Ex-minister accepts PM's offer to work in Aeroholding

Prague, Feb 5 (CTK) - Former Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra (Civic Democrats, ODS) has accepted the offer of Prime Minister Petr Necas (ODS) to work in the Czech Aeroholding supervisory board, Vondra told CTK Tuesday.

Vondra resigned from the government as from December 7, 2012, citing his defeat in the October Senate elections among the reasons.

Shortly before Vondra's reaction Tuesday, Necas answered reservedly to the question whether Vondra was heading for the Aeroholding and he only referred to the Finance Ministry's section for state stake.

Zdenek Zajicek (ODS), deputy finance minister for the state stake financial management, only confirmed that changes in the Aeroholding supervisory board were planned as from February 11.

Apart from the work in the supervisory board, Vondra will also lecture at the Jan Evangelista Purkyne Univeristy (UJEP) in Usti nad Labem, north Bohemia, and the Prague Liberal and Conservative Academy (CEVRO).

Czech Aeroholding is a group of companies that operate in air transportation and related ground handling services, incluging the Prague Airport and the Czech Airlines (CSA) carrier.

Vondra, former ambassador to the USA and former minister for EU affairs, left the Defence Ministry after he failed to defend his senator's seat. His position was also weakened by the "Promopro scandal."

He was criticised over the allegedly overpriced public order to the benefit of the firm Promopro from the time of the Czech EU presidency in 2009.

The information on his work for the Aeroholding will probably refute the speculations about his return to diplomacy, for instance, as the ambassador to Russia or Canada.

Vondra is not the first ODS politician to get a post in the Aeroholding.

Ivan Fuksa, former ODS rebel MP, joined the Czech Aeroholding board of directors last November after he gave up his deputy's mandate, along with another two MPs, and thus enabled the passage of the controversial government tax package.