New minister brings non-ideological perspective: prime minister

Prague 6 mayor and Civic Democrat member of the lower house of parliament Tomáš Chalupa has been named the new environment minister by Prime Minister Petr Nečas. He replaces Pavel Drobil who stood down in mid-December following a corruption scandal at the ministry’s environment fund. The prime minister said Mr. Chalupa would bring a non-ideological perspective to the ministry. The new minister started working as a journalist, later becoming spokesman for President Václav Klaus and becoming Prague 6 mayor in the footsteps of former Prague mayor Pavel Bém. The appointment should be approved by the president next week.