The junior coalition government party TOP 09 has four candidates, three men and a woman, for the post of science and research minister, said party deputy chairman and Health Minister Vlastimil Valek (TOP 09) on Czech Television’s Questions from Vaclav Moravec discussion programme yesterday.
Valek confirmed that the most discussed candidates to succeed Helena Langsadlova, who announced her resignation from the government last week, are TOP 09 MP Matej Ondrej Havel, former head of a grammar school in Hradec Kralove, and economist and former rector of the Silesian University Pavel Tuleja.
After the resignation of Langsadlova, the party considered abolishing the ministry, but ultimately decided instead to strengthen it.
According to Langsadlova’s earlier statement, TOP 09 was concerned with her inability to “sell” her work and her lack of visibility.
TOP 09 chair and parliamentary speaker Marketa Pekarova Adamova said the minister had put more effort into the content of her work than in her external presentation.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) praised Langsadlova’s work, and the deputy prime ministers Ivan Bartos and Marian Jurecka, leaders of the Pirates and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) respectively, also expressed appreciation for cooperation with Langsadlova on the priorities close to their hearts.
According to representatives of the scientific community who spoke to CTK, Langsadlova has done a good job with her brief.
Valek said TOP 09 would announce the final decision on Langsadlova’s successor next week after its board meeting. However, he added, Langsadlova is expected to help her successor and complete the things that she has started.
Pekarova Adamova said on TV Nova’s discussion programme “Five Minutes to Twelve” yesterday that she already had a clear favourite, but did not reveal their name. She said that Havel would fill the position with dignity, but added that other names were being considered. “We have several personalities who could hold the position,” she told the show.
“She assumed the post with a rather negative reputation of not being an expert, and I think that’s what killed her,” Roman Prymula, former health minister for ANO, told Czech TV. He said that before dismissing the minister, he would have first consulted representatives of scientific bodies. Prymula said that he would have preferred someone with experience in science.
Senator Vera Prochazkova (ANO) said on Czech Television that her party believed the ministry was useless and would abolish it.
