This short video explains everything you may have ever wanted to know about the Reconstruction of the State, but were afraid to ask.
The Czech Republic suffers from some of the worst corruption in the world. In order to fight it dozens of activists and experts got together to push for nine anticorruption bills aimed at increasing transparency while stopping conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds. The centerpiece of their efforts? A public pledge to support the anticorruption measures, which they put before every member of parliament.
At first, progress was painfully slow. But during snap elections in 2013, hundreds of volunteers took our cause directly to the candidates. Ultimately, 165 out of 200 members of parliament promised to support the reforms.
But the initial victory was short-lived. Eventually, parliament passed only one of the nine bills. The rest succumbed to an onslaught of excuses, delays, lobbyists, and political infighting. As the tide turned against reform, members of parliament started to demonize the pledge itself, calling us blackmailers, extremists, and radicals. The media eventually moved on to other issues.
Despite all these obstacles, we managed to get five of the proposed reforms passed by working with a small group of politicians across the party lines who actively advocated for the bills. Our initiative also inspired other coalitions to lead similar campaigns both at home and in neighboring countries. It’s a step in the right direction for a country that desperately needs to change the way it does business.
The European Union is sending a clear signal: climate policy is no longer just an environmental vision. It is becoming a core pillar of economic strategy. The latest State of the Energy Union 2025 and Climate Action Progress Report 2025 confirm that competitiveness is now Brussels’ top priority. In this framework, decarbonisation is positioned as a tool to strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty, stability, and energy affordability.
With the final revision of the CSRD landing only in mid-December, many companies spent 2025 navigating a moving goal post. Yet despite the uncertainty, some clear lessons have emerged from those already reporting under the new rules. So what did companies actually struggle with, and what did they take away from the experience?
Less than a week apart, the end of the year brought two developments in the case of the impact of the Turów mine on the environment in Czechia. Both developments are in line with the long-term efforts of Frank Bold experts to make information on the state of groundwater available and to mitigate the overall impact of mining.
