Fall of the Roman Empire (2020 edition)

Eleven years ago it was Martin Roman's empire that was dealt a big blow by prying eyes when he and a group of ČEZmen vacationed in Italy. Ex-PM Mirek Topolánek, who was among them, claimed in his 2016 book that the "Tuscany affair" was organized by Andrej Babiš and ex-spy chief Karel Randák. Last week, a different Roman, Health Min. Prymula, was on the wrong end of the lens. It's surely no coincidence that the same ČEZ gang that lost out 11 years ago was on the other side of the camera this time. Blesk, which caught Prymula and Jaroslav Faltýnek with their masks off (covid equivalent of "pants down"), is owned by Daniel Křetínský, who got rich on ČEZ assets with M. Roman's help. Křetínský now employs Topolánek and was an early critic of a "medical police state" under Prymula. Blesk says the restrictions are destroying the economy. If Křetínský's goal was to weaken Babiš politically, the ploy worked. If, however, the goal was to slow down the vise-like lockdown and to save the economy from destruction, it backfired. This "Get Roman" sequel has energized Babiš as much as the 2009 original did.