Expo 2025 commissioner dismissed amid budget dispute

The government has dismissed Ondřej Soška, commissioner general for the Czech Republic’s participation in Expo 2025, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told reporters on Monday.

The Czech pavilion project in Osaka faced criticism last year over insufficient external funding and rising construction costs. Macinka said the project ended with a significant loss compared to the approved budget.

Soška rejected the claims, telling the Czech News Agency that his dismissal—just one day before the end of his mandate—was politically motivated and aimed at discrediting Czechia’s successful participation at the expo under the former administration. He maintained that the original planned budget of roughly CZK 500 million had not been exceeded.