Mass resignations hit Czech Environmental Inspectorate after Motorists-linked director takes over

The Czech Environmental Inspectorate (ČIŽP) is facing a wave of resignations among its senior staff after Pavel Straka — a former parliamentary candidate for the Motorists party with no prior background in environmental affairs — took over as the agency's new director in mid-June.

According to reports, two of the inspectorate's five department heads have already announced their departure, along with the agency's spokesperson, Miriam Loužecká. Matěj Mrlina, head of the internal services department, confirmed he had submitted his resignation effective August 30 and directly linked his decision to the arrival of the new director. "I don't like the direction the agency is being taken in, especially since it hasn't even been presented to senior staff or employees. I'm also unhappy with Mr. Straka's lack of communication and his management style — or rather, the absence of one," he said.

Also departing is Oldřich Jarolím, head of operations management and of the technical environmental protection and integrated prevention department, who has spent 17 years at the inspectorate. He too cited the change in leadership as the reason for his decision, though he declined to elaborate further.

Director Straka responded by saying that a partial team reshuffle after a change in leadership is standard practice, insisting that "the agency's direction is not changing, since it always operates in accordance with current legislation." The previous director, Petr Bejček, left the post in January this year to take up a position at the Ministry of Finance.

Straka's appointment raised eyebrows even before he was chosen. The selection committee recommended him to Environment Minister Igor Červený as its preferred candidate out of six contenders, despite the fact that Straka was virtually unknown in professional circles — unlike, for instance, Mrlina and Jarolím, who were also vying for the post. According to sources within the agency, speculation quickly spread linking the appointment to Straka's political ties to the Motorists party, for which he had run for the Chamber of Deputies in the last election, as well as to which he had donated money and rented out advertising space.

The selection process for the director took place in two rounds: the first competition, announced in February, was halted by the government office after the ministry organized a written test for candidates without consulting the committee. Červený ultimately appointed Straka only in June — and without a press conference, unlike a similar appointment of a new head for the Krkonoše National Park around the same time. Straka himself, who described himself during the election campaign as a lawyer and real estate entrepreneur, has not provided a full biography, and his official photo is still unavailable. Asked for comment, he said he had experience in legal and managerial roles in the private sector — the same experience Minister Červený had cited on his behalf.

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz