Marek Ženíšek has been the Minister for Science and Research for more than two months. He replaced his party colleague Helena Langšádlová, who was dissatisfied with the parent TOP 09 party because she allegedly could not sell the results of her work. Ženíšek, on the other hand, is praised by the party leadership in this respect. There is also satisfaction with him in academic and scientific circles.
"I've got quite a lot planned. I came into the position in a situation where a lot of things are in the works. A number of things have been very well thought out and we're getting to the most important part - and that's getting them enforced and put into practice," described by at the end of this July in an interview for Radiožurnál and iROZHLAS.cz Minister for Science and Research Marek Ženíšek.
He took office in mid-May, replacing Helena Langšádlová, who had faced criticism from her parent party for not communicating enough and not selling the results of her work.
But has there been an improvement in this respect with the new minister? According to the TOP 09 leadership, yes.
"As far as the evaluation of the presentation is concerned, we are continuously analysing the performance of Minister Ženíšek, as we did with Minister Langšádlová. It is evident from the results so far that he is more visible and communicates more actively," said TOP 09 chair Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
He also positively evaluates the fact that Ženíšek allegedly oriented himself in the agenda immediately after his appointment and is trying to address it effectively. "But it is also important to remember that two months in the summer is a relatively short time for a comprehensive assessment," He notes.
One of those who pointed out Langšádlová's communication shortcomings within TOP 09 was the head of the Pardubice cell, Ondřej Müller. "I have the feeling that almost no one knows the minister, let alone can evaluate her work," he told Seznam Zprávy in April. In his own words, he has a completely different feeling about Ženíšek. She appreciates that he tries to be visible and informs about his work almost every day. "I see that as a positive change," He adds.
According to TOP 09 First Vice-Chair Vlastimil Válek, head of the Health Ministry, comparing the work of Ženíšek and Langšádlová would be misleading at this point. The key point, according to him, is that the new minister is managing his job. "Marek fulfils everything I expected from him. I am completely satisfied with his work," He says.
More money for science?
TOP 09, as well as Ženíšek himself, have set as one of their key priorities an increase in funding for science. The Council for Research, Development and Innovation (RDI), which Ženíšek chairs, proposes a CZK 45 billion budget for science, but the government has not approved more than CZK 40 billion in the last two years. This is why Ženíšek has already admitsthat the amount proposed by the council is not very realistic.
"How big the increase will be is being debated, as it usually is with the budget. I'll try to get as close as possible to the council's proposal, of course. On the other hand, I'm aware of the political realities and the state of the budget itself." described by in an interview The minister said he was thinking of at least 2.5 billion extra for scientists.
"What the minister is actually saying in these interviews is that the proposal he himself approved as chairman of the council is just a kind of starting negotiating position for him. If the government is declaring that science, research and innovation are a priority, it should probably demonstrate that. The budget increase should at least compensate for the inflation over the last two to three years, when the budget has not grown and inflation has been huge," says Michael Komm of the Science Lives! initiative.
However, even he acknowledges that two months is not enough time for a full assessment of the new minister in office. He appreciates the fact that Ženíšek prefers negotiations to radical steps. "Minister Langšádlová was such a bulldozer who pushed these things and did not look too far to the left to see if anyone objected. I think Mr Ženíšek has a slightly different style and listens more to his surroundings," he says.
The new minister is also regarded as constructive by the academic community. The rector of Charles University, Milena Králíčková, said that the minister has an active and optimistic approach to development and further changes. That is why she has high hopes for him.
According to Martin Bareš, rector of Masaryk University in Brno and chairman of the Association of Research Universities of the Czech Republic, it should be taken into account that the new minister does not have an easy position.
"I can imagine that the role of a minister without his own ministry is very difficult because we have a number of different grant agencies, many ministries also have their own line agencies, it's very fragmented and in order to work systematically you need to have your own established and full-fledged apparatus, especially when you are part of the Cabinet Office," he says.
Communication is still lacking
But those who are not optimistic about the new minister's performance so far are the scientific unions, which last year initiated petition in the preparation of the amendment to the Act on Scientific Research Institutions and criticized the approach of former Minister Langšádlová in "circumventing the legislative process".
While they assess the resignation of Czech Minister Langšádlová as the right step, they warn that the only change in the functioning of the ministry should not be just "improved PR".
According to their chair, Jan Kober, the unions welcome Ženíšek's efforts to secure more money for science and research. On the other hand, however, Kober points out that it is necessary to keep an eye on what the money will be spent on. In his opinion, the low tariff wages in research institutions and the social sciences, or the so-called institutional support, must be addressed so that scientists are not so dependent on grant titles for their work.
"Of course, this problem cannot be solved easily and quickly; it is a matter of formulating a strategy, a longer-term approach that would gradually increase the low share of institutional funding in an appropriate way," says Kober.
However, he agrees with the new minister on that. On his intention to increase institutional support Ženíšek pointed out in his interview for Radiožurnál and iROZHLAS.cz.
TOMÁŠ PIKA, MIROSLAV HARANT, IROZHLAS.CZ, 7. 8. 2024
photo/top09.cz / gnews.cz-roz_07
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