Deputy-mayor resigns over racist remarks about Roma minority

The deputy mayor of the Ostrava district of Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz, Alena Pataky from the ANO party has resigned from office amid widespread criticism of her openly racist remarks about the Roma minority. In an interview for the regional news site Okraj.cz she said, among other things, that Romany people are "genetically equipped in a completely different way" and "do not have any ambition to educate themselves." Pataky herself was in charge of the education and culture portfolio in the respective district and was commenting on the situation in local primary schools. Mayor Petr Veselka will temporarily take over her responsibilities until the council elects a new deputy mayor.