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Ministry says EU funds not in danger

Kuchtová not fired, but still on the hot seat for jeopardizing billions

By Kimberly Ashton
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
September 19th, 2007 issue

Despite nearly missing the deadline to apply for billions of crowns in European Union funding, Education Minister Dana Kuchtová will hold on to her job for the time being.
Environment Minister Martin Bursík, head of the Green Party to which Kuchtová belongs, made threatening noises last week over what appears to be a colossal blunder that could cost the national education system up to 130 billion Kč ($6.6 billion in EU funds over the next seven years.
European Commission representatives warned Sept. 12 that the Czech program for withdrawing funds was unprepared, prompting accusations of incompetence directed at Kuchtová.
Bursík said Kuchtová “would remain in office if she convinced him that the problems preventing the use of the funds could be rectified,” according to Czech Public Radio.
After a weekend-long session filling out paperwork, Kuchtová and her team of about 20 people seem to have worked through the snags.
“We hope everything will be all right,” Education Ministry spokesman Ondřej Gabriel said after the Sept. 18 press conference.
The Education Ministry Web site is more explicit: “The EU funding to support the Czech educational system is not in danger at all and the whole misunderstanding can be solved in a couple of weeks,” it stated.
On Sept. 17, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek came to Kuchtová’s defense and said she isn’t responsible for the ministry’s lack of preparedness, but rather the previous government, headed by Social Democrat Jiří Paroubek, is to blame for not having adequately prepared programs to draw on EU funds.
“We have inherited the problem,” Topolánek said.
Eva Rolečková, spokeswoman for the Green Party, said Bursík never wanted Kuchtová to be replaced, but that he recommended that she replace her deputy, Jaromír Soukup, since some people have left during his time at the ministry.
“About the recent problem with the funding — this project was prepared by three ministers: [former Education Minister] Petra Buzková, [former Education Minister] Kopicová and Kuchtová. I think all three ministers have their own share of responsibility,” Rolečková told The Prague Post.
The European Commission will decide on the funding by Oct. 12, the Czech News Agency reported.
Kuchtová could not be reached for comment.
—Hela Balínová contributed to this report.

Kimberly Ashton can be reached at kashton@praguepost.com


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