Czech industry is tied closely to Germany, and this applies twofold to the automobile industry. Yet the CR abstained last week in a vote on EU countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China. By doing so, the Czech government in effect supported the duties and went against the wishes of Germany and Volkswagen. The Fiala cabinet hasn't explained itself, but Pres. Tomáš Prouza of the SOCR retailers' union told Czech Radio on Tues. that VW has absolutely mismanaged the transition to e-mobility and that he thinks it's good that the CR didn't succumb to the short-term pressure of car manufacturers, because it would merely increase the time they need to catch up with China. Prouza's daytime job is to promote the interests of German retail chains, but in this case he's going against the stated interests of VW and Škoda Auto. Maybe this is because his side job until Tues. was to advise Jozef Síkela as industry minister. It's even possible that Prouza will soon become the head of Síkela's office in the EU Commission. And EU commissioners, as everyone knows, can't support the interests of their home countries.