Press conference of Prime Minister of the CR, Mirek Topolánek after the meeting of the government on Wednesday 22nd November 2006

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press conference after the meeting of the government and as usual, I give the floor to the Prime Minister Topolánek.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: Good afternoon once more. Today's meeting of the government has finished a bit sooner. We had about more than 20 issues on the agenda. I have brought with me the Minister of Culture, Martin Štěpánek, who would inform you about one of his issues. I have brought, because of the same reason, the Minister of Defence, Jiří Šedivý and I have brought with me also the Minister of Justice and the Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Government, who would inform you about his issues. We have withdrawn today a material on free movement of workers for citizens of Bulgaria and Romania; not because of our disapproval, but because we would debate a completed analysis next week. We have approved some of standard points of the agreement. Regarding points that you might be interested in, the State Programme of Support of Energy Saving and Use of Renewable Energy Sources has been debated and approved with clear tasks for the future. It was a point, which we had inherited. We want both the Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Environment to assess the state programme, so that it would clear in May of the next year how to continue. An interesting debate was running concerning the Proposal for measures to increase the number of submissions of summary reports and value added tax returns via the Internet. We have noted the material and we assigned the Minister of Finance with a task not only to increase the number of submissions via the Internet through clear determination according the turnover, but also by means of natural motivational measures, which would lead tax payers to use this form and thus to help the Ministry of Finance to implement personnel audit, so as to achieve effective, or more effective processing of those tax returns. I suppose there was not anything principal, what we have debated and therefore I would recommend ministers to inform you about their issues.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: I thank the Prime Minister and now I would give the floor to the Minister of Defence, Jiří Šedivý.

Jiří Šedivý, Minister of Defence: Thank you. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to inform you on a proposal, which has been debated and approved by the government, on the proposal of the Ministry of Defence for a personnel change concerning the function of the Chief of the General Staff. This proposal will be now passed to the President. Concretely, it concerns the fact that on 28th February of the next year the sitting Chief of the General Staff, general Pavel Štefka is to finish his term of office and starting from 1st March general Vlastimil Picek, who is now the Chief of the Military Office of the President of the Republic, is to come on in place of him. On this occasion, I would like to say that general Štefka has done a lot of work during last four years. Under his leadership professionalization of the Czech Army has been performed, and very successfully, under his leadership we have achieved initial operational abilities of the Army of the CR, and therefore I am pleased to have opportunity to thank him. I suppose that major general Picek will be the best man on this position, also because of the fact that we expect him to finish certain transformation measures, especially in the area of management, i.e. management of the ministry and the General Staff.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: I thank the minister and now the Minister of Culture, Martin Štěpánek will be speaking.

Martin Štěpánek, Minister of Culture: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Subject matter of the material that the government debated today was the transfer of the building of former Federal Assembly and the present seat of the Radio Free Europe, from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Culture; it was decided that the building will serve first as a depository of the National Museum in Prague, during its extensive renovation. In the future this building should become a modern counterpart to the historical building of the National Museum in Prague and it would serve as a multifunctional exhibition premises. I suppose this solution as one of the most suitable one. It is a solution, which is also very advantageous from the financial point of view, it is possible to build subterranean corridors between the building of the National Museum and the building of former Federal Assembly. Apart from the fact that the administrative activities and depository would be transferred from the building of the National Museum to the building of former Federal Assembly, the National Museum would gain about 1000 square meters of exhibition area, plus some 3000 square meters of exhibition area in the modern building. I am very pleased that the government expressed its agreement with the proposal of the Ministry of Culture today; this issue will be a subject of further negotiations and I am convinced that very successful ones, as certain further proposals occurred regarding utilization of the building. But I am convinced that these negotiations will be successful for the National Museum in the future.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: I just add that at present, apart from the historical building of the National Museum, expositions, various stores and depositories are placed in further ten places in Prague and this solution is modern and acceptable solution from the urbanistic point of view because of subterranean connection of those buildings; and I would say that it is quite common in European metropolises.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Thank you. As a conclusion of the first round, the Minister of Justice, Jiří Pospíšil will be speaking.

Jiří Pospíšil, Minister of Justice and the Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Government: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The government debated, apart from other issues, the proposal for appointment of new judges. It concerns 13 new judges. The proposal will be sent to the President now. I would like to say regarding this issue that the government takes heed of personal issues of the Czech justice. In the state budget, there is coverage of costs for 3063 judges ensured at present and we have 2970 judged in the CR now. Therefore we want to eliminate the difference step by step. The President will appoint 29 new judges on Monday and those 13 judges should lead to the situation when there will be some 50 positions that should be placed in the first half of the next year. I want to add regarding this issue that we do not place judges to all courts in the CR, but we put the accent on placement of judges in such regions, where are the longest delays, where court suffers from shortage of personnel and it concerns the Northern Bohemia and certain Moravian regions. Therefore four judges out of thirteen are to be placed in the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem, where the worst situation; three judges are to be placed in Regional Court in Ostrava and three judges in the Regional Court in Brno.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Ladies and gentlemen, your questions, please.

Marek Pokorný, Bohemia dailies: I would like to ask, you spoke about the move of the National Museum; what are you going to do with those ten buildings, in which there are expositions and archives of the National Museum now?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: I think that fate of those buildings and their further utilization is going to be the same as in case of other buildings that are unnecessary for the state administration. So, they would be either transferred under the administration of the Office of the Government Representation in Property Affairs and this office would either transfer them to the municipality or to a region or they would be sold. I suppose this procedure to be a standard one. The National Museum is not situated only in its own buildings, but also in rented ones, it means that rentals would be terminated and thus economy situation of the National Museum would be better.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please.

Journalist, Great Britain: Can I ask whether the government debated the issue of the sale of the ČEZ?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: The government was not to debate the sale of the ČEZ and therefore it did not debate it.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, televize Prima.

Tomáš Drahoňovský, televize Prima: Good afternoon. I would like to ask such a political question. Today's issue of Lidové noviny daily informed that the candidate to the Chairman of the KDU-ČSL wanted to change declaration of this party, which had undertaken not to cooperate with the KSČM, not to support and not to participate in a government, which would be depended on communist's votes. He wants to change this declaration, but he did not say to what extent, but it is possible to assume that he might tone the declaration down. What do you think of it, Prime Minister?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: Nothing.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please.

Aleš Sosnovský, ČTK: Good afternoon. I have just small question, whether the government approved the proposal for a change of budgetary rules, which has connection with our embassies in abroad. Thank you.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: Yes, of course. With regard to the fact that our ambassadors work in countries with different tax regimes, with different statute, with different degree of danger, we decided, apart from other things, to open a special account, by means of which it will be possible to finance our embassies in advance in such a way that would be adequate for the respective country. The government approved this material without problems.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please.

Journalist, Reuters: I would like to ask whether you could say something in greater detail regarding the point no. 15, which was considered today without debate. It concerns privatizations and I would like to be assure, I know that it did not concern privatization of the ČEZ, but whether it concerned a mechanism of the sale or the expected sale of the minority share. Thank you.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: The material did not concern the ČEZ but it concerned the ČEPS. As you know, the Czech Transmission System is 100%possesed by the state through the National Property Fund and the company of OSINEK. According to this proposal of the Ministry of Finance the ČEPS undertook to pay out to the ČEZ the amount that the ČEZ had been deprived of a few years ago. The instalments are not paid according the original time schedule and the material we have approved would enable to cover it in the regime, which was agreed, from privatization revenues that are in the National Property Fund, it means under the administration of the Ministry of Finance.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please.

Veronika Kročáková, televize Nova: Prime Minister, do you think it is purposeful to negotiate with such persons like Mr. Kasal is, for example, who will finish after a fortnight? Is not it a waste of the time?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: Each of us has a mandate, each of us has certain power of the mandate. Mr. Kasal has, not only according to his words but also according to statements of present representation of the KDU-ČSL, full mandate to negotiate and I think that candidates to the position of the chairman do not doubt it either. As far as I am informed, the only one who announced his candidature was Mr. Čunek. I do not think that Mr. Kasal, Mrs. Parkanová as a Chairwoman of the Group of Deputies and Mr. Jílek as a Chairman of the Group of Senators would have reduced mandate. I do not perceive it like this.

Veronika Kročáková, televize Nova: One more question regarding Mr. Čunek. Do not you think that his statement in the Lidové Noviny could influence the negotiations?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: I always take all the statements with a pinch of salt, because they are published in newspapers.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question. Česká televize.

Jana Čemáková, Česká televize: Good afternoon. Prime Minister, I would like to ask you a political question; could you confirm that there will be a meeting of the ODS and the ČSSD held at the Kramář´s Villa at about 17 o'clock today? If it will be so, what are your objectives, have you already found certain common parts of your programmes? Will top ODS representatives be members of the future government?

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: I can answer your first question - yes. The negotiations will continue tomorrow. We announce the negotiation with the Green Party at 9 o'clock, with the KDU-ČSL at 10,30 and with the ČSSD at 12,30. The first round of negotiation, as we have announced in advance, will concern the date of early elections, as the congress assigned to us. This negotiation will be finished today. The second round will concern the programme, if there is progress; we will see. I am not going to set any limits for the negotiation and I am definitely not going to express my opinion regarding members of the future government, because it would be my decision.

Jana Čemáková, Česká televize: Thank you, I would like to ask the Minister of Justice, whether the government debated today the proposal for simplification of information exchange regarding Criminal Records Register between countries of the EU?

Jiří Pospíšil, Minister of Justice and the Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Government: Yes, the proposal was adopted. It is small but very important amendment of the Rules of Criminal Procedure. It will enable member countries of the EU to exchange more quickly and efficiently information contained in Criminal Records Registers. Nowadays, the exchange is done through the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office or the Ministry of Justice and it is very demanding from the administrative point of view. Now, the respective Criminal Records Registers will communicate in the framework of the EU. The proposal was approved by the government.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please.

Marek Pokorný, Bohemia dailies: What does it mean for the practice? Does it mean that a foreigner who makes a business here, will have to present his statement of criminal records, or what will be the procedure like?

Jiří Pospíšil, Minister of Justice and the Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Government: No, the proposal does not concern foreigners, it concerns cooperating state organs and they need information for their decisions on condemnation or on type of punishment. It concerns cooperation of state organs; it does not mean that a natural person would have to ask for something.

Radim Ochvat, secretary of the Prime Minister: Further question, please. If there is no any, thank you and nice day.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the CR: I thank you, too, and I wish nice day to you.