Klaus wished Jehliček success at the head of the "cursed" ministry

Prague - President Václav Klaus today wished the new Minister of Culture Václav Jehlička good luck in managing a department that, according to the president, has been a "cursed" office due to the frequent changes of ministers since the nineties. At Prague Castle, Klaus also expressed his belief that today's change in Mirek Topolánek's coalition cabinet will be the last personnel change for a long time.
    Senator KDU-ČSL Jehlička replaced documentary filmmaker Helena Třeštíková in the government, who resigned this week. Třeštíková only lasted 16 days at the helm of the ministry. She left the government because she was bothered by pressure from Topolánek and those around him to appoint František Formánek as her deputy. However, Topolánek claims that neither he nor his associates pressed her to accept Formánek and respected her decision not to work with him. Jehlička told TV Prima that Formánek would not be his deputy. Whether he will work at the ministry in another position, the minister could not say, as he still needs to get acquainted with the personnel arrangements.
    Klaus wished Jehlička success in running the ministry. "The Ministry of Culture is a bit cursed; ministers have changed here more frequently since the early nineties than in some other departments. I believe you will do your utmost to give the ministry a certain face and achieve a contribution to our culture," Klaus told Jehlička.
    Addressing Topolánek, who was also present at the appointment ceremony, he delivered another message: "I believe this appointment means a certain end to the appointment processes here in the Throne Hall of Prague Castle for a while and that your government will function normally from now on".
    Immediately after the appointment, Jehlička went to the Ministry of Culture, where Topolánek introduced him to the office.
    On Thursday night, the Christian Democrats announced that instead of Třeštíková, they would send Jehlička to the cabinet. They preferred him over former KDU-ČSL MP and ex-Minister of Culture Jaromír Talíř and Christian Democrat MP Michaela Šojdrová. Topolánek today described Jehlička as a fortunate choice. "I believe Václav Jehlička is exactly the right person, as a former mayor of Telč, who has worked with historical sites for a long time and who has long dealt with cultural issues and its financing in the Senate," the prime minister told ČTK in the morning.
    Fifty-eight-year-old Jehlička is one of the longest-serving senators, having been in the upper house of parliament since its inception in 1996. He started with the ODA party and has been a member of KDU-ČSL since 2004. For many years, he worked on the Senate's cultural committee, which he has chaired for the last two years. He aims to increase the share of money that the state allocates for culture to one percent of the budget.
    With Jehlička's arrival, the number of senators in the government will rise to five - along with him, Minister for Regional Development Jiří Čunek (KDU-ČSL), Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra (ODS), Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg (for the Green Party), and Minister of Health Tomáš Julínek (ODS) are also in the upper house of parliament. After Třeštíková's departure, there will be three women remaining in the cabinet - Minister of Defense Vlasta Parkanová (KDU-ČSL), Vice Chair of the Greens Dana Kuchtová overseeing education, and her party colleague Džamila Stehlíková serving as Minister without Portfolio. Topolánek's team thus lost the distinction of having the most women in the history of Czech governments.