Kateřina Šafaříková
Kateřina Šafaříková is a Czech journalist specialising in Czech and EU foreign policy who has worked for the weekly Respekt since 2000. In 2004-2009 she was also Brussels correspondent for Lidové noviny, and is now Respekt's social affairs editor.
Updated: 8 August 2011
European funds tempt crooked politicians, not just in notorious Bulgaria but in the Czech Republic too. In the wake of a series scandals, Brussels has frozen disbursements to Prague and has begun to control how they are used – much to the chagrin of the cash-strapped government. 
Despite the pressure on the single currency and the current financial storm, one Czech journalist says it’s time for the Czech Republic to adopt the euro. A surprising proposal, perhaps, but one that she says is based on rational facts.