Final Word from Wednesday, January 19, 2022
If MP Jan Farský of STAN succumbs to the mounting pressure and resigns from Parliament as a result of his decision to depart for the U.S. on a Fulbright scholarship, he will suddenly become just another ex-politician. There are untold numbers of these, but it's a status that is nothing to be ashamed of, at least not for the cream of the cream of ex-politicians. They are among the most-welcomed commentators on public media. Ex-Finance Min. Miroslav Kalousek is especially popular now, because he's seen as a potential spoiler of Andrej Babiš's presidential ambitions. Kalousek revealed in one interview that he's an investment-fund manager, but no one mentions this or asks him for investment advice. It's just assumed that his time in politics provided him with a comfortable existence. The employer of ex-PM Mirek Topolánek rarely gets mentioned either, although it's no secret that it's billionaire Daniel Křetínský. Farský doesn't have the status of either of these heavyweights. Perhaps his best bet is to identify the Czech oligarchs who will benefit the most from EU federalism and offer them his services, if he isn't already. [ Czech Republic grant United States Oregon State University Czech Radio TV Television ]
Glossary of difficult words
to succumb to - to fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force;
untold - too much or too many to be counted or measured;
spoiler - (esp. in a political context) a person who obstructs or prevents an opponent's success while having no chance of winning a contest him- or herself;
heavyweight - a person of influence or importance in a particular sphere.