Press Advisories

7. 8. 201422:02

16 evaluation trips taken by Prime Minister Sobotka: The government is meeting is commitments and advocating positive changes for the Czech Republic

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka today evaluated the last six months of his government’s work with the Deputy Prime Ministers Pavel Bělobrádek and Andrej Babiš. This brought an end to a month spent visiting the various different departments, during which he met with individual cabinet members to discuss fulfilment of the Government Policy Statement, the current situation in the ministries and the government's plans for the coming weeks and months. In just 31 days the Prime Minister managed to make 16 evaluation trips and meet with all the members of his government.

“These evaluation trips around the various departments have proven extremely useful. I have had chance to spend a few tens of minutes with all the ministers in person to discuss the fulfilment of the Government Policy Statement, the current situation in the ministries and the upcoming work for the departments and its departments in the coming weeks and months. These trips have not only enabled me to evaluate the work we have done together in the six months under this new government, but have also improved communication and cooperation within the government,” said Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

Today Prime Minister Sobotka and Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Bělobrádek discussed the issue of drawing European funds for science, research and innovation. They also spoke about support for research centres, to facilitate technological progress and advancement in the Czech Republic. The Deputy Prime Minister also discussed measures and proposals that could help to resolve significant problems in the science, research and innovation agenda with the Prime Minister. The talks continued with a debate on research and development expenses, and the need to plan for them in the long term.

The main topic of the discussions at the evaluation meeting between the Prime Minister and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Andrej Babiš was progress with the preparation of the state budget for 2015, changes to tax and interdepartmental cooperation in the fight against tax evasion, particularly VAT and consumer tax, with the Ministry of the Interior (special Kobra team). The Minister of Finance Andrej Babiš also informed the Prime Minister about the savings that have been made since he came to office.

The evaluation trips and meetings between the Prime Minister and cabinet members did not only take place in the ministerial offices. Prime Minister Sobotka met the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Marcel Chládek in the National Comenius Museum of Education and had a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Marian Jurečka in the National Museum of Agriculture at Letná. The Minister of Health Svatopluk Němeček welcomed Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka in the Motol Faculty Hospital, and met the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Michaela Marksová in the Labour Office building in Prague 4. Other meetings took place at one of the most famous branches of Česká pošta in Prague, in Jindřišská ulice and also in the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute in Komořany, Prague.

“The new government has been working hard for the last six months and I am convinced that we have made the most of this time in order to meet our commitments to our citizens. We have managed to make some positive changes according to the government’s policy statement, have been reviving confidence in policy and the ČSSD, ANO and KDU-ČSL coalition government has assured much needed political stability. I am satisfied with the work done by the ministers and hope that we can further increase our pace, as straight after the parliamentary holidays we will be facing some other important priorities, such as the approval of the pro-growth state budget for 2015, increasing the minimum wage and finalising talks on the government package with positive tax and social measures in Parliament,” added Prime Minister Sobotka.

Schedule of Prime Minister B. Sobotka’s evaluation trips in July/August 2014