MP Turek apologizes to ministry staff over “parasites” remark

MP Filip Turek (Motorists) has apologized to ministry staff if they were offended by his remarks about “parasites.” Turek says that in the statement, criticized by, among others, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) and trade unions, he was referring to activists, not ministry employees. He said this during a debate on TV Nova today.

According to the Blesk news website, Turek recently said at an event marking the anniversary of the online TV station XTV that ministries led by Motorists were full of “progressivist, left-wing, sometimes green, sometimes other parasites,” and that the Motorists had decided to “gradually eliminate” them.

In today’s debate, he confirmed making those statements but rejected the claim that he was talking about ministry employees. He said he meant activists and that his remarks had been misinterpreted. “I apologize to all ministry staff if they were affected,” he said.