Topolanek the energy czar

Instead of keeping his head down after leaving as ODS chairman, Mirek Topolánek trotted off to Tuscany and stayed for two weeks in the same villa that contributed to his downfall. Blesk tabloid snapped some pictures and said that the out-of-work ex-PM could hardly afford the Kč 385,000 rent, given all his other expenses. This prompted Topolánek to declare in MFD last week that he has actually been working for energy-related companies since the day after he left his ODS post. He refused to name the clients, other than his former company VAE Controls. Topolánek also said he now wants to be named to a vacant post in a global energy institution and needs the government's help. It's clear what value Topolánek had for energy companies while he was still in office, but what he has to offer the sector now still seems a bit fuzzy. The CV he submits for the global post should make for interesting reading. [Czech Republic resume]