Civic Democrats angry at Czech Education Minister for dismissing "their" deputy minister

Czech Education Minister Josef Dobeš (Public Affairs – VV) wants to dismiss Deputy Education Minister Eva Bartoňová (Civic Democrats – ODS). News server Aktuálně.cz reports that Bartoňová wants to meet with Czech PM Petr Nečas (ODS) regarding the issue today. The media are speculating that she would be replaced by Ladislav Bátora, who was once a member of the ultra-nationalist National Party. ODS does not like the idea of such a key deputy minister from their party being dismissed.

Dobeš has also been criticized in recent days for the above-average salaries he is paying his managers. The Czech daily Mladá fronta DNES (MfD) is even reporting that persons under his direct supervision have been spying on highly-positioned officials.

“The minister is proposing I be dismissed,” Bartoňová told news server Aktuálně.cz . “I disagree with that plan. I should meet with the Prime Minister today to resolve the situation. For the time being this is all in the negotiation phase.”

Bartoňová is responsible for the financial and legal management of the ministry and has “survived” seven ministers. She is said to be unaware of having committed any errors. The Czech Press Agency is doing its best to get a statement from Dobeš.

ODS does not like the idea of Bartoňová being dismissed. “Our priority is to keep Ms Bartoňová at the ministry, we stand behind her 100 %. During the time she has worked at the ministry she has demonstrated her qualities and I see no reason for her to be dismissed,” said Walter Bartoš, the party’s education expert.

The media are reporting that Bartoňová would be replaced by Ladislav Bátora, a former member of Petra Edelmannová’s National Party. During its existence, the party profiled itself as opposed to the European Union and to immigrants. One of its members was sentenced last year for writing a publication entitled “The Final Solution to the Gypsy Question” (Konečné řešení otázky cikánské), which includes the idea of deporting all Roma people to India.

The ministry has not confirmed any information about Bátora’s appointment. Everything is said to depend on an upcoming meeting between Dobeš, the Prime Minister, and the coalition partners.

The Education Ministry has also been in the news for other reasons during the past few days. MfD reported today that two former directors of the minister’s cabinet have been spying on approximately 20 officials, reading their e-mail correspondence and hacking into their computers. The minister has distanced himself from the scandal, but the newspaper reports he must have known about the surveillance.

Criticism is also being raised over the above-average salaries being paid to the new director of the minister’s cabinet, Jana Machálková, and to other managers. By the end of last year these staff members were being paid between CZK 70 000 and CZK 110 000 per month. Dobeš says the money for these salaries was taken from the savings created by staff cuts. He has also filed criminal charges over the leak of his employees’ salary data.

MfD also reports that Dobeš is said to have written Machálková’s seminar work for her. The minister denies the charges and says he merely authorized the work.

Dobeš fired 18 % of the ministry staff last year and is preparing a large-scale merger of many of the organizations directly managed by the ministry which will involve further layoffs. In his view, these unpopular steps are the reason private e-mails and other confidential information are now being leaked from the ministry.