Newly appointed Interior Minister Jan Kubice last Thursday granted four separate interviews to four national dailies — Hospodářské noviny, Mladá fronta Dnes, Lidové noviny, and Právo — but the interviewers failed to ask him about crucial issues concerning the running of the ministry. Nevertheless, the answers Kubice did provide demonstrate that he would be better suited to the post of Police President.
Journalists from the four dailies posed a total of 101 questions to Kubice, but not one asked about the agendas for the national postal service, Česká pošta, the Communication Infrastructure of the State Administration (KIVS), the Central Service Point (CMS), problems with EU structural funds, and other projects that are key matters for the interior ministry involving big money. For example, not one of the journalists asked the new minister about candidates for the post of general director of Česká pošta, which has been vacant since February.
More to ministry than police
Kubice’s appointment as minister demonstrates that the ruling coalition politicians continue to view the Ministry of Interior simplyKubice is not educated, he doesn’t know any foreign languages and has practically no knowledge of issues involved in the state administration as the police ministry. Kubice’s insight begins and ends with the police and other issues for which the ministry is responsible could spell his downfall. Nevertheless, it would appear that the journalists who interviewed Kubice view the ministry through the same prism as the minister.
It’s possible that Kubice purposely did not want to talk about the large and administratively complex agenda of non-police matters that the interior ministry must successfully deal with. Nevertheless, many people in this country are anxious to find out what will be done in these areas.
Following the departure of deputy minister Michal Moroz along with former minister, Radek John (Public Affairs, VV), his appointees remain, but it is not clear for how long. Miroslava Oliveriusová, who replaced Jiří Franc in the department that oversees Česká pošta, cannot be expected to come up with any conceptual initiatives.
The problem is that Kubice is not educated, he doesn’t know any foreign languages and has practically no knowledge of issues involved in the state administration. At least on the last point he has something in common with his predecessor, Radek John. For now at least, Kubice doesn’t have any team in the ministry capable of managing state administrative matters to the extent required to deal with the KIVS and CMS projects, the transformation of Česká pošta to prepare it for the further liberalization of the postal services sector, and the EU structural funds. One cannot expect any vision from Kubice in these important matters.
Post, communications, billions...
Under an agreement to centralize tenders for services for the state sector under the Minister of Interior, the KIVS arranges data and voice services for organs of the state administration. Approximately Kč 1.8 billion pass through the KIVS each year and the large telecommunications and data providers, and consultation firms compete fiercely for the contracts with the ministry.
Česká pošta is undoubtedly a crucial element of the ministry’s business — in terms of number of employees it is the largest enterprise in the Czech Republic. It has become the custom that new governments replace the post’s general director shortly after coming to power. Following the departure of Marcela Hrdá, who was appointed by Martin Pecina (Social Democrats, ČSSD) under the interim administrative government headed by Jan Fischer (non-affiliated) and held the post for a year and two months, the post is still vacant.
According to the coalition agreement, a new general director should have been appointed in February, but the government crisis and ceaseless arguing about procedures within the government have stalled the selection of a replacement. This is bad news for plans to privatize Česká pošta and further liberalization of the postal services sector; large delays can be expected.
