Bursik to temporarily head education ministry

President Vaclav Klaus has entrusted Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Green Party Martin Bursik with the temporary running of the education ministry. The news was made public by the president's spokesman on Friday. Mr Bursik, who also holds the post of environment minister, will take the interim job until a long-term candidate can be found. The Greens have tried but so far been unsuccessful in finding a successor to former minister Dana Kuchtova, who stepped down in October.

Mr Bursik has admitted finding a successor had proven more complicated than expected; he said on Thursday that the education ministry should first be stabilised before a new minister is appointed.