The Czech Ministry of the Environment eliminated 38 expert positions as part of its restructuring at the beginning of April, its spokeswoman Veronika Krejci told CTK.
“Of course, such a significant reduction in staff is always painful. However, the ministry must comply with the government’s decision to reduce the number of positions in the civil service,” said Environment Minister Igor Cerveny (Motorists) said.
The ministry will also establish a specialised department for climate policy and the Green Deal, with Government Commissioner Filip Turek (Motorists) responsible for this agenda.
Denik N daily reported this week that the ministry will cancel 53 positions from the beginning of April. “53 experts are leaving, and a new secretariat will be established for Filip Turek. Unfortunately, this is the latest news,” former environment minister Petr Hladik (KDU-CSL) wrote on social media.
The department responsible for funding the New Green Savings programme and the National Recovery Plan is being dissolved, according to Denik N. The department overseeing the Modernisation Fund and the use of revenues of the Emissions Trading System, as well as the department for the Social Climate Fund, are also being dissolved. Each of these departments should leave behind one employee, who will be transferred to a newly established department.
According to Denik N, if Turek were to be appointed to one of the newly created positions at the ministry, he would be able to assign tasks to employees. In his current role as government commissioner, this is not possible, and he cannot assign work to or issue instructions to ministry officials.
Denik N further reports that the ministry is eliminating the sustainable development department and two departments focused on decarbonisation.
The government approved the reorganisation of civil service and government positions last December. The reorganisation affects the Government Office, 14 ministries, and 91 subordinate civil service agencies.
