Prague, July 15 (CTK) – Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jan Mladek seems to have averted the threat of dismissal recently, but his critics reportedly plan to challenge him again soon, Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes yesterday, adding that if sacked, Mladek might be replaced by State Secretary for EU Affairs Tomas Prouza.
Speculations about Mladek’s dismissal appeared in April for the first time. His critics reproach him for what they call his excessively warm approach to Russia, indecisiveness on whether to break the coal mining limits in the Czech Republic and his poor presentation in media.
The critics are waiting to see how Mladek, 55, (Social Democrats, CSSD) will succeed in the forthcoming debate on the 2016 state budget bill. If he failed to push through most of his budget demands, it would become easier for his opponents to unseat him, HN writes.
Meanwhile, a scenario of the personnel reshuffle has been prepared. The ministerial post is to go to Prouza, 42 (CSSD), who, for his part, would be replaced by career diplomat Rudolf Jindrak as the state secretary for EU affairs, the paper writes.
Addressed by HN, both Prouza and Jindrak said these were speculations they would not comment on.
Jindrak, who was deputy foreign minister until a recent rift between him and Minister Lubomir Zaoralek (CSSD), is to become Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka’s (CSSD) adviser for bilateral European relations as from Friday.
“This is what I know that will happen. I do not know about anything else,” he is quoted as saying.
No one would comment on the situation officially before a decision is made by Sobotka, the daily writes.
Mladek is trying to do his best. In reaction to Sobotka’s appeal earlier this year, he has reinforced his PR team and two weeks ago he submitted statistical figures to Sobotka to prove that the media mention him more often than some other ministers.
However, not even a permanent communication with journalists may save him, because his PR shortcomings are only a substitute reason presented by his critics, HN writes.
In the CSSD, tension has escalated around the possible dismissal of Mladek. His remaining in the post has been supported by the CSSD’s South Bohemia branch.
President Milos Zeman, too, indicated that he would consider Mladek’s dismissal thoroughly, if proposed to him by Sobotka, the daily writes.
On the other hand, people close to Sobotka and the Government Office, who are mostly young or modern-minded members of the CSSD, tend to support Prouza, the paper says.
Mladek’s fate seems to largely depend on the result of the dispute his ministry and Milan Chovanec’s (CSSD) Interior Ministry conduct over the 14 billion crowns worth of EU subsidies to the project of the Czech high-speed Internet. Both Chovanec and Mladek want the whole project to fall under their respective ministries. Chovanec disagrees with a preliminary agreement under which 8 billion crowns would remain at the Industry Ministry, HN writes.
The issue has been submitted to Brussels to decide, the daily says.
($1=24.550 crowns)
