Czech environmental officials are meeting with the directors of the country’s four national parks Thursday to discuss funding concerns, according to a government representative. The discussions come as the parks face potential budget cuts and staff reductions.
Filip Turek, the government’s envoy for climate policy, told Czech Television that he is optimistic about working with the newly appointed Minister of the Environment, Igor Červený. “We have a similar view of the world, on environmental protection and on industry, so from the position of government envoy for climate policy and the Green Deal, I am satisfied with our cooperation,” Turek said.
Turek believes he and Červený will be aligned on issues related to industry. “As an envoy for climate policy and the Green Deal, I am the one who has more responsibility for energy and industry, which climate policy harms,” the lawmaker stated, adding that the Ministry of the Environment is a department closely linked to energy and industry. According to Turek, a strong industrial base is essential for a country to be environmentally responsible and afford environmental protections.
Turek indicated that he and Červený agree on the reality of climate change and humanity’s contribution to it. “I just say that a person who lives in Europe and the Czech Republic does not have such a big influence on climate change happening… And it definitely doesn’t make sense to cut off our own industry and energy for the sake of buying products from Asia, which produces two to three times more emissions during the same production,” Turek said.
Turek said climate change is largely linked to energy and industrial policy. “Climate change as such is, from our point of view, something that a person living in the Czech Republic cannot influence and therefore should adapt to it,” the lawmaker said, repeatedly stating during the interview that he is “not a scientist.”
“We are fully aware that climate change is happening and that humanity is contributing to it. The European Union accounts for approximately 5.6 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and the Czech Republic accounts for approximately 0.34 percent,” Červený said Monday.
Meeting with National Park Directors
Turek too announced that a meeting with the directors of all four national parks is scheduled for Thursday. The parks are facing potential funding cuts from the Ministry of the Environment, which could lead to job losses. The administration of Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP) last week alerted officials to a letter from the ministry, informing them of a proposed reduction of 14 positions from the current 238. Environmental groups have criticized the proposed cuts, rejecting the direction of the Motorist party within the ministry.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that (national parks) do not lose any operating funds they need. We just want effective financial management to take place here. That is, if they can use the money they have in their reserves, it is better for the taxpayer to encourage them to use that money, rather than use money that the state borrows. If these funds run out, of course, the state will help the parks to continue functioning,” Turek emphasized, noting that the parks have reserves of over 726 million Czech crowns.
“National parks have large, multi-million crown reserves from previous periods. If the Ministry of the Environment sends them more money, it increases their financial reserves, which is completely unnecessary in a period when we need to behave financially sustainably,” Červený said previously.
Disagreement with the President? “The wiser one will yield,” Turek said
Turek also addressed a dispute between the Motorist party and President Petr Pavel, who refused to appoint Turek as Minister of the Environment due to some of his views and statements. The lawmaker and honorary president of the Motorists has faced criticism for allegedly racist and homophobic posts on social media, for some of which he has apologized and for others he denies authorship.
Turek recalled that he was originally slated to become Minister of Foreign Affairs. That position ultimately went to the chairman of the Motorists, Petr Macinka, whose party originally intended to nominate him to head the Ministry of the Environment. “A big concession from the Presidential Office was that we switched with Petr Macinka. That we stepped away from the concept that I would be Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was an unwritten agreement with the President. He did not keep it again,” Turek said. However, moderator Kroužková noted that Pavel has not confirmed the existence of this agreement.
After the President rejected Turek’s appointment, the Motorists announced they would not nominate another candidate for the head of the Ministry of the Environment. Why did they change their minds? “The wiser one will yield,” Turek said, adding that the party wants the ministries under its leadership to function as well as possible. He added that it would be possible in the long term for Macinka to head two ministries. “But it was annoying for all parties in the media. Nothing else was being discussed and we really want to operate,” he said.
Reaction to Macinka’s speech at the UN General Assembly
The Czech Foreign Minister Macinka, on Tuesday at a special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, told Moscow that invasion is never legitimate and it is time to end the war.
Turek said he agrees with Macinka, but reiterated that he believes the invasion is due to the poor foreign policy of superpowers and their efforts to expand spheres of influence. He also mentioned the expansion of NATO. “The Russians need eastern Ukraine, they need Sevastopol (port city in southwestern Crimea, ed. Note) for strategic reasons, they need access to a non-freezing sea. These are all geopolitical and strategic reasons for Russia. And of course, they are afraid of NATO, because historically it has had many things that were not purely defensive in nature,” Turek said.
However, he said this does not indicate that superpowers can take whatever they want in violation of international law. “I say that superpowers unfortunately behave according to the realistic theory of international relations. And not the idealistic one. We would like it to be different, but superpowers behave according to their realistic possibilities,” he said, adding that the Motorists have always said that Russia is the aggressor.
In connection with foreign policy, Turek also spoke about defense spending, which the latest cabinet reduced in the proposed budget compared to the proposal of the previous government of Petr Fiala (ODS). According to the government envoy, U.S. President Donald Trump only talks on friendly terms with a few politicians, including Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO). “And we should take advantage of the situation and start telling Americans the reality of our economy,” Turek added.
However, according to the lawmaker, real defense capability is more important. “It doesn’t matter if you spend two and a half percent badly, or one and a half percent smartly,” he said. Last June, NATO countries agreed to increase defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, with an additional 1.5 percent of GDP for related non-military investments.
