Mathé may replace Hanáková as culture minister

Prague, Feb 15 (CTK) - Czech Culture Minister Alena Hanakova (Mayors and Independents, STAN) may leave the government and be replaced by outgoing rector of Prague's Academy of Performing Arts Ivo Mathe or somebody else, representatives of TOP 09 and the STAN movement that is allied with the party have admitted.

TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg confirmed to Friday's issue of Lidove noviny (LN) daily that he talked about the post of culture minister with Mathe.

Schwarzenberg said he discussed the post with Mathe already in late 2011 after Jiri Besser (STAN) resigned from it.

Hanakova, who was a regional politician before she joined the cabinet, has been considered a weak minister by many observers. She was criticised for example for her allegedly poor defence of the state-church property settlement and the personnel changes in the leadership of the National Theatre.

Even her colleagues from STAN unofficially admitted to CTK that Hanakova was not experienced enough for the work of a minister.

STAN chairman Petr Gazdik said Hanakova's departure from the cabinet has been considered. He said the Culture Ministry did not communicate with media well under Hanakova.

Gazdik criticised Mathe for telling Czech media that Schwarzenberg asked him unofficially whether he would accept the post of culture minister.

"The whole problem is that Mathe blabbed it out," Gazdik told Friday's daily Pravo.

Schwarzenberg confirmed it. "No hen should cackle before it is in the henhouse," he told Pravo about Mathe's indiscreetness.

Gazdik said he considered Mathe an excellent expert and a potentially good minister, but he said Mathe harmed Hanakova by his incorrect behavior.

Mathe was director of public Czech Television, head of the Presidential Office under late Vaclav Havel and rector of Academy of Performing Arts.

The next general election is due in mid-2014 and the centre-right parties of the coalition government of Petr Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS), including TOP 09 and STAN are likely to move to opposition after. The Social Democrats (opposition CSSD) have been the clearly most popular party for a long time, opinion polls show.