Marek Ženíšek has been in office as the Minister of Science and Research for over two months. He replaced his party colleague, Helena Langšádlová, who faced dissatisfaction within their own party, TOP 09, because she was allegedly unable to effectively communicate the results of her work. Party leaders, on the other hand, praise Ženíšek in this regard. He is also well-regarded within academic and scientific circles.

“I have quite a bit planned. I took office in a situation where many things were already underway. Many things were well-conceived, and we are approaching the most important part – implementing and putting them into practice,”

He took office in mid-May, replacing Helena Langšádlová, who faced criticism from her own party for failing to communicate effectively and for not promoting the results of her work.

Has there been an improvement in this regard with the new minister? According to the leadership of TOP 09, yes.

“Regarding the evaluation of presentations, just like with Minister Langšádlová, we are continuously analyzing the performances of Minister Ženíšek. From the available results, it is clear that he is more visible and communicates more actively,”

She also positively notes that Ženíšek reportedly quickly familiarized himself with the issues upon his appointment and is trying to address them effectively. “However, it is important to remember that two months during the summer is a relatively short period for a comprehensive evaluation,”

One of those who, within TOP 09, pointed out the communication shortcomings of Langšádlová was the head of the Pardubice branch, Ondřej Müller. “I feel that almost no one knows Minister Langšádlová, let alone can evaluate her work,”“I consider this a positive change,”

According to the first vice-chairman of TOP 09 and the head of the Ministry of Health, Vlastimil Válka, comparing the work of Ženíšek and Langšádlová at this point would be misleading. He emphasizes that the new minister is doing a good job. “Marek is fulfilling everything I expected of him. I am completely satisfied with his work,”

More money for science?

TOP 09, and Minister Ženíšek himself, have identified increasing funding for science as one of their key priorities. The Council for Research, Development and Innovation (RVVI), which Ženíšek chairs, proposes a budget of 45 billion crowns for science, but the government has not approved more than 40 billion crowns for the past two years. For this reason, Ženíšek has already acknowledged that the amount proposed by the council is not very realistic.

“The extent of the increase is subject to debate, as is typical with budgets. I will, of course, try to get as close as possible to the council's proposal. On the other hand, I am aware of the political realities and the state of the budget itself,” the minister said in an interview, adding that he is considering at least 2.5 billion crowns for scientists.

“The minister is essentially saying in these interviews that the proposal he approved as chairman of the council is only a starting point for negotiations. If the government declares that science, research, and innovation are a priority, it should demonstrate that. This budget increase should at least compensate for the inflation of the past two to three years, during which the budget did not increase, and inflation was enormous,” said Michael Komm of the Věda žije! (Science Lives!) initiative, commenting on the minister's statements.

However, he also acknowledges that two months is a short time to evaluate a new minister's performance. He appreciates the fact that Ženíšek prefers negotiations over radical measures. “The former Minister Langšádlová was like a bulldozer, pushing things forward and not paying much attention to whether anyone objected. I think that Mr. Ženíšek has a slightly different style and listens more to his surroundings,” he noted.

The academic community also views the new minister as constructive. Milena Králíčková, rector of Charles University, stated that the minister demonstrates an active and optimistic approach to development and further changes, and 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 is also important to consider that the new minister is in a difficult position.

“I can imagine that the role of a minister without a dedicated ministry is very difficult, because we have a large number of different grant agencies, and many ministries also have their own departmental agencies. It is very fragmented, and to work systematically, you need your own established and fully functional apparatus, especially when you are part of the Office of the Government,” he said.

Communication is still lacking

However, scientific unions, which initiated a petition during the preparation of the amendment to the law on scientific research institutions and criticized the former Minister Langšádlová's approach to "circumventing the legislative process," are not yet optimistic about the new minister's performance.

While they view the departure of Minister Langšádlová as a correct step, they emphasize that the only change in the functioning of the ministry should not be "an improvement in public relations."

According to its chairman, Jan Kober, the unions welcome Ženíšek's efforts to secure more money for science and research. However, Kober also points out that it is necessary to ensure that the money is used appropriately. He believes that issues such as low salary scales in research institutions and the social sciences, as well as institutional support, need to be addressed so that scientists are not so dependent on grant funding.

“This problem cannot be solved easily or quickly; it requires the formulation of a strategy and a long-term approach that would gradually increase the proportion of institutional funding,” Kober concluded.

However, they agree with the new minister on this point. Mr. Ženíšek had previously mentioned in his interview for Radiožurnál and iROZHLAS.cz his intention to increase institutional support for top scientists to prevent them from leaving.

iROZHLAS
Lepší než Langšádlová? Straníci jsou s ministrem Ženíškem spokojení, klíčová budou jednání o rozpočtu
Ženíška vedení strany v komunikaci chválí. Spokojenost s ním panuje zatím i v akademických a vědeckých kruzích. Ty přesto poukazují na to, že by ministr mohl být ambicióznější v jednáních o rozpočtu.

photo/top09.cz / gnews.cz-roz_07