja AltenburgKohl, Patron of the National Theatre

Alexandre Katsapov (Faust) and Adéla Pollertová (Gretchen)

Petr Malásek, Composer

122

Mrs. Zuzana Susová, performing Gretchen and Libor Vaculík, Director

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more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

Jiří Kodym (Faust) and Zuzana Susová (Gretchen)

17.3.2010 19:08:06

Brecht/Filo’s Threepenny Opera was another December National Theatre’s premiere under the direction of Ivan Rajmont. Vojtěch Dyk, Antonie Talacková, Alexej Pyško, Eva Salzmannová and others performed the main roles.

culture event

Václav Riedelbauch, Minister of Culture and Ondřej Černý, General Director of the National Theatre

THREEPENNY OPERA

Also Vlasta Chramostová came to support her colleagues

Shot from the performance

Boris Hybner with his wife

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Vojtěch Dyk (Macheata) and Antonie Talacková (Polly)

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE 17.3.2010 19:03:44

The National Theatre Drama has returned to the New Stage again. On January 16th, the premiere of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot took place there. Under the direction of Michal Dočekal, the Artistic Director of the Drama Division of the National Theatre, appearing David Prachař, David Matásek, Ondřej Pavelka and Jan Kačer have excelled. A huge applause they received was truly deserved.

culture event

From left: David Prachař (Vladimír) and David Matásek (Estragon)

WAITING FOR GODOT more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz

From left: Michal Dočekal, Artistic Director of Drama Division of the National Theatre and Director of the Drama and Ondřej Černý, General Director of the National Theatre

From left: David Prachař (Vladimír), David Matásek (Estragon) and Jan Kačer (Lucky)

From left: David Matásek (Estragon) and David Prachař (Vladimír)

124

From left: Cardinal Miloslav Vlk and Tomáš Halík

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From left: David Matásek (Estragon), Ondřej Pavelka (Pozzo) and David Prachař (Vladimír)

17.3.2010 19:10:15

On January 23rd, the premiere of newly done W. A. Mozart’s famous opera Cosi fan tutte, under the guidance of Czecho-Slovak director Martin Čičvák and conductor Robert Jindra took place at the Estates Theatre. They have obeyed the original Italian text and through the current theatrical language, they have underlined and brought Mozart’s artfulness and sense of irony closer.

culture event

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE From left: Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic with his wife, Ondřej Černý, General Director of the National Theatre and Peter Palečka, Member of the Board of Directors and Senior Executive Director, Komerční Banka

Cosi fan tutte

From left: Aleš Briscein (Ferrando), Csilla Boross (Fiordilidgi), Jiří Hájek (Guglielmo) and Katarzyna Kuncio (Dorabella)

From left: Marie Fajtová (Fiordilidgi), Kateřina Kněžíková (Despina) and Mrs. Annely Peebo (Dorabella)

From left: Jiří Kylián, famous Choreographer and Prime Minister Jan Fischer

Jiří Kylián, famous Choreographer and Marie Fajtová, who performed one of the main roles

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From left: Mrs. Katarzyna Kuncio (Dorabella), Lenka Máčiková (Despina) and Csilla Boross (Fiordilidgi)

17.3.2010 19:12:16

culture event IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

On January 27th, before the traditional Mozart‘s Birthday Concert, where Slovak tenorist Pavol Breslik along with soprano Marie Fajtová and the orchestra Collegium 1704 with its conductor Václav Luks performed, KOBANADI Awards had been presented on the Estate Theatre stage. The prizes were awarded by Komerční Banka for the best premiere performances of the soloists of the National Theatre Ballet, Drama and Opera during the 2008/2009 season. This year, the awards were granted to Richard Kročil for the role of Von Rothbart in the Swan Lake ballet, Jan Hartl for the role of Peter Stockman in the Enemy of the People drama and Luděk Vele for the role of Kecal in The Sold Fiancée opera. TOP HOTELS Group, a.s., as every year, has been the partner of the Concert.

Shot from the Concert

MOZART’S BIRTHDAY AND KOBANADI AWARD

From left: Ondřej Černý, General Director of the National Theatre and Ing. Vladimír Dohnal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TOP HOTELS Group, a.s.

From left: Richard Kročil, Luděk Vele and Jan Hartl, KOBANADI Award holders for the 2009 year

Jan Hartl was awarded the KOBANADI Award for the Drama by Peter Palečka, Member of the Board of Directors and Senior Executive Director of KB

Pavol Breslik, Tenorist, Václav Luks, Conductor and Marie Fajtová, Soprano

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22.3.2010 10:34:14

diplomatic event

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

From left: H.E. Ivan Hrycak, Ambassador of Ukraine, H.E. Alexey L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Czech Republic and Tomáš Hüner, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Russian Military Day

From left: Colonel Rumen Kasabov, Military and Air Attaché, Embassy of Bulgaria, Colonel Viorel Georgiu, Defence, Military and Air Attaché, Embassy of Romania, Mr. Ertugrul, Colonel, Embassy of Turkey and Charles Huber Wilson, Colonel, United States Army, Embassy of the United States of America

From left: Col. Bohuslav Dvořák, Czech Ministry of Defence and Jindřich Ploch, President DSIA and CEO of LOM Praha From left: Colonel Jamie, Defence Attaché, British Embassy and Colonel Stefano Mariotti, Defence Attaché of the Republic of Italy

From left: Dr. Jaroslav Kafka, Assistant Chairman Audit Committee, Prague City Hall and Du Weisheng, Military and Air Attaché, Embassy of the Poeple´s Republic of China

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From left: Ing. Ivo Grim, President, Central European, East European and Central Asian Chamber of Commerce in the CR, Ing. Jan Stiess, Vicepresident, Maltese Cross Foundation and Josef Jurka, Member of Audit Committee, International Economic Consortium

17.3.2010 19:59:58

From left: Colonel Gurpreet SIngh, SM, Deffence Attache, Embassy of India with his wife and Col. Oleg Smirnov, Military and Air Attaché Assistant to the Embassy of the Russian Federation

Colonel Bruno Riediger, Defence Attaché, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

From left: Mrs. Tatiana Kočergina and Mrs. Natalia Smirnova browse through Leaders Magazine

From left: Vladimir Vlasov, Representative of the Embassy of the Russian Federation and Anatoly Agapov, MinisterCounsellor, Embassy of the Russian Federation with his wife

From left: Ing. Václav Přibyl, Colonel (ret.) and Ing. Jaromír Mareček

128

Russian Military Day

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H.E. Alexey L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Czech Republic welcomes Bohdan Horovenko, Defence Attaché, Colonel of Ukraine

17.3.2010 19:47:00

From left: Alexander Beer, Colonel, Czechoslovak Legionnaires Community with his wife, František Bányai, Chairman, Jewish Community in Prague and PhDr. Dagmar Lieblová, Terezín Initiative – International Association Terezín

From left: H.E. Alexey L. Fedotov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Czech Republic and Benke Aikell, your Publisher

Vladimir J. Novgorodskiy, Counsellor, Embassy of the Russian Federation with his wife

Br. Ing. Emil Kulfánek, plk. v. v. Secretary, Czech Union of Freedom Fighters and Mrs. Anděla Dvořáková, President, Czech Union of Freedom Fighters

From left: Mrs. Ulviyya Taghizade, Embassy of Azerbaijan and wife of the Ambassador, Mrs. Chimedtseren Zes-Erdene, spouse of the Ambassador of Mongolia, H.E. Suren Tsoggerel, Ambassador of Mongolia and H.E. Ivan Hrycak, Ambassador of Ukraine

more photos and electronic version available on www.leadersmagazine.cz From left: Col. František Krkoška (ret) and Colonel Molodkov Sergey, Military and Air Attaché, Embassy of the Russian Federation

129 Some of the beautiful ladies

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22.3.2010 10:41:17

Gala Evening under the auspices of: Dušan Čaplovič, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Knowledgebased Society, European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Juraj Chmiel, Minister of the Czech Republic for European Affairs

culture event

Smetana Hall in the Municipal House Prague, Gala Benefit Evening Trebbia

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE

th

10 Annual Presenting of the Trebbia European Awards and Benefit Cheques Trebbia on 14th March 2010

From left: Ivo Gajdoš, Vice-President, Czech Manager Association and Business Director, ZTE Corporation with Mrs. Gajdoš, Artist

From left: Pavel Bobošík, General Director Sahm, Jana Bobošíková, Editor, Moderator and Politician and JUDr. Daniela Kovářová, Minister of Justice

From left: Nicolas Descharnes, Expert of Salvador Dali’s work, Paris and Josef Nálepa, Sculptor

From left: Mrs. Bára Kodetová, Růžena Nechanská, Conti Capital and Eliška Coolidge Hašková, Member of the INC Trebbia

Trebia.indd 130

From left: Mrs. Lída Bratská, Petr Bratský, Member of Parliament, Milan Sedláček, General Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Juraj Chmiel, Minister of the Czech Republic for European Affairs with Mrs. Chmiel

18.3.2010 17:46:28

From left: Andy Hryc, famous Slovak Actor, Emily Bowden, Personal Secretary of Sir Bob Geldof and Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia and Tomáš Hanák, Patron of the Pomozte dětem Association

Klaus von Trotha, Ex-Minister of BadenWürttemberg during his speech

From left: Mrs. Alena Miro, Soprano, Soloist of the State Opera Prague, Önay Günay, Baritone, Soloist of the State Opera and Ballet in Istanbul and Jiří Bělohlávek, Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London conducting Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

From left: Karel Srp, Association Jazz Section Artforum, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

Michael Haas, Collector, Gallery Owner, Curator and Member of INC Trebbia with partner

From left: Ing. Zdenek Grondol, Greyhound Company, Mrs. Jarmila Grondolová, Ladislava Jurková, Greyhound Company and Karel Srp, Association Jazz Section Artforum

Miroslav Grégr, former Minister of Industry and Trade with Mrs. Grégrová

From left: Ladislav Chudík, Actor and Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010 and Andrej Smolák, Artist to the right

From left: Mrs. Irina Kondratěnko Fojtíková, famous Pianist and Alena Miro, Soprano, Soloist of the State Opera Prague

Trebia.indd 131

131 13 1 31 Juraj Jakubisko, Film Director

18.3.2010 17:47:10

From left: Mrs. Olga Kabo, famous Russian TV and Film Actress, Vladimír Hořejší, Chief Director of the Evropsko-Ruská Banka, a.s., Prague and Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV

From left: Ondřej Černý, Director, National Theatre Prague, Prof. Thomas Thomaschke, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

Mrs. Sisa Sklovská, Singer

132 1 13 32 From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia, Deana Jakubisková, Film Producer, Jakubisko Film, Ltd., Juraj Jakubisko, Film Director, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

more mo m orree pphotos hooto h hot tos and aan nd electronic eellec ecttrr oon nic ic version vver eerr ssiiion oon n available aav ava vaaiillaabblllee on on www.leadersmagazine.cz ww ww w.l .leeaaddeerrssma maggaazziinnee. mag e.c .cz

Ing. Štefan Milovčík, City Mayor of Snina, Slovakia

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák and Nikolay Razguliaev, Russian Businessman who contributed to Benefit Auction Trebbia the sum of 700.000,– CZK. He delivered Trebbia Award to Jelena Obrazcova to Moscow.

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia, Polar Explorer with the graphic work by Otto Herbert Hajek which was exhibited on the North Pole in 2005, Auction Acquirer, Ing. Zdenek Grondol, Greyhound Company, Olga Kabo, famous Russian TV and Film Actress, Karel Srp, Founder of the Association Jazz Section Artforum, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

SUPERVISORS:

Trebia.indd 132

From left: Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV, Zlata Holušová, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010 and Mrs. Kateřina Luisa Paděra-Daňhelová, General Director, SYNOT Holding, Patron of Trebbia

IN COOPERATION WITH LEADERS MAGAZINE PATRON:

PARTNER:

18.3.2010 17:48:24

From left: Mrs. Ladislava Jurková, Greyhound Company, Varhan Orchestrovič Bauer, Conductor and Composer, Ing. Zdenek Grondol, Greyhound Company, Rudolf Želinský, Czech International, Inc. and Jarmila Grondolová

From left: Dr. Martin Jan Stránský, MD, Member of INC Trebbia and Zlata Holušová, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010 From left: Miss Taťána Kuchařová, Miss World 2006 and Robert Vano, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010

From left: H.E. Yaakov Levi, Ambassador of Israel in the Czech Republic, Eilat Attias, Freelance Journalist, Israel, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Leaders Magazine, Member of INC Trebbia

From left: Michael W. Pospíšil, General Director, Czech Centres and Mirko Lachmann, Senior Advisor, Leaders Magazine

H.E. Huo Yushen, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China in the Czech Republic and PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia

From left: Andy Hryc, famous Slovak Actor and Miro Voštiar, Owner of Aria Hotel

From left: JUDr. Jan Kavka, Lawyer, The Premonstratensian Monastery, Mrs. Kavka, Mrs. Alexandridis, Gilbert Plíšek, O. Praem., The Premonstratensian Monastery and JUDr. Petros Alexandridis, Lawyer, The Premonstratensian Monastery From left: Mrs. Katie Mahan, Pianist, Colorado with her mother and Dr. Manfred Boese, Founder of Berliner Salon

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia and Alexander Gedevanishvili, Best Invest Group

Trebia.indd 133

From left: Mgr. Adam Sigmund, Partner, AK Žižlavský, Zdeňka Sigmundová, Member of the Trebbia Foundation, Pharm. Dr. Denisa Janečková, Bayer and Ing. Zbyněk Janeček, General Motors

18.3.2010 17:49:36

From left: Juraj Jakubisko, Film Director and Deana Jakubisková, Jakubisko Film Ltd. with Dušan Čaplovič, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Slovak Republic

JUDr. Dagmar Raupachová, AK Černý-Raupachová and Ing. Pavel Štefka, 4-star General of the Czech Republic (ret.)

From left: Jiří Bělohlávek, Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London and PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia

From left: Prof. Thomas Thomaschke, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010 and Mrs. Thomaschke, Leoš Svárovský, Conductor, Mrs. Svárovská and PhDr. Ilja Šmíd, Director of FOK Orchestra

From left: Mrs. Brňo, Andy Hryc, famous Slovak Actor and H.E. Peter Brňo, Ambassador of Slovakia in the Czech Republic From left: JUDr. Blanka Čechová, Lawyer and PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia, JUDr. Blanka Čechová, Lawyer

From left: Juraj Jakubisko, Film Director, MUDr. Jana Synková, Diamonds International Corporation, Deana Jakubisková, Film Producer, Jakubisko Film, Ltd. and MUDr. Přemysl Synek, General Director, Diamonds International Corporation

From left: Ing. Jaromír Schling with Mrs. Schling and Pavel Bobošík, General Director Sahm

Sir Bob Geldof, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010

From left: Önay Günay, Baritone, Soloist of the State Opera and Ballet in Istanbul, Mrs. Günay, Eva Blahová, Opera Singer, Member of INC Trebbia, Mrs. Gülfem, Architect, Istanbul and Alp Orcun, Secretary General, Eczacıbası Foundation

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more m mo orree pphotos hooto h tos and and electronic an eleecctrr oon el n version available aav vaaiillaablle on vai on www.leadersmagazine.cz w ww w w..lleeaaders ders de rsm sm

From left: Benke Aikell, your Publisher, Member of INC Trebbia, Marta Gellová, Secretary General, Afiz and Juan Braun, Journalist, with friend

18.3.2010 17:50:44

From left: Ing. Petr Čumba, Executive Director of the Company Moravian Oil Mines, a.s., General Partner of Trebbia, Robert Vano, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

From left: Juraj Chmiel, Minister of the Czech Republic for European Affairs and Alp Orcun, Secretary General, Eczacıbası Foundation

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Founder of Trebbia and Taťána Kuchařová, Miss World 2006

From left: Dušan Čaplovič, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Slovak Republic, Ladislav Chudík, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010 and Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV

more mo m orree pphotos or hooto h tos and aan nd electronic eellec ecttrr on oniicc version v eerr si siion on on aavailable av vaaiila labblle on labl on www.leadersmagazine.cz w ww w w.l .leeaaade derrssm de maaggaazziinnee.ccz

From left: Karel Gott, famous Singer, Vladimír Hořejší, Chief Director of the Evropsko-Ruská Banka, a.s., Prague and Mrs. Olga Kabo, famous Russian TV and Film Actress received the Award for Jelena Obrazcova

Laureates of the Trebbia European Award 2010 for creative activities: Ladislav Chudík (*1924) – Slovak Republic Robert Vano (*1948) – Slovak Republic/USA/Czech Republic Jelena Obrazcova (*1939) – Russian Federation

Laureates of the Trebbia European Award 2010 for support of the arts: Prof. Thomas Thomaschke ( *1943) – Germany Bob Geldof (*1951) – Ireland Bülent Eczacibasi (*1949) – Turkey

Josef Nálepa, Sculptor, admaring his work

The Special Trebbia European Award 2010 for contribution to the dialogue of national cultures: Zlata Holušová (*1958) – Czech Republic

From left: Hostess, Přemysl Synek, General Director, Diamonds International Corporation, Supervisor of Trebbia, Dušan Čaplovič, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Slovak Republic presenting the Award to Ladislav Chudík, Laureate of Trebbia Award 2010, Jitka Novotná, Moderator, Czech TV and Ľubomír Bajaník, Moderator, Slovak TV

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18.3.2010 17:51:55

culture event

From left: PhDr. MgA. Miro Smolák, Owner and Director of MIRO Gallery in Prague during his opening speech, Barbora Bálková, Artist and Josef Moucha, Theoretician of Photography

Barbora Bálková (*1978)

Selection from photographic projects: Exhibition in the MIRO Gallery, Prague

TRANSFORMATION

From left: Ing. Václav Baloun, BALOUN, J.C. & ROSEHILL and Lída Rakušanová, General Editor, Vltava-Labe-Press with husband

Mrs. Jozefína Škorupová, Consul of the Slovak Republic in the Czech Republic and Michael W. Pospíšil, General Director, Czech Centers Mrs. Monika Růžičková, Graduant, Faculty of Arts Charles University in Prague and Ing. František Mach, Chief of Protocol of Ministry of Agriculture

Mrs. Lenka Vácvalová, Actor, Ta Fantastika Theatre, Prague and Stanislav Vaněk, Director, Czech Television

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more mo m orree pphotos hooto h tos and an nd electronic eelleeccttrr oon nic ic version v eerr si sion on aavailable av vaaiilabl lable la bblle on on www.leadersmagazine.cz w ww.l ww w.l .leeaaade derrssm de maaggaazziinnee.c .cz

Barbora Bálková, Artist with her parents

17.3.2010 18:24:17

Danuše Siering, Siering s r.o., Prague–Berlin, Juan Braun, Argentine Writer and Journalist, Václav Čapek, TV Moderator

From left: PhDr. Radovan Čaplovič, Member of Government Council of the Czech Republic and Ing. Pavol Hozlár, Business Strategy Director, INCHEBA Praha, spol. s r.o.

Mrs. Barbora Bálková, Artist and Vasil Stanko, famous Czechoslovak Photographer

Mrs. Barbora Bálková, Artist, Paul American, Actor, National Theatre Prague and Eduardo Vinicio, Ministry of Culture, Angola

From left: Rossano B. Maniscalchi, Italian Photographer and Josef Nálepa, Czech Sculptor From left: Ing. Miroslav Palas, MPS, Managing Partner, CBS Complete Business Solutions s.r.o. and Radek Šidla, Owner of R. S. Artists Management

From left: Mrs. Alena Miro, Soprano, Soloist of the State Opera Prague, Andy Hryc, famous Slovak Actor and Honorary Consul of Seychelles in the Slovak Republic and Magdaléna Hajossyová, Opera Singer

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IN COOPERATION WITH 137 LEADERS MAGAZINE 17.3.2010 18:24:46

ZdenÄ›

Exhibitions, Collectors Prague, Coconut Grove, Westwood, Amsterdam, Pacific Palisades, Laren, Miami, Punta Del Este, Santa Monica, Mechelen, Beverly Hills, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, West Palm Beach, San Francisco, Honnover, Boca Raton, Carrasco, Palm Beach, Santa Fe, Monterey, Palm Desert, 100225_inzerce_SORFART_leaders_234x325_Antivirus.indd 2

11.3.2010 16:29:18

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Zdeněk Šorf „Antivirus” 850x330cm oil on canvas 31 000 000,- CZK

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234x325.indd 2

26.2.2010 11:19:25