Czech PM apologises to former environment fund head

Prime Minister Petr Nečas has apologised to the dismissed State Environmental Fund head Libor Michálek for his statement that the latter wanted to secretly record a meeting between them the prime minister informed the Czech news agency on Monday. The original comment was made in connection with a scandal at the Environment Ministry that has shaken the coalition government. The scandal erupted after Mr Michálek secretly taped meetings between himself and Environment Minister Pavel Drobil as well as his adviser Martin Knetig, who allegedly pushed Michálek to manipulate state contracts. He later took the recordings to the media. On Sunday the former Environmental Fund head expressed disappointment over the prime minister’s words, saying he might seek an apology in court unless the prime minister responded.

The coalition is meeting on Monday evening, meanwhile, to further discuss steps in the wake of the scandal as well as ahead of Tuesday’s vote of no-confidence which was initiated by the opposition Social Democrats. If the coalition parties vote as one, the government should pass easily; the coalition holds 118 seats in the 200-member lower house.