Kurim, South Moravia, May 31 (CTK) – Czech Education Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) has until June 10, when President Milos Zeman returns from a foreign visit, to think her resignation over, and unless she changes her mind, he will dismiss her, Zeman said told journalists on Wednesday.
Zeman will visit Vietnam and Kazakhstan on June 5-10.
The Presidential Office received Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s proposal to dismiss her as from May 31 on Friday.
Zeman repeated his opinion that it is nonsensical to change ministers a couple of months before elections.
A general election will be held on October 20-21.
Zeman said unless Valachova, who is also minister of youth and sports, changes her mind, he will replace her with her deputy Stanislav Stech.
Valachova said on Wednesday she is not withdrawing her resignation, which she tendered over a scandal with sports subsidies of her deputy Simona Kratochvilova, who has resigned in the meantime.
Sobotka has repeated he counts with Valachova’s sacking.
Valachova decided to resign and assume political responsibility for Kratochvilova’s case.
Kratochvilova and Miroslav Pelta, Czech Football Association (FACR) head, have been accused of a suspected abuse of subsidies for sport.
Valachova announced her resignation at a time when former deputy prime minister and finance minister Andrej Babis (ANO) was reluctant to leave the government on suspicion of tax evasion and influencing media he owned. Zeman eventually dismissed him on May 24.
Zeman met Valachova on Sunday and tried to persuade her to withdraw her resignation.
“I told her I am giving her some time to think her resignation over because she may have made the decision on the spur of the moment,” Zeman said.
