Controversy surrounding new director of Institute for Totalitarian Studies continues

The head of the Civic Democrats’ senators group Tomáš Julínek said on Tuesday that the Czech Senate will discuss the controversy surrounding the new director of the Institute for Totalitarian Studies Jiří Pernes at its next session in April. Mr. Julínek said he feared that the institute would stray from its mission under Mr. Pernes. So far, over thousand people have signed a petition for the institute to start a new selection procedure for the director’s position. The Senate appoints all members of the institute’s board.

Earlier this year, information that Mr. Pernes took evening classes at a Marxist-Leninist institute of higher learning, evoked a storm of controversy surrounding his appointment to the post