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The Czech power utility CEZ said on Monday that Western European power companies, faced with a shortage of skilled technicians and amid expectations of a nuclear power renaissance, are headhunting Czech nuclear power experts. A CEZ spokesman said that many western European countries had run down their nuclear industries and now lacked the necessary experts. The head of the Czech Nuclear Society, Vaclav Hanus, said that some new graduates in nuclear subjects had already taken up offers in Britain. He said British companies were prepared to offer 10,000 pounds (18,400 dollars) as a welcome bonus to new recruits. CEZ, which operates two nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic, says it sees the situation as a threat.

The Civic Democratic leadership, which is currently in the process of trying to secure support for a governing mandate, does not see a grand coalition with the Social Democrats as a viable option. Mirek Topolanek, the chairman of the Civic Democratic Party, says that this would go against the wishes of party members, as well as voters. At present, the Civic Democrats are in the process of negotiating a coalition with the Christian Democrats and the Greens, though this solution would still leave them with only 100 seats in the 200-seat lower house.

Over the weekend, all 74 newly-elected Social Democratic MPs signed a declaration vowing not to support a coalition led by Mr. Topolanek. Over the weekend, Social Democratic leader Mr. Paroubek said that he envisions a new Czech government will be formed by August.

Since the Velvet Revolution in late 1989, every election victor in the Czech Republic has managed to form a government.

At a meeting over the weekend, the Green Party gave its leader, Martin Bursik, and his negotiating team a clear mandate to take part in coalition-building talks with all parties except the Communists. Mr. Bursik says that negotiations with the winning party, the Civic Democrats, and the Christian Democrats currently take precedent over discussions with the Social Democratic Party.

The Green Party stands by its campaign promise not to support any government that would be dependent on the backing of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia.

The Greens earned six percent of the vote in recent elections, and have a mandate of six seats in the lower house—their first-ever presence in high-level Czech politics. Mr. Bursik has not revealed which—if any—ministry posts may be desirable for the Greens in a coalition arrangement, though analysts say that the Ministry of the Environment is of logical key interest for the Greens.

Three Green Party members were also expelled over the weekend for their leadership of the so-called 'Leftist faction' that emerged just prior to the elections, causing an internal conflict within the party. Eva Holubova, Karel Volny and Vaclav Drbohlav were voted out of the Green Party.

The Home Credit and Finance Bank of Russia, which is controlled by the Czech financial group PPF, reports a decrease in profits for 2005. Compared to 2004 when the bank saw a profit of 338 million crowns ($15.1 million USD), 2005 figures rest at about 256 million crowns ($11.5 million USD). The Home Credit and Finance Bank ranks second on the Russian market, and opened 31 new branches throughout the Russian Federation in 2005.