President of the Republic Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlova visited the Olomouc Region from 30 to 31 October 2023

PHOTO: Zuzana Bönisch

During the first day of his visit, the President of the Republic met with the Rector and Vice-Rector of the Faculty of Arts of Palacký University in Olomouc and debated with students. At the regional office he met with the Governor and the leadership of the Olomouc Region. "In this county, I think there are many examples not only of what is good, but also of what is occurring in other counties, and it shows us that some of these problems will require systemic solutions at the state and government level," Petr Pavel, President of the Republic, said at a press conference. In the afternoon, the President of the Republic met with the patriots of the Jeseníky region and participated in a debate with the citizens of Javorník together with the Governor of the Olomouc Region. 

During her visit to the Olomouc Region, the wife of the President of the Republic, Eva Pavlova, inaugurated the Centre for Conflict Resolution and Mediation, newly established at the Faculty of Law of the University of Applied Sciences. "I became very familiar with mediation during my work at the mediation centre and it has gained my trust. I think that, especially in family disputes, it should be used more than traditional court proceedings, because it helps not only to resolve the subject of the dispute, but also to reconcile strained interpersonal relations," said Eva Pavlová at the end of the visit. 

On the second day of the visit, the presidential couple began with a visit to the clothing company Woox, which is, among other things, a traditional manufacturer of flannel shirts. During the visit to the Vápenná Primary School, which offers classical and Montessori education, the presidential couple met with pupils and teachers. "It was very immediate. The whole atmosphere shows that the children are doing well here. It's a beautiful example for other regions that a school like this can be practically anywhere," said the President of the Republic Petr Pavel. This was followed by lunch and a discussion with the mayors of Jesenik and Šumpers. 

President of the Republic Petr Pavel praised the openness and matter-of-factness with which the mayors assess the region's problems. One of the topics was the issue of subsidies and project financing. "We have touched on a problem that is once again widespread throughout the entire Czech Republic, that the system of subsidies, of issuing subsidy titles, is not structurally well set up and, according to the assessment of many mayors, is exacerbating problems and differences between poorer and richer parts of the country rather than helping to solve them. And in this context, some also mentioned the not-so-happy budgetary determination of taxes, which will certainly be a topic that will need to be addressed at the national level." said the President of the Republic.

In the afternoon, the presidential couple visited the Velké Losiny Handmade Paper Mill. The President of the Republic will conclude his visit to the Olomouc Region with a debate with members of the Land Forces Headquarters in Olomouc. 

(CPR/JaV Communications Department)