Czech Labor Ministry to take Romani agenda from Office of the Government

The Insider daily news server (www.denikinsider.cz) reports that reorganizations are being prepared at the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic that will affect its Human Rights Section. Matters concerning the Romani minority will be transferred from that section to the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry.

The governing Civic Democratic party (ODS) wants to close the Regional Development Ministry, currently headed by Kamil Jankovský, a member of the smallest party in the coalition government, LIDEM ("With the People"). The juiciest part of that ministry’s agenda, i.e., the flow of EU monies, will be given to a new department at the Office of the Government in charge of that funding stream. In exchange, the Human Rights Section will be sacrificed.

"The first thing to go is the Human Rights Section, under which roughly 50 people fall. Its various agendas would be transferred to other ministries. Romani affairs would, for example, be transferred to the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, while minorities would be transferred to the Foreign Affairs Ministry," a state official familiar with the downsizing plan told the Insider.