Prague, May 2 (CTK) – The government supported the plan to use the English name Czechia for the Czech Republic abroad on Monday, said Regional Development Minister Karla Slechtova (for ANO), sole opponent of the idea, adding that the Foreign Ministry did not take into consideration the objections of her ministry.
The intention to enter the one-word translation of the country’s name in the relevant U.N. databases was released by Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD) after a meeting of top representatives of the country in mid-April.
One of the reasons why Slechtova did not like the plan is that the logo The Czech Republic – Land of Stories is used in promotion of the country abroad, of which her ministry is in charge.
The Foreign Ministry informed the government on Monday about the plan to add the shorter geographic version of the country’s name in the U.N. databases together with translations into English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
“The government took this document into account. Only I was against it because I disagree with both how it was prepared and the fact that none of our objections of which there is about 20 was taken into consideration,” Slechtova said.
She said one of the fundamental objections is that the introduction of the translation is not necessary and that no public debate on it was held.
“Citizens learnt about it just as me from the media,” Slechtova said, adding that the Regional Development Ministry, which is the guarantor of tourism, should have been informed of the plan, Slechtova said.
The official one-word name Czechia is not meant as a replacement of the name of the Czech Republic. It will only be a shorter alternative of it.
“It always depends on the given entity whether it decides to use the longer, or the shorter version,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It said the shorter name is suitable mainly where a formal designation is not necessary, such a in sport or marketing.
Slechtova said previously about 1.1 billion crowns was spent on the creation of the above currently used communication brand in 2013-15 and she proposed that a referendum be held on the country’s name.
