Babiš criticizes post-1989 ministerial structure at technology exhibition

On Saturday, a free exhibition titled "From Craft to Technology," organized by the Office of the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, took place in the garden of the Straka Academy in Prague. Forty stands featured traditional crafts alongside Czech startups, programming demonstrations, virtual reality experiences and space projects, with refreshments and entertainment for children also on offer.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš praised the program, calling it impressive, but quickly steered the conversation away from the event itself toward the structure of government. He recalled how, in his view, ministries should have been organized after November 1989.

One ministry instead of several

According to Babiš, a single ministry of the economy should have been created instead of today's separate departments. "If politicians had introduced a majoritarian system after the revolution, we wouldn't have a separate Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Regional Development — we'd have one ministry of the economy, and we'd save on two ministers," the prime minister said. He explained that under a coalition system, these responsibilities ended up split among different departments.

Babiš added that his government is also focused on foreign policy, while he himself is primarily occupied with healthcare matters. He touched on the work of previous cabinets as well as his own government's record, before handing the floor to Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček, noting that Havlíček is responsible for economic policy and had developed the relevant strategy.

Czech goods heading to India and Ukraine

Havlíček stressed that the aim of the event was to connect Czech craft traditions with the world of innovation, noting that "tradition and innovation are not at odds with each other." He spoke about upcoming trips abroad: government representatives will travel to Vietnam, Ukraine, India and South Korea in the coming weeks to showcase and promote Czech products.

The exhibition wasn't limited to viewing displays — visitors could try out the technologies on show or make something themselves. Children got a hands-on introduction to artificial intelligence, programming and virtual reality, while fans of traditional crafts found plenty to enjoy. "We're showing the latest energy technologies and robots — you can even dance with them," the deputy prime minister added.

The program also included the "Bringing Practice into Schools" project, where a specially equipped vehicle introduced schoolchildren to information technology and programming, giving them an accessible glimpse into technical careers. Using virtual reality, visitors could take a virtual tour of a nuclear power plant, and a self-service store of the future was also on display.

Source: novinky.cz