Dobeš again caught in scandal

Controversial Education Minister Josef Dobeš (Public Affairs, VV) is again under fire after a European Commission (EC) audit highlighted questionable expenses at the ministry, prompting Brussels to consider cuting off some 53 billion Kč in funding.  

The EC cited a large number of salaries exceeding 100,000 Kč per month, overpriced computer purchases, advantageous relationships of some suppliers and unexplained payments on projects funded by the European Union.

This latest incident at the Dobeš-led ministry has prompted coalition partner TOP 09 to call for his resignation, in the latest sign of tensions within the governing coalition.

Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (TOP 09) equated the potential loss of EU money with "a tax people must pay for the confidence they entrusted to the entity called Public Affairs."

For his part, Dobeš issued a statement Jan. 2 and pledged to follow it up with a Jan. 4 press conference.

"I was waiting to respond publicly … in light of Václav Havel's funeral and because of the Christmas and New Year's holidays," Dobeš said Jan. 2. "TOP 09 members, however, did not have that much decency and respect, and began the cannonade against me, nevertheless."

"Unlike Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek, I refuse to use this topic for specific political attacks on competitors."

Dobeš has conceded there were problems with drawing EU funds, but insists they are remnants of previous ministry policies, which he has sought to change. He fired Deputy Minister Jan Vitula (TOP 09) in March 2011, citing inefficient accessing of EU funds.

In the wake of Kalousek's comments and a call from Petr Gazdík, the head of TOP 09's parliamentary group, for Dobeš to resign, VV Chairman Radek John accused TOP 09 of "seeking a pretext for TOP 09 to withdraw from the coalition pact."

Political analyst Jiří Pehe said that may very well be true, as the party seeks to position itself for regional elections later this year.

"Staying in the government with VV is not good for their image," Pehe said. "They will be looking for an exit."

"TOP 09 is in charge of [the Finance Ministry]. At this time of crisis and recession, it must be a source of frustration that a minister would waste tens of millions of crowns through ignorance or incompetence."

While intra-coalition tensions for much of 2011 were focused on the Civic Democrats and VV, TOP 09 has had added grievance with Dobeš in recent months. Among the minister's many controversial moves was the hiring of Ladislav Bátora, a former parliamentary candidate for an extreme nationalist party.

In one of a series of incidents, Bátora lobbed insults at TOP 09 Chairman and Foreign Affairs Minister Karel Schwarzenberg on the Internet, prompting TOP 09 leaders to walk out on Cabinet meetings. Bátora later resigned, citing the need to be able to express his opinions more freely.

But it remains the audit and a potential failure to access EU funds that is at the heart of the latest dustup. Indeed, the Czech Republic has regularly faced scrutiny from the EC for how it spends money. In November, the Brussels-based weekly European Voice cited EC sources in naming the Czech Republic, alongside Spain and Italy, as among the worst managers of EU money.

Nor is this the first time the Education Ministry has faced allegations of failing to tap EU money. Indeed, the ministry faced criticism beginning in 2010 as the EC warned the ministry it might miss out on structural funds after officials only secured about 874 million Kč of more than 52 billion Kč in funding, while also only securing around 40 million Kč of the 59 billion Kč earmarked for program development and research.

This prompted Vistula's firing, but Vistula fired back in an interview with the Czech News Agency Jan. 3, citing a chaotic work environment created by Dobeš.

Vistula said the ministry section charged with pursuing EU funds has grown from 180 employees to more than 380. He also said Dobeš had forced out experienced people in favor of loyalists.

While Dobeš has been no stranger to scandal and controversy, it remains unlikely VV would be willing to move him out of the ministry post. Prior to entering politics, Dobeš worked as head of personnel for the private security firm ABL, which was formerly led by VV founder and chief financier Vít Bárta.

"VV is a branch of a private security agency," Pehe said. "Dobeš knows too much, and Bárta cannot afford to sacrifice him. Dobeš is an insider."

Dobeš is also considered a close ally of President Václav Klaus. One of Klaus' sons was hired on as a ministry adviser.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com