| EDITORIAL >
Unbreakable
Written by: Philippe Riboton
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SAY THE NAME Vladimír Železný and you will notice an interesting
phenomenon: people talk a lot about him in private, but when it
comes to making a public statement, you will only hear the buzz
of a fly. CEO's of companies that number among the biggest advertisers
on TV Nova don't refrain from complaining about the man's conduct
or his organization's practice. Yet not a single one of them will
withdraw its advertising budget from his TV station, since they
are afraid to leave the entire commercial airtime to their competitors.
Politicians never miss the chance to compare him to some villain,
but they still queue up to appear on his evening news programs,
or jump at the chance to make some shady deal in corridors where
microphones and cameras can't access. Journalists love to denounce
his autocratic behavior, but none of them will agree to speak on
the record when interviewed about the "Iron Man". These
few examples illustrate the presence and power of this exceptional
man, who is feared as much as he is admired. People admire his extraordinary
talent for speaking, demonstrating, convincing and - ultimately
- just being Vladimír Železný. Women are seduced by his charm, his
permanent tan, his gray hair and his elegantly tailored suits. Men
are attracted by his power, his entourage of bodyguards, his outrageous
wealth and the impression he gives of being unbreakable. In the
end they both vote the same way, as is so strongly evidenced by
Železný's first-round victory in the recent senatorial elections.
In this month's cover story, The Prague Tribune goes beyond the
typical controversy found on the front page of newspapers; we try
to create a tableau of the many faces and different lives of the
man. Although he was given plenty of time and opportunities, Mr.
Železný chose not to respond directly to our questions - which isn't
such a bad thing. It leaves our readers with the freedom to make
up their own opinion about one of the most emblematic characters
in contemporary Czech society.
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