AuthorMartin Hladík

“It is UNACCEPTABLE for children to live in POVERTY”

Jana Maláčová, Minister of Social Affairs

At the end of May 2019 you’re celebrating your tenth month in government. How do you assess your performance? What has been a positive surprise, and what has been a negative surprise?

ČSSD (the Czech Social Democratic Party) is doing well in government, and I am pleased to be able to play my part in this. There have been a number of successes. These include increasing the minimum wage by 1150 CZK and abolishing the three day “waiting period” for receiving sick pay. This is important to me personally, because the Social Democrats have always been the party of labour. If you work hard, then we’ve got to be able to protect you and secure you decent working conditions.
Then there’s the highest pensions increase in history. And again, if you’ve worked hard your whole life, then you deserve a dignified old age and not one mired in poverty. But our pensions system isn’t perfect, which is why I’m glad that as well as increasing pensions we have also managed to set up the Fair Pensions Commission, which is going to focus on eliminating the greatest injustices. We want to rectify women’s lower pensions and secure earlier retirement for what we term difficult professions. But we’ve still got to find new sources of revenue for our pensions system.
I also think another great success is the increase to the care allowance for Grade III and Grade IV dependency, as I consider it absolutely fundamental that these disabled people, who are in most cases reliant on the assistance of others, receive financial support from the state.
But my list wouldn’t end there. If I could summarise, I’m glad that ČSSD has been able to push the government towards more socially sensitive policies. If ODS (the Civic Democratic Party) or SPD (the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party) were in government in our place, things would look entirely different. Negative surprises can come at any time, but we then discuss it in government and we manage to come to a solution together.

Despite the good economy, you’re the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in a country in which a tenth of the population are subject to debt collection procedures; we have 115 000 parents refusing to pay child maintenance, and we have two vulnerable social groups – families with small children and pensioners – who are highly likely to fall into a poverty trap. Families and old-age are your priorities. What are the opportunities for systematic change?

First of all, I’d like to say that when our country is doing well and we have no major crisis to deal with, it is unacceptable for children to live in poverty in the Czech Republic.
There are a number of steps that can be taken to ease the situation. We are working on a pro- family package that will include increasing child benefits, implementing back-up maintenance payments and promoting job sharing, such as for mothers on parental leave, as well as securing funding for kid’s clubs and micro-crèches. In regards to senior citizens, I’ve already spoken about the increases to pensions.
You’ve mentioned debt collection. According to the latest available statistics, 863 thousand people are subject to debt collection procedures. This is a truly horrifying figure. If these numbers were added to the figures indicating those under threat of poverty, the results would truly shock us. However, this problem is only partially my responsibility. Other ministries have to do their share of the work. In the meantime, I have unveiled an increase to the Living and Subsistence Minimum. People subject to debt collection procedures should get at least a little more. Work has simply got to pay under all circumstances. In this regard, I have therefore used a government decree amendment to apply a number of key principles, which should help to improve their living situation while also providing them with the opportunity to get out of their debt trap.
In addition, in the area of fighting poverty, we are coming down hard on all the fraudsters and those who profit from poverty, who are a menace in so-called areas of social exclusion.

You are the Deputy Chair of the Orange Club, which advocates fair representation of women in public life. We should note that according to the World Economic Forum, the Czech Republic is 88th in the world in terms of equal gender opportunities due to the low level of political and economic involvement, despite our high position in regard to equal access to health care and education. It seems from the outside that few are bothered by this low ranking, just as few are bothered by the 22 % pay gap. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, has declared: “Diversity is Canada’s strength.” What can be done to ensure this statement could apply to the Czech Republic too?

The fight for women’s rights is an important topic to me. Thanks to the 22 % K Rovnosti (22 % to Equality) project study, we know that women receive an 11 % lower salary than men for the same position with the same employer; this is equivalent to men receiving a 13th salary and their female colleagues getting nothing. Across the economy, the gap is the 22 % you have mentioned. A key reason, of course, is looking after the family and children. Unequal remuneration for women and men is a fundamental topic that I want to open up at our tripartite meetings. I think this is an injustice that causes harm not just to the people in our country, but also to our economy. Again, our pro-family package applies here, as it includes funding for kid’s groups, micro-crèches and job sharing. These two measures should ensure that women should not need to face so many problems in balancing their career and working life due to looking after their children, something that can also have a negative impact on how much they take home. And, of course, we’ve got institutions such as the Labour Inspection Office and others, which need to ensure that no direct discrimination of women takes place in the workplace.

Single mothers are the most vulnerable group in the labour market; they are subject to discrimination in the workplace and, alongside pensioners, face the highest risk of falling into a poverty trap. Some companies prefer to go through the bureaucratic rigmarole of employing Filipinos or Indians rather than allowing shared work or job sharing. You are planning to submit your “family support package”, why was it hard to find support for this?

Job sharing won’t mean any further administrative burden for employers. In contrast, we have endeavoured to create our proposal such that the entire process is as simple as possible. It won’t be any more complicated than any time you want to recruit any new employee.
Thanks to job sharing, employers will be able to cover some of their needs for qualified employees, of which there are insufficient numbers today. One job could be shared, for example, by a mother on parental leave and a pensioner who would like to continue working and maintaining relations with colleagues, but is no longer able to commit full-time, or would like to spend more time with grandchildren. Budgetary reasons are often given as arguments against our pro-family package. But we should instead focus on the fact that investment in support for families will be returned to us many times over, whether in terms of a higher birth rate, or greater family financial stability. And we have a lot to invest in; we lack basic infrastructure, especially quality services in care for children under 3 years of age, support for part-time employment, etc.

Let’s stay with female solidarity. Have you encountered it? Does it operate in government? Does it work in top-level politics? Ministers Nováková and Schillerová are not well-known supporters of women or women’s topics.

It’s not for me to say. We all have a different agenda in each of our departments, and we communicate professionally together without major problems. However, when any disputes do break out, it is never at a personal level and we purely focus on discussion of our programme.
I personally have encountered the support for women that I am endeavouring to achieve in my previous roles, as well as within the Social Democrats, where this approach to women works excellently.

I’m not going to ask you how you manage with looking after your family and your career, because the question seems inappropriate since few people ask this question of men in top positions. So I’ll ask you how you work with energy, how you recharge, and how you manage to separate or bring together your work and family.

Thank you for formulating the question that way. But you’re right; it isn’t always easy. It sometimes happens that I spend the evening with my husband looking at our diaries and finding a way to reconcile everything together. But it helps that we have clearly set out what each of us does, and what the grandparents, who also help us, do. But it’s the same for most people; I look forward to relaxing with my husband, to being with my son Gustík and just enjoying our time together. Besides spending time with my family, I also find relaxation in sport and sleeping well. My favourite thing of all is to “switch off” over a good book or film.

By Linda Štucbartová

“In the near future, the Czech Republic may become one of the leaders in innovation”

Petr Očko, Ministry of Industry and Trade Deputy Minister for Digitisation and Innovation

Petr Očko doesn’t just believe that the Czech Republic could become an innovation leader, but he has been actively striving to achieve this. Over his career, he has managed to build up a successful technology start-up, has worked for a number of ministries and also has experience within large corporations. As for state institutions, he has led the CzechInvest agency, was Chairman of the Technology Agency, and since July 2018 has been Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade responsible for the new Digitisation and Innovation Department. Few understand the issue of applied research or co- operation between business and science as well as he does. We are glad he has granted Czech and Slovak Leaders readers an exclusive interview on the entirely new Czech Republic Innovation Strategy 2019-2030.

In early February, the government launched the Czech Republic Innovation Strategy 2019-2030. The Czech Republic, previously promoted as the Land of Stories, is to become the “Land for the Future”. You yourself were involved in the creation of this strategy. What fundamental changes does this strategy bring along?

I’m very pleased this strategy has been developed, because I am absolutely convinced that we are a country of great potential, and it is primarily up to us whether we exploit this fact or not. We are building on a long tradition of research, education and industry. And currently we also have large investments here in research centres, a lot of excellent research results, companies that are growing strongly and asserting themselves in foreign markets; we have much to offer the world. Yet few in the world link the Czech Republic and innovation together. Finland, today considered an innovation leader, was not in an easy situation 30 years ago, and had much less of a tradition of advanced industry and research. A large proportion of Finland’s success is due to its commitment to change and a shared vision of the future. We lack both of these, and that’s why this strategy is important, because it emphasises the vision of the Czech Republic as an innovation leader.
Of course, I’m not saying everything is perfect here – our business sector is highly dependent on foreign owners, many of whom undertake their science and research activities outside Czech territory. The sector comprising innovative small and medium-sized Czech companies is growing, but only some of these companies have penetrated the higher levels of global value chains. And co-operation between the academic and business spheres, or knowledge and technology transfer, has improved significantly, but is still below the optimum level.
This strategy addresses this area, and measures are proposed to deal with it, many of which are already being undertaken – such as making tax deductions for science and research more effective, and a key amendment to the act on investment subsidies, which will now be focused on investments with added value, and on bringing research organisations and companies together.

You held the position of Chairman of the Technology Agency (TACR) for over two years. During your chairmanship, TACR significantly expanded the number of declared tenders and launched new programmes supporting applied research. Do you regret that some people still describe the Czech Republic as an assembly plant?

The projects supported by the Technology Agency have helped me to get a much better picture of what applied research is being done in the Czech Republic, and that it is often truly world-class. There are quite a number of less well-known companies in the Czech Republic that are leaders in certain global markets – such as in medical devices, electron microscopy and in the increasingly important field of cyber- security, as well as in other areas.
Through the INKA project – mapping innovation capacities – implemented by TACR, we have thoroughly mapped the Czech innovations environment. Thus we know that there are a large number of companies in the Czech Republic of various sizes that have great innovation potential. On the other hand, there are a large number of companies here that are dependent on foreign owners and buyers whose innovative activities are limited to partial technological improvements. But according to the INKA investigation, even the subsidiaries of foreign companies are steadily improving their position within the range of the parent company’s activities. Many of these have significant science and research capacities. Some have become the leading science and research centre for their entire group in their product or technology field. It is thus our objective to support companies that have the potential of developing their innovation activities here in the Czech Republic, and support them to move higher up the global value chains. The INKA project investigation also showed that the management of many Czech companies have limited or conservative aspirations in terms of growth in company size within a 5- to 10-year horizon. In co-operating with TACR and “our” agencies, CzechInvest and CzechTrade, we are also helping companies to develop their innovative activities and succeed on the global markets.

You’ve gained professional experience both in your start-up and in the civil service, and you’ve worked for large corporations and in cutting-edge science. In the Czech Republic, these sectors are less connected than elsewhere, with almost insurmountable chasms in between. What can be done so that people in the different sectors understand each other more and begin to co-operate?

There are many positive exceptions, but it is true that I’m sometimes surprised by how much energy is sometimes spent deepening those chasms between different sectors. Personally, over practically the whole of my professional career, I have tried to expend my energy on building bridges rather than deepening chasms. I considered this one of my primary missions at the Technology Agency, and also here at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. I see the TACR’s role in helping to bring together the civil service, the academic sphere and the business sector in the field of research. I think one of our successes was when we managed to link applied research support to support from CzechInvest, which is now focusing on providing support for developing investments with added value, concentrating more than before on small and medium-sized companies and start-ups. And also the support of CzechTrade, who have helped ensure that the resulting products with added value can succeed in foreign markets. We have also created the platform called Tým Česko in co-operation with the state financial institutions EGAP, ČEB and ČMZRB, which companies can now use to acquire more effective and connected support for their activities, from research, innovations and investment development to success in global markets. Every CzechInvest branch, for example, will help with all this.

What prejudices or misunderstandings have you most commonly encountered that you can now disprove? Conversely, what do people in different sectors not know about each other that they should?

Personally, I believe that the situation is getting a lot better, and communication and co- operation between academia and companies is now much better than it was a few years ago. However, there is sometimes still diffidence in co-operation for various reasons. It is true that both sides need to understand each other’s peculiarities. Research organisations usually have a number of research strategies, and one cannot expect them to investigate a specific application for a particular firm within a month or two, as sometimes is expected of them. On the other hand, it sometimes happens that even a quality project of a research organisation, with an exciting outcome, ends up gathering dust only because they were unable to establish co-operation with relevant companies. Co- operation is most beneficial when both parties have been working together for many years. They trust each other and know what the other party’s expectations and needs are. Technology transfer centres at universities or regional innovation centres can assist in establishing new co-operation links.
Personally, I draw great inspiration from the Israeli model, which goes even further in this regard, with the vast majority of universities having their own commercialisation institutions there. These de facto subsidiary companies take care of intellectual property management, finding investors and commercialisation support, and are also engaged in setting up innovative spinoff companies in which, for example, they may hold shares. These usually operate more flexibly than the universities themselves, leading to more flexible work with investors. And this isn’t found only within technical universities, but also in social science fields. And basic research as well – an example here is the highly respected Weizmann Institute of Science and its subsidiary commercialisation institution, Yeda R&D, Co. Ltd. There are also scientific institutes in the Czech Republic that are taking the same path. One example is the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS and its company IOCBTech, and now also the i&i biotechnology hub. And last year, Charles University was the first university to choose to set up a wholly owned subsidiary entitled Charles University Innovations Prague (CUIP), whose mission is to be a bridge between scientific teams and commercial entities. I think this is the right way to go, and a direction we will be happy to support further.

Your portfolio also includes Industry 4.0, something we can find inspiration for in Germany. How are things progressing in fields like vocational education, digitisation (not just of the civil service) and focusing on creating posts with higher added value? Israel is currently looking at this area. Have we already got any examples of best practice?

We are the most industrial country in the EU, which is why it is good that we have managed to adopt the trend of digital transformation of industry in time, and our national Industry 4.0 initiative has been operating for a number of years now. This isn’t just on paper either – some specific activities that have been implemented include, for example, support for applied research in the Industry 4.0 field at TACR, and the Technology 4.0 programme focused on small and medium-sized businesses at the MIT. The MIT has now set up a new programme supporting applied research called TRENDS, in which Industry 4.0 is one of its main priorities, but it will also be focused on other new key trends, including for example artificial intelligence. And a new feature will be a greater focus on small companies that want to co-operate with research organisations for the first time.
We have certainly implemented good practice in beginning to deal not just with the impacts of the digital transformation on industry, but also more generally on the economy, labour market, education system, legislation, etc., fairly early. First of all, the Society 4.0 initiative was set up, and last year we produced the truly comprehensive document, “Digital Czechia”, with the government delegate for digitisation. This includes 800 projects (many of which are already up and running) in the fields of civil service digitisation, economics, society, research support, cyber-security and many others. Areas relating to digitisation of the economy and society are co-ordinated by the MIT, naturally with broad co-operation from many partners in the business, academic and government sectors. Our new national strategy for artificial intelligence will soon be building on this concept, and this will include a comprehensive set of measures directing support so that the Czech Republic can play an important role in the new phase of the digital transformation of the economy and society, which will be heavily influenced by the arrival of artificial intelligence in many different fields.

In regard to innovation, there are essentially three proven models: the American, Scandinavian and Israeli models. Close relations with Israel and the appointment of the leading Israeli scientist Orna Berry to the government’s Council for Science, Research and Innovation advisory body, make it clear which country the Czech Republic is primarily seeking inspiration from. Following the successful mission last year by President Zeman and many other cabinet members including Minister Nováková to Israel, what is being planned within the framework of closer Czech-Israeli co-operation?

Although not everything is automatically transferable, Israel is certainly an inspiration for us in many regards. Israel’s innovation ecosystem is truly unique. The start-up economic miracle which began in the 1990s and continues to this day is still of great note. This is why a number of measures in the CR 2030 Innovation Strategy within the start-up support field in particular are inspired by Israel. This includes a system of support for business incubators connected to a unique state-supported investment model, which is a great inspiration to us. In discussions with colleagues from Israel, we almost always agree that the greatest difference between the Czech and Israeli environment is in our mindsets. While for Israelis going into new ventures, dynamism, self-presentation, vigour and a willingness to continue even after failure is common, in the Czech Republic we tend to prefer more settled occupations, with setting up one’s own company not a common career strategy. We only undertake moderate risks, and initial failure is often considered a stigma by others. Examples of good practice from other countries can certainly help to change this situation, and that’s why we want, for example, to continue co-operating on technology missions to Israel and organising Czech-Israeli innovation events here in the Czech Republic, as well as many more activities.

Talking of innovations and change, how are you personally getting on in a world where change is the only constant?

The dynamic of change really is high, but I must say that for me personally, it is quite an exciting time. I’ve always been a fan and advocate of new technologies, so I’m glad to be so close to these developments now. On the other hand, I feel great responsibility for ensuring we are well-prepared for the changes that are coming and that will undoubtedly have an impact not just on our economy, but also on the whole of society. My motto is: Those with small goals remain small. Let’s be self-reflective, but let’s also be ambitious and not give up after our first failure!

By Linda Štucbartová

“We Should Not Fear China”

Oliver Steindler, China Specialist At ŠKODA AUTO

Oliver Steindler spent last nine years studying, living and working in Asia. He returned to the Czech Republic in September 2017 to start working as China Region Marketing and Product Launch Specialist for ŠKODA AUTO. His Asian journey originally started by two-year high school stay in Thailand. Oliver further pursued his studies in China, where he obtained a BA in International Business Studies from Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing and MA in International Relations from Peking University, ranked as the second best university in China and top 30 in the world. Oliver also spent six months at the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo, accompanied by internship at the Czech Center in Tokyo. After his studies, he worked for China Television Service as Head of Distribution, providing content to Television networks reaching over 60 million viewers not only across Asia, but also in the rest of the world.
When Oliver is not busy reading and writing about Asia, he loves to spend time traveling, lecturing about Asia and practicing Mandarin Chinese.

You have returned to the Czech Republic after nine years spent in Asia. I know that many expats and diplomats are prepared prior to their posting but no one prepares them for their re-integration when coming back, which might be challenging as well.

I must admit that I had a fear coming back. During last nine years, I have established many friendships, business relationships and also lifestyle in Asia region. I got used to seeing my friends and family only during vacations. The major culture shock for me came in the form of Czechs’ people mindset with regards to China. They all fear China, being scared that Chinese dragon will eventually swallow Europe. China is perceived as an evil, communist country and such notion is passed from one generation to another. However, time has changed and so the nature of the regime. The regime is officially called “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” which in reality reminds of “tough capitalism”. Big multinational corporations, such as Alibaba, Tencent or Baidu are not only considered industry leaders, but they also provide jobs to tens of thousands of people. China also has the largest network of fast railways. Imagine, just in only five hours, you can get from Beijing to Shanghai, the total distance of 1 300 kilometers, travelling more than 300 kilometers per hour. China is becoming a global technology leader in many areas. When someone mentions that we should learn from China in the Czech Republic, no one takes it seriously, there is a lot of prejudice and even panic. Well, looking at the Czech transport infrastructure, particularly highway D1 or Pendolino, China could be a great inspiration. Digitalization within banking systems represent another area that can serve as a model. In big cities, hardly anyone uses banknotes. All payments are done via app and QR codes. Not only at big stores, but also at small laundry services or vegetable stalls on the streets. I travel to China every three months and each time I am amazed at the progress made as these technologies make life simpler. I am aware of the personal data protection and GDPR rules within the EU, as the debate whether to stress more security vs. allow more comfort for the exchange of data, will continue. I also find fascinating that both Chinese and foreigners are willing to discuss the development and share the information. The environment is truly inspiring, the labor market pressure is enormous, which drives people being more active, continue to improve and innovate. Compared to Asia, I perceive Europe as the “ageing” continent. Not only demographically, but also mentally wise. Why not to bring and apply the models proven elsewhere? We tend to be more satisfied with status quo or we tend to judge and concentrate on negatives, instead of trying things differently. I miss the open mindset which for me represents the key to innovation.

You suggest that people go and visit China and the region to see for themselves. You claim that China is the world that we can’t perceive through the glasses we put on and interpret it through the experiences we get. China needs time to be understood.

I also remember having fear leaving the Czech Republic, prior to arriving in Thailand. After six months, I developed love and hate relationship, as I met some people who were friendly as well as those who were not. The same relationship can apply to China. To me, China offered home for seven years, it offered education and friends. At the same time, I am aware of the negative aspects, particularly pollution and fast development. Big nations and states tend to be polarizing in general. Big and heavily populated countries can naturally cause a fear in small countries. I actually learned more about myself than about Chinese themselves. As I learned the language, my information came first hand from Chinese people. While I was studying my BA in business, I started to study Chinese medicine and acupuncture. These studies exposed me further to 3000 years of Chinese culture through many concepts, such as yin and yang, which can be interpreted as change of day and night but also change of seasons or economic cycles. Yin and yang together with five elements theory also relates to the way we see the food, thus dietology. I started applying these concepts to my own life, particular to work-life balance. Thanks to acupuncture, I was able to get rid of my chronical sinusitis, which I have been suffering for more than a decade. I spent 10 days in Nepal, doing meditation in total silence called Vipassana. Living in China is a constant journey where naturally by experiencing the culture, you get hints and clues not to look outside but also inwards. Yoga, meditation, thinking about what you eat, all these activities enable you to change and adapt your mindset.

How did you manage to keep work-life balance, as Asians are generally known for working long-hours?

This is another frequent stereotype which is not precise. First, you cannot stereotype a country of 1.3 billion of people. Chinese cities are divided based on income. Tier one cities represent Beijing with 21 million people, Shanghai with 24 million people or Guangzhou 13 million people. People working there follow what can be described as the Western corporate life-style. As we move to provinces, the income drops and the life-style relaxes. Not everyone works hard all the time. The difference grows much more significantly if you compare China to Japan. Chinese work style can be described as a bit flexible and unorganized, everything gets accomplished at the very last minute. Japanese people are more hierarchical, process is more predictable and rules are strictly followed. My first experience with yin and yang occurred during my high-school studies in Thailand. Apart from sciences, we had to do arts, sports and social works. They took us to orphanage and as I was the vice-president of Rotaract, I soon became involved in fundraising. In the West, we often think that poor people are not happy. I could see people less fortunate than we are, but they still managed to keep a positive attitude. They cherished more relations and were less craving for possession.

You studied in Thailand, in China and in Japan. What were the differences?

High school studies in China are very tough and competitive because of the final national exam which determines the acceptance to the university. Once students are accepted to a university, they become more relaxed. Atmosphere during BA studies in China reminded me more of high-school scenario in Europe. I also was travelling a lot. I could see how China has influenced surrounding countries. In Korea, you get to see many temples with Chinese inscriptions, as China was exporting its culture and heritage in history. With exception, China, as a landlock country, has never pursued an expansionary foreign policy in the long term. The Chinese concept of expansion is of a different nature. Tianxia (Chinese: 天下) that can be translated as “All under the heaven” recognized the Emperor as the center of the universe and once China united, there was no need to expand further. Look at the natural boundaries surrounding China: Siberia in the North, sea to the East, Gobi desert to the West and Himalayas to the south. The expansion therefore took the form of diplomatic and economic influence. Chinese are more traders than warriors. New silk road connecting Asia and Europe follows upon the old tradition.

You have often mentioned food, but not only because of its flavor but also a key to the culture.

In Europe, each of us has own plate with own food and the tables are usually square or rectangle shaped. Such behavior reflects our atomistic approach in terms of dissecting things, analyzing things, understanding a paradigm for one specific item only, not taking other things into consideration. In China, you have a big roundtable. You share all the dishes with others. The culture is more holistic. In Europe, we focus on contracts and we do not cultivate relationships. In China, you have to go for a lunch, for a dinner, you have to drink. The point of getting a foreigner drunk is to get to know him better. Trust is the baseline. How can you do a business with someone you do not know? This is why much business is done with friends, relatives or based on peer to peer recommendation. Definitely, knowing the language helps you a great deal to get to know, develop trust and better understand your counterparts. This being said brings me to the beginning. People who are interested in the region should travel there and try to be exposed to the culture as much as possible, since “ We don’t see things as they are, but as we are”.

By Linda Štucbartová

“We would be happy if our MEPs listened to us and protected national interests rather than keeping the voting line of their European political groups”

Alena Mastantuono, Director of CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

Alena Mastantuono graduated at the Palacky University in Olomouc and at the Masaryk University in Brno with major in Economics and Public Administration. She has been dealing with EU affairs since 2005. She worked at the Czech Ministry of Finance on preparations of ministers ́ mandates for meetings of Economic and Financial Council. In 2007, she joined CEBRE as a Deputy Director and in 2011 she became a Director. In 2015, CEBRE office got a new competence to offer Czech Trade export services on Belgian market. Alena Mastantuono is a permanent delegate of the Czech Chamber of Commerce in EUROCHAMBRES and alternate in European Economic and Social Committee. She publishes and lectures about specific EU issues.

Server info.cz chose you as the one of the 50 most influential Czechs in Brussels. What kind of change can we expect with the May European elections?

In general, an increase in seats for populists and nationalists is expected, pulling down the number of seats of the two biggest political groups in the Parliament. Approximately half of the serving MEPs are expected to change as a result of the election. According to predictions, the European People ́s Party will remain the strongest party in the European Parliament followed by the Socialists and Democrats and then the Liberals in third place. Everything depends on a possible reshuffle among the groups, some national parties might join other groups and also new groups may be formed after the elections. What is certain is that we will have newly elected MEPs, whose parties are not present in the European Parliament in the current mandate, for example, new parties that have emerged at the national level in recent years. One of them is Macron’s “La République en Marche”. Given its political nature, its MEPs should head to ALDE but Macron ́s ambition is to create a centrist coalition. A new parliamentary group can be formed by 25 MEPs coming from at least a quarter of EU Member states, which is not an easy task. Concerning newly elected Czech MEPs, we do not know where the Pirate Party is heading. Last but not least, Brexit – if happening before European elections, will also have an impact as 72 British MEPs are due to leave and the number of the European Parliament seats will drop to 705 from today’s 751.

When will the new Commission be confirmed?

The EU institutions predict that the new Commission will be elected at the second
Parliament ́s plenary in October. This means that the inaugural plenary session of the newly- elected Parliament should take place in July and, at its second July plenary, the Parliament will have the first opportunity to elect the Commission ́s president. During September and October, the first hearings of Commissioner- designates should take place. This is, however an ideal and very ambitious plan. It might happen that the institutions will not agree on the leader of the Commission or that some Commissioner- designates might not pass the hearings in the Parliament, meaning that the whole process will be delayed.

But we have the Spitzenkandidaten. Why should they not agree on the leader?

First and foremost, because the Spitzenkandidat process is not written in the EU treaties, it is rather a gentlemen’s agreement. EU treaties require the Council, acting by qualified majority, to nominate a Commission president for Parliament’s approval, taking into account the results of the European Parliament election. However, European leaders made it clear that they won’t be bound by the Spitzenkandidat process. What we cannot deny is that it is a great marketing tool. A continent- wide campaign gives more visibility to EU issues and offers the chance to discuss them with a wider public.

Does it mean there are other potential candidates?

Different scenarios are possible and only the election results will show which one of them was the right one. Imagine that a party without a Spitzenkandidat wins. The Liberals preferred a „team of liberal leaders“ instead of nominating one lead candidate. I presume that the winner would be the leader of the party, Guy Verhofstadt, who was already a lead candidate in 2014. Another possibility is that there could be a new political group formed in the European Parliament that did not have a chance to present its political leader in the race. Another scenario is that, hypothetically, the Spitzenkandidat has not been elected in his or her country and I can ́t imagine that he or she could be proposed as the President of the Commission. That would contradict the democratic principle so eagerly emphasised by the groups. And finally, the Council could propose its own candidate. In the corridors of Brussels there are rumours that Michel Barnier could be a suitable candidate for this position. Barnier is a former EU Commissioner and the current EU chief negotiator with the UK. He has already shown interest in this job when he challenged Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014. He is very committed to the single market and would easily get support from both the left and the right. The single market agenda has been very weak in the Juncker ́s Commission. Barnier could give a positive impetus to draw the single market back into the political debate. That is very important for us.

Why should the single market be so important when there are other key issues such as migration or security?

The single market is the centre of EU integration and that’s why migration and security are linked to it. If we do not have a fully functional single market, then we cannot properly deal with other challenges. What is causing a headache for Czech businesses is the lack of ownership of the single market and growing national protectionism from bigger countries such as France and Germany. This started due to the pressure from their trade unions and businesses to better protect their markets against competition from the new Member States. These are not Brussels bureaucrats who are often wrongly blamed for additional bureaucracy, it is clearly a national protectionism hidden under the guise of social or environmental aspects to which some countries refer. We have reached a momentum where the four freedoms of the single market are being disregarded. And what is even worse is that the watchdog of EU legislation is inactive because it is highly political. Some eurocrats became sceptical as they see themselves becoming helpless. Tools such as infringements, which are legal actions against an EU country that fails to implement EU law, have lost their importance. We witness infringement procedures against France or Germany lasting for years or being stopped without justification.

Do you have concrete examples in mind?

A specific example is the field of posting of road transport workers. The Commission initiated the infringement with Germany in May 2015 and no decision has yet been taken. The solution is to set clear deadlines within these procedures, which the Commission should respect, thus avoiding, among other things, purely political pressures. The Czech Republic is a strong supporter of the single market in Brussels. Let us hope that after Brexit we will find strong allies who will blunt the force of this Franco-German axis with us.

On what priorities in the framework of the single market should the Commission focus in the next period?

Businesses would appreciate a stocktaking of EU legislation and a reduction of undue restrictiveness. The less legislation we have, the better. There is still a lot to be done in the services sector. If the next Commission can do something, then it should examine how this area can be improved. Member States differ in many ways regarding how intrusively they regulate services. The current Commission put forward a couple of positive proposals that were unfortunately watered down in the Council or the Parliament. The reason in many cases was again national protectionism. Besides the services sector, the biggest potential lies in the exchange of goods. Although this area is highly regulated, we need to improve it. At the moment, the EU institutions are discussing the so called goods package that is about mutual recognition, compliance and enforcement. Nothing can be better than good enforcement and implementation. A major problem is that EU institutions claim repeatedly to be in favour of pursuing the benefits of a genuine single market, but in actual practice this credo is not followed at home in many Member States.

Does Czech business have its priorities for the future institutional mandate?

Yes, we have common business priorities of our founders for the period 2019-2024. We have already presented them to Czech candidates running for the European Parliament elections and we will send them to the newly elected Members as soon as they secure their parliamentary seats. Current MEPs know our opinions. We regularly inform them during the mandate and try to explain our concerns to them. We would be happy if our MEPs listened to us and protected national interests rather than keeping the voting line of their European political groups thus supporting the creation of growth and jobs in other Members States by favouring national protectionism.

What will the EU look like in the future?

We will certainly be more diverse, culturally diluted and identities will be even more fluid than today, due to further EU enlargement and migration. The total fertility rate in the EU is decreasing and our population is getting older. As a consequence, the dependency ratio is increasing. A relatively easy solution is to increase retirement ages as well as the number of active workers. If we cannot find them in our market, we have to go beyond its borders. That is exactly what the Czech Republic is doing today with Ukraine or Mongolia. Businesses will also change their behaviour and business models thanks to digitization which can also be an opportunity in case of ageing population and the lack of active workers. Businesses will also adapt to regulatory shifts regarding climate change issues and circular economy. The security aspect will also play its role, be it online or offline. All these challenges will have to be put into an economic context. Worsening economic conditions could be a major factor in how the trade agenda plays out. Trade wars and protectionism could still be on the table. The EU will have to adapt to these challenges and it is up to the Member States and their citizens to decide what role the EU should play. In the last 15 months, the vision for the future of Europe was the subject of speeches of some EU leaders in the European Parliament. It gives a good insight to what some Member States want from the EU. I hope the trend of discussions will continue throughout the new institutional mandate and that we will have the chance to hear the vision of the Czech Republic. We need a clear vision with a coherent strategy on what expectations we have from the EU and what role we want to play in the European project.

By Linda Štucbartová

Future for the upcoming generation

MUDr. Zdeněk Hřib, Mayor of Prague

Although he studied at Charles University’s Third Faculty of Medicine, he has never worked as a doctor. With tongue in cheek, he says of himself that he is not a doctor of people, but of systems. As director of the charitable organisation Institut pro aplikovaný výzkum, edukaci a řízení ve zdravotnictví (the Institute for Applied Research, Education and Management in Healthcare), he was involved in many working groups at the national, EU and worldwide level, and has published many studies on IT, quality and services efficiency. He was the Pirate Party’s leader for Prague in the 2018 municipal election. Not only was he elected to Prague City Council, he subsequently became the first city mayor in the world nominated by the Pirate Party. As mayor, he is responsible for IT, security, European funds and foreign relations, amongst other areas. He is also the Czech Pirate Party’s member of the VZP health insurance company’s management board. Zdeněk Hřib is married and has three children. Along with its new mayor, energy and hope came to Prague, as well as a major change in communication. On the day of the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic joining NATO, Prague citizens had the opportunity to hear the mayor greeting them in Czech and English in the metro to tell them of the anniversary. The current mayor provides information on his events on social networks, holds open meetings with city residents and is much more accommodating with journalists. Our meeting was held at the council building. Upon entering the New City Hall building, the porter proudly declared that the mayor was already at work. While waiting for the interview, I had the opportunity to watch some of his closest team members doing their everyday business, and as a Prague-born native I found it a pleasing experience. Two colleagues were setting off to check the condition of Prague’s bridges, while another two were looking at the IT systems and how to make communication even more accessible to citizens. Did you know, for example, that all Pirate councillors have a shared calendar, so you can check what activities they are involved in? My wish for all Prague citizens is that the ideas and innovations coming from the “New City Hall” can be successfully propagated.

Mr Mayor, has your perception of Prague changed since taking up your post? Are you able to just walk around Prague, or do you immediately notice shortcomings in terms of mess, shabby buildings or poor-quality paths?

I don’t have a lot of time to walk through Prague; I spend all my time at work. My perception of Prague has changed in terms of scale. While I used to see problems within my neighbourhood, such as on my journey to nursery school with my kids, now I see problems throughout the whole of Prague.

Your original profession is as a doctor. Comparing Prague to a patient, what ailments does it suffer from?

Well, in fact, I proposed that we should diagnose Prague using medical terminology during the election campaign. From my perspective, Prague suffers chronic problems in its backbone infrastructure (meaning the lack of a city bypass) along with acute accommodation insufficiencies (lack of accessible housing), its information services are displaying signs of senility (they are outdated), and there is clearly also a photosynthetic carrier deficiency (lack of greenery in streets). In the end, we decided to take a different tack in the whole campaign, but I wouldn’t change anything in my initial diagnosis.

Your programme offers a vision for the 21st century based on an information society, compared to the traditional industrial society of the last century and the one before that. How are you succeeding in pursuing this vision within the city?

It is often said of municipal politics that results are visible earlier. For a city the size of Prague, which is also a region, this is not true. The large investment projects we have launched, such as the metro D-line and the extension of a number of tram lines, won’t be completed during this council term. The advantage is that I can concentrate “only” on the problems of Prague itself. Restricting problems to one specific and also compact region makes the problems a little simpler. I must also note, however, that we took over Prague in quite a poor state, with bridges collapsing on the one hand, and road works due to various repairs on the other, meaning that it was hard to traverse the city.

You made thorough preparations for the post of future mayor through studying new trends and visiting cities that can serve as a model. What are you going to do to make sure Prague isn’t just a beautiful city, but also a smart one?

In terms of smart cities, Barcelona has long been considered a leader within Europe, with a congress on the issue taking place there every year. Barcelona became a pioneer in the field so it had to seek out many innovative solutions, and not only did it break new ground for other cities to follow, but it has also set itself a positive and sustainable course. In Barcelona, three quarters of the budget is invested in so-called open-source projects. In every contract the city signs with its suppliers, it includes a clause on data sovereignty, meaning that data produced in operating the city is its own property and the city can do with it as it needs. Open data is one of the principles of smart cities. Data that allows not just for increased citizen comfort, but also improved city management. We are launching mobile reception in the metro, the option of paying for regular fees by credit or debit card (such as for a dog licence), the option of applying electronically for use of a street for entrepreneurs (e.g. to run a beer garden), and online information on current tram delays and available P+R parking capacity. It is these measures that relate to the running of a smart city, which under the previous leadership had been reduced to buying “smart benches and smart lamp-posts”.

I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned Vienna, which has taken the top spot in a list of cities in terms of quality of living, and which is often given as a model…

We could learn how to avoid a housing crisis from Vienna, but only if we had decades available to us. And we don’t. We can find inspiration from Vienna in terms of culture, for example. It is true, though, that Vienna is close to us both culturally and historically.

What about Amsterdam?

In general, there are a lot of examples in many areas in Holland for the Pirates. Amsterdam can provide inspiration in matters of transport solutions, or support for alternative means of transport. On the other hand, we know we’re not all going to start cycling everywhere overnight.

The May elections to the European Parliament are ahead of us. How can you convey the connections between the local-national and EU levels to citizens?

The key problem with the European Parliament elections is the traditionally low voter turnout these elections have. Turnout the last time was around 19 %. When that happens, it’s really easy for populists and other special interest groups to dominate the election. So it’s important to explain the importance of these elections to people. A broad range of legislation comes to the Czech Republic from the EU. For the Pirate Party, there are fundamental issues in these elections such as freedom of information, copyright, matters regarding the free movement of people, and more. In terms of the connections between these three levels, the ideal solution would be to elect Pirate candidates (laughs), which will ensure one hundred percent interconnectedness. For the Pirates, a well-informed citizen making free choices is important, representing the connection between these three different levels.

I’ve been instructed to give you the following two questions by my fifteen- year-old daughter Lada. How do you perceive the role of the young generation?

I perceive the young generation to be very important. A lot of decisions we are making won’t affect our generation, or the generation of our parents, but rather the upcoming generation. Issues regarding the environment and ecology and related strategic energy plans show that any fundamental decisions made or turning around of the ship won’t bear fruit for decades. Decisions made within these issues won’t just determine the cleanliness of the environment we’re going to be living in, but will also fundamentally affect our geopolitical orientation. At the city level, we take the support of the upcoming generation seriously; we recently approved a change to the rules of procedure, removing the age limit for speaking at council meetings. Citizens can now submit a question, or speak in debates on specific points (you can also register electronically) with no restriction on age. As mayor, I provide patronage for a broad range of events that promote learning about democracy amongst the young generation, such as the Model UN and the Student Parliament. We also endeavour to accommodate student events such as, for example, by providing a venue.

How are you changing the current education system?

I think the fundamental problem is in teachers’ workload, which does not allow them sufficient time for further training. In contrast to previous school investments, which have gone toward so-called hardware in the form of school buildings, or equipment such as interactive boards, we want to invest in what we term software, meaning teacher training. We want to invest in exchange programmes for teachers, whether these are Erasmus Plus or Eurocities; we’ve just joined the Xarxa organisation, which is focused on secondary school vocational training. Through our endeavours at reducing administration, we hope that teachers will have more time and space for the mutual sharing of experience and mentoring. In this area, we are highly dependent on what is happening at the national level. On the other hand, at the city level we can impact the level of teachers’ pay and provide city apartments. Furthermore, apartment provision doesn’t just go to teachers, but also to other important professions. Over the next year, we are going to try to change the conditions set up nationwide so they are not based solely on the weakest regions, something Prague cannot compete within.

Do you have a final word for Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers?

Vote in the European Parliament elections. I’ve already said how important these elections are, but I want to again stress their importance not just for the Czech Republic, but for the European Union as a whole. Few people realise that it is the European Parliament that is going to vote again on the controversial bill on copyright rules for the internet. This is about whether the internet is going to keep its current form, or whether new regulations will be applied to it on a common digital market, resulting in strict censorship. I’m glad the Pirate Party has Marcel Kolaja as its leader, an expert in IT and copyright.

By Linda Štucbartová

Congratulations and Thank You, Ma’am!

Dr. Meda Marie Mládková

This year, Dr. Meda Marie Mládková is celebrating her 100th birthday. This petite lady had until recently held a large number of roles with energy and grace, and these have gradually been taken over by one medium-large team. Meda Mládková’s second career began after the Velvet Revolution when she returned to Czechoslovakia from exile in the USA. Meda was 72 years old when she returned alone to her home country. Her husband, the economist Jan Mládek, did not live to see the change of regime, having died in September 1989. At an age when others are well into enjoying their retirement, Meda embarked with energy and vigour on a project of renovating Museum Kampa; at 89 years of age she started a project renovating the renowned Werich Villa, and at 98 years old she decided to support the inception of a unique exhibition of Czech glass as part of a new Museum of Glass in the renovated Portheimka Palace. Over her life, Meda Mládková has combined various roles as philanthropist, collector and patron of the arts, expert in modern art and tireless ambassador for Czech art and culture in general.

I remember the day I first met Meda. It was the day of my 40th birthday party, and Meda wished me not just happiness and energy, but also that I feel fulfilled and proud of the work I undertake. In Museum Kampa’s courtyard, she proudly showed me the museum’s motto: “If the culture survives, then so too does the nation.” Even during the depths of communist totalitarianism, Meda never gave up her Czech passport.

February’s flu epidemic thwarted a reunion with Meda.

The interview was thus held with the core Museum Kampa – Jan and Meda Mládek Foundation team: I asked its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jiří Pospíšil, Director Jan Smetana and member of the Board of Directors Jana Hrstková not just to tell the story of Meda as few know it, but also to reveal the secret of how Meda Mládková’s 100 birthday celebrations will pan out.

What do the public not know about Meda?

Few realise the current breadth of museums Meda has built and supported. From Museum Kampa, which focuses on modern art, to the Werich Villa, which doesn’t just recall the legacy of Prague’s Liberated Theatre, but whose space also builds on its tradition, encouraging further cultural encounters, discussions or dance, and musical evenings. We warmly invite all readers to visit the Museum of Glass in the Baroque Portheimka Palace in Smíchov, which joined the institutions administered by the Mládek Foundation last year. Besides collecting pictures, Meda has also focused on artists who have worked with glass. She held a unique exhibition promoting Czech glass in Washington in the 1980s.

When she lived in the USA, Meda was not just a true ambassador for Czech culture, but she also supported young artists, and in today’s terminology was also a unique “networker”.

Again, few people realise that the Mládeks’ famous house in Georgetown was visited by renowned politicians, writers and artists. She displayed artists’ pictures in her home, held exhibitions and invited well- known guests there to whom she presented Czech artists. Many Czech artists who got the opportunity to travel to the USA found not just support from the Mládeks, but also a place to stay, including being introduced and presented to American society. It is no exaggeration to say that Czechoslovakia’s true embassy at that time was to be found at the Mládeks’ home. Mrs. Mládek’s efforts at bringing cultures together are also evidenced by letters from Václav Havel when she tried to get a Ford Foundation grant for him.
It was Meda who supported the young talented artist Emilie Beneš Brzezinski, President Beneš’s niece, who married the influential political scientist and American foreign policy power-broker, Zbigniew Brzezinski. Meda’s passion and willingness to support Czech art knew no bounds. She once even sold her house in order to buy a Kupka painting, which she later donated to the National Gallery in Washington, where it remains displayed as part of its permanent exhibition. During the communist totalitarianism, she supported Czech artists by purchasing pictures and organising exhibitions, not just in America, but also in Europe. Her vision in this regard was truly unsurpassable, and without all she did then there would be nothing to build on today.

What happened to her legacy in America after she returned home?

Meda’s legacy in the USA was not diminished even after she left, and her name is often mentioned in cultural and societal circles. For example, a Jiří Kolář exhibition was implemented at the start of this year through her American-based Central and Eastern European Art Foundation. This unique Jiří Kolář exhibition, Forms of Visual Poetry, containing works from the Museum Kampa collection, is being held at the American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC until 17 March 2019. Many renowned figures have visited this exhibition, and so another opportunity has arisen to remind the world of the importance of Czech art in a global context, and build further co-operation with other cultural institutions in the USA.

What’s it like to work with Meda?

Meda is determined and adamant. She is incredibly tenacious, a great debater. She never gives in to her age. At a time when many people complain they don ́t have the energy for certain things, she got started on building Museum Kampa and renovating Sova’s Mills. Her motto is: If you want to, you can. She’s had to fight hard for all her museums, whether with bureaucracy, conservationists or the proverbial Czech small-mindedness in general.

I put my final question to Jiří Pospíšil, who as Chairman is, with the Board of Directors, in closest contact with Meda. Can you reveal how Meda’s birthday celebrations will pan out?

We’ve conceived this year as Meda’s year. We’re planning a lot of exhibitions, meetings and other events at Museum Kampa. We warmly invite all readers to view the play Meda. Tatiana Vilhelmová will be playing the title role. The play is a representation of Meda’s life from the age of 14 to today. The play will be performed on the summer stage from June to September. It will be performed under open skies in Museum Kampa’s courtyard. The final performance will be held on 8 September 2019, on the day of Meda Mládková’s 100th birthday.

Linda Štucbartová

TAKE CONTROL of your own health

Dr. Monika Koubová, Lifestyle Medicine Physician

MUDr. Monika Koubová has spent over twenty years working in internal medicine in a hospital, as emergency physician in the pre-hospital acute care and in the emergency ward, saving patients. After many years managing life threatening health conditions she has come to learn that it is important not just to treat disease, but especially to prevent it. As such, she was the first board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician in the Czech Republic. Did you know that up to 70% of chronic diseases that heavily impact health care budgets can be stopped, reversed or even cured? Although we met up during the week, our interview took place over a home-cooked lunch. We discussed epigenetics findings, superfoods, silent killers and, in particular, how small changes in our habits can bring large results. There were also lighter-hearted moments during our serious discussions. MUDr. Monika Koubová can explain even complex scientific principles in an understandable and humorous manner.

Monika, you tell your patients that you can’t guarantee beauty or slimness. The traditional viewpoint of “lifestyle medicine” is that it deals with lifestyle diseases and their prevention.

The medical approach in lifestyle medicine is not about slimming, as one might assume here in the Czech Republic according to the various advisory studies that have been proliferating. In Australia, America and Great Britain, this term signifies a modern medical science based on long term research, which has led to an approach to chronic diseases of the modern era being stopped or cured. The huge range of what at first sight seem to be unrelated diseases has one common denominator: the modern era and our habits, or rather bad habits, which result in pathophysiological changes within our organism. Diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, heart attacks, autoimmune diseases and renal failure, which, for example, affect 10% of the population, without half of those affected being aware of it. 920 000 citizens of the Czech Republic suffer from diabetes, and it is estimated that by 2030 the number of type 2 diabetics will grow to 1 200 000. And those suffering congenital type 1 diabetes comprise just about 3 % of patients with diabetes.

You say that we rely too much on our own family histories. When I was in hospital in January, it seemed almost absurd to me, at 42 years old, that they were asking me about illnesses suffered by my parents and grandparents. I realised that it was I who was responsible for my condition. I would add self-critically that I had not been particularly responsible.

The belief that we inherit diseases from our parents remains prevalent. We do not inherit most of the diseases; we create them. If your grandmother died of a stroke, then that may have been the consequence of poorly treated high blood pressure, or many other related causes. Until the age of 40, our body is able to seemingly forgive a lot, but after that all our sins are summed up. With added interest. Preventive medicine has been a subject of study in the West for over 30 years as a result of the rapid increase in lifestyle diseases in developed countries. The modern era changes our biorhythms, lifestyle regime and thus the functioning of our whole body. Thanks to modern medicine, we are able to extend life expectancy. We have great cardiac and cardio-surgical clinics, specialized stroke units, diabetes and oncology centres, transplant medicine and the development of new medicines is significant. Behind an extended life expectancy, however, there is a rapid fall in vitality, and patients thus spend the last 10 to 20 years of their life dependent and reliant on the care of others. Even cancer research has shown that only 5-10% of tumours are inherited. You can even investigate the specific genes responsible for a tumour. Other types of cancer arise through pathological mutations during cellular division.

So we come to epigenetics as a field of medicine with great potential.

Epigenetics demonstrates that we can affect the behaviour of up to 70% of our genes regardless of our particular genome. We ourselves can influence whether most of our genes work for us or against us. I wouldn’t recommend going blind into genome screening without subsequent consultation with an expert who can recommend suitable adjustments to your lifestyle and diet. I compare epigenetics to a lock – it’s up to us whether we give a free pass to diseases and let them develop, or whether we stand up to the challenge of even poor genetic makeup and adjust our overall lifestyle. I don’t want to talk purely about alimentation. It can happen that we need to add some elements through vitamins, minerals, or even medicine in general. This incredibly complex field has had to set out its own path for itself outside the so-called mainstream of medicine, in which many studies are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Epigenetics studies on patients with prostate cancer have shown that a treatment programme incorporating just a minimum of the drugs necessary, but also stressing changes in diet, sleep and exercise, can suppress the activity of adverse genes while, in contrast, supporting the activity of beneficial genes. The outcome is a reduction in tumour growth. The same principles for influencing how our genes behave undoubtedly also apply in the effect on some other tumours.

Can this type of approach be used to improve overall fitness?

I tell patients who have had a heart attack that if they follow all the recommendations and take the necessary drugs, then no more arteries need become clogged up. One can also speak of diabetes without insulin. Patients with type 2 diabetes needn’t develop their disease into daily insulin administration. But if insulin is already vital, they can work towards achieving a half-dose. Insulin, which is vital for some, unfortunately causes obesity and is also carcinogenic. Although the lifestyle regime measures I propose are more intensive, they bring results. Clinical studies have shown that through the right micronutrients one can reduce telomere shortening, leading to the slowing of the ageing process. All the procedures I use are the result of science-based clinical studies verified on specific patients. Although we have known some of the results for 30 years, the increase in lifestyle diseases demonstrates that we still haven’t learnt. A wider adoption of this medical approach will require not just much greater doctor training, but also a change in their rewarding. The current system is set up such that we are treating patients, not healthy people. I don’t want to always be treating my patients; I would rather restore them to health.

Diet is one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle. But dietary recommendations change so frequently that it is easy for the lay person to become confused.

There was a massive growth in the food industry during the 1970s, and food began to be produced industrially. Remember the film The Wing or the Thigh in which Louis de Funès fought against Tricatel? Industrially produced food, however, contain not enough of important micronutrients such as enzymes, vitamins and minerals which provide important nutrition to our bodies. Food can contain up to 100 thousand various micronutrients. There are also a lot of trends that promote erroneous and unhealthy dietary recommendations. I’ve got a patient who followed a ketogenic diet for 13 years, meaning she ate lots of fats and proteins, and no carbohydrates. At 52 years of age, she is experiencing severe osteoporosis, and has suffered necrosis of the hip joint. Paradoxically, osteoporosis is most prevalent in countries that consume a lot of meat and dairy products. The motto of milk for healthy bones is obsolete. Dairy products are tasty, but they provide excessive fat and salt. We absorb twice as much calcium from dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and Savoy cabbage, while also getting twice as much of calcium and a lot of protein from them. Another widespread myth is the advice to consume a lot of protein. We do need protein, but a specific quantity should be recommended on the basis of age and physical activity. Growing children, people over 65 and active athletes need larger amounts of protein than the rest of the population. In contrast to fats and sugars, the body is unable to store protein except of in our muscles. However to achieve that, our muscles must exercise. As such, it is better to consume protein in smaller amounts over the course of the day rather than all at once. And almost all of us suffer from a lack of fibre in our diet. Fibre is not just important for gut function, but it is also a food for the so-called microbiome. Up to two kilograms of our body weight comprises bacteria, bacterial films and the bacterial community in our gut. This collection is sometimes called our second brain, and only in recent years have researchers focused on its functions and importance. Again, if we take lactobacilli without the necessary fibre, then the lactobacilli won’t stay in our gut anyway, something the television commercials don’t stress. Instead of lactobacilli tablets, you can also eat sauerkraut or kimchi.

You’ve invited me to a home-made lunch. Your favourite motto is: Have all the colours of the rainbow on your plate and you don’t need to count the calories.

I’ve cooked home-made pheasant from South Bohemia. My 81-year-old father, a walking advertisement for lifestyle medicine, hunted and gutted it. He is still active, runs a medical practice once a week, teaches at university and is also an active hunter. The portion of meat is a lot smaller than that served in restaurants; about 0.8 grams of proteins per kilo weight per day is enough. And protein isn’t just in meat. We’ve got a beetroot, celery, rocket and chard salad as a side. I’ve gone for groats instead of rice, which contains protein, and surprisingly also fat, as well as slow-release carbohydrates. I follow the recommendations I give my patients. I hate diets and I’m not going to be counting calories. I give my clients a graph in which I draw a thick line. If you eat the recommended foods, you’re not going to feel hungry, you’re going to have enough nutrients, and it won’t be so hard to maintain the regime. Other foods won’t spoil the diet, but I only recommend a very small amount. And don’t ignore the folk wisdom that hunger is hidden thirst. I recommend drinking at least a quarter litre of water a quarter of an hour before a meal. During the day and overnight, we perspire about 3⁄4 litre of water, so it is important to drink properly in the morning. You can also begin every meal with a salad like Italian, Swiss and other of the healthiest nations do.

What happens in the initial examination and subsequent treatment?

I begin with a comprehensive initial examination, and on the basis of the problem or risks I determine what laboratory tests need to be done. I focus on examinations, which provide information of early signs of diseases. One of the tests is patented by Harvard Medical School for example. As it is comprehensive, this initial examination doesn’t take 10 minutes, but rather an hour. It is important to eliminate medical conditions which are not related to wide range of lifestyle diseases (e.g. thyroid disease). On the basis of the results, I propose suitable measures, whether they be medicines, or dietary or other changes. The number one killer now is no longer cigarettes, but rather a lack of exercise. Another silent killer is a lack of sleep. The first results following a change in overall regime come in 14 days, which is motivating for the patient. This is followed by further gradual changes. You can’t make too many dramatic changes at once, as they won’t be sustainable in the long run. Patients who come to me take control over their own health. I provide this programme to both individuals and companies. It has been shown in the USA, Canada and Australia that companies which invest in health improvement programmes (not to be confused with preventive examinations) don’t just have healthier employees, but also more motivated, more loyal and more satisfied employees. Corporate programmes, and also team workshops, take place on the basis of group consultations. The programme can reveal individuals’premature diseases, while also fostering a positive relationship to health and fitness in the company in general. Employees learn which habits they need to change for better long lasting health, their diet and spend quality time together and learn about new findings in the nutrition and food supplements field. And, of course, I work on the basis of evidence-based procedures, with the programme beginning and ending with laboratory tests.

By Linda Štucbartová

“It all begins in your mind”

Edita Randová, world-renowned mezzo-soprano

Edita Randová is a Czech mezzosoprano. She has held concerts on every continent, taken part in major music festivals and performed at the famous Carnegie Hall. She has represented the Czech Republic and its music through tours in Australia, China and Brazil, always under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has a passion for foreign policy, and last year she completed her Master’s degree in International Relations. Her mission is to introduce classical music to young people. To this end, she founded the international music festival Tóny nad městy, for which she is Artistic Director. Some of her most significant recordings include a CD with Antonín Dvořák songs. In spring, she is releasing a new CD focused on Dvořák’s early songs, which are not well known amongst the general public. She currently performs concerts most often in Italy. Edita Randová speaks English, French and Italian.She is planning to undertake doctoral studies in Art Management at the University of Economics, Prague. She has succeeded in her career and in motherhood and is the proud parent of a 26-year-old son. Although she is a star, she does not conform to a corresponding attitude. We agreed on our interview directly. She visited me at home and, despite people saying milk in coffee gives you phlegm, she took a small espresso with a drop of milk. She indulges the occasional vice, but is also often hungry. After meeting Edita,I realised how much art involves living under orders. Everything that a career can mean and also that being the best in a tough business environment often isn ́t enough.

We’re holding this interview in a private room in my home. I know you’ve got a concert in Italy, so I didn’t want to meet in a café when there is a flu epidemic going on. Do you worry about your health and your vocal cords?

I won’t let things affect me; I believe it all begins with the right mindset. I try to eat healthily, with coffee my only vice. I think that focusing on whether I have a head- or neck-ache, or keeping up to date on flu outbreaks is more likely to cause what I’m worrying about to occur. I do note such reports, but I tell myself they’re not going to affect me. I’m very focused on spiritual development, and thus it is my belief it all begins in your mind.

I entirely agree. In my profession as a coach, I perceive an open and positive mindset as fundamental for successful functioning and further growth. After a break of over twenty years since you last studied, you completed a Master’s degree in International Relations last year.

I had the opportunity to try out coaching at one specialist conference where, from being a visitor, I filled in for one of the experts who had suddenly fallen ill. Since that time, conference organisers have contacted me a number of times. I’m used to an audience, I don’t mind impromptu speaking and I think I can share my experiences in life. Many of my peers were surprised that I was returning to studying, stating that they no longer had the “head or age” for it. Many of my peers complain they can’t learn a foreign language. When one explicitly repeats this claim, then one creates one’s own block. I’ve noticed that people use excuses such as age and fitness in order to cover up their own laziness and idleness.

Why did you choose international relations alongside your music?

I enjoy travel, and do it a lot. With tongue in cheek, I say that as some people take the train or bus in the morning, so I take the plane. I enjoy representing the Czech Republic in far- away destinations such as China, Brazil and Australia. It was in China, during a performance at Beijing University celebrating the Czech Republic’s national day that I was asked to say a few words about the culture of the Czech Republic. I began talking not just about music, but also about important historical buildings and the overall importance of culture. The ambassador appreciated my performance and observed that I would work well in diplomacy. I realised that I really enjoyed diplomacy. So I studied for my master’s. But this isn’t the end of my studies. From September I’m going to study for a Doctoral degree in Art Management at the University of Economics, Prague. Thus, two decades later, I am fulfilling the wishes of my parents, who wanted me to study at the University of Economics. My parents were not convinced that I could make a living exclusively from singing, which I had been drawn to since pre-school age. So I studied post and telecommunications economics at economic secondary school with the idea of working as a post office manager. I never made it to the post office, becoming an air traffic officer, and then I worked in music. I think that events happen to us in certain cycles. My return to study at the University of Economics was thus the natural completion of my original focus. I am leaving diplomacy as a possible career for the time when my voice is no longer suitable for top concert performances.

Pace and rhythm are very important in music. It seems that the right things come to you at the right moment.

My motto is not to push your luck. It has been meeting particular people which has directed my focus. On the other hand, I have always been open to new opportunities. I studied hard; I haven’t cut myself any slack. Now I’m studying for entrance exams. Besides sheet music, I always carry specialist economics textbooks with me. I don’t take any account of my age, and it’s doing me well. I trust that new opportunities will come again. Besides experience of foreign policy, I also have experience of domestic politics; I was on the list of parliamentary candidates for the KDU-ČSL party. And because I believe that dreams shouldn’t just be wished for, but also expressed, I would one day like to represent the Czech Republic as Ambassador in a country I know well, whose language, music and culture I have studied; that is to say, in Italy.

In a way, you already are an ambassador. You set up the Tóny nad městy festival, whose mission is to introduce classical music to young people.

Often young people come up to me after a concert having been moved by the incredible experience. They tell me that this is the first concert they have been to. After the experience, they want to go again to a concert. Many young people initially choose an overly complex composer, and this discourages them from music. Leoš Janáček simply isn’t for novices. But everyone will enjoy Bedřich Smetana’s Evening Songs, or the songs of Antonín Dvořák. In terms of operas, I recommend experiencing Bedřich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. We can all grasp a happy story, in some ways a love story in a Czech village context. At my concerts, you’ll hear both lighter and more demanding repertoire for a young audience. For school- age children, various types of concerts are organised, but there are no such opportunities for adolescents or young adults. I’d like young people to go for dates to the National Theatre and State Opera as well. There are still a lot of preconceptions about classical music and concerts. Many people still don’t know how to dress for classical music concerts. I am surprised by how many people from Prague have not been to a concert at the Rudolfinum. They would rather form their own assumptions than come and try it out. We’re back at mindset.

You’re used to pushing yourself hard. What is really behind your success?

I’m sorry that lots of people are envious of me. Looking at my career, they see only travelling, my outfits, hair styling and stage performances. I continue to study Italian, opera singing and English. For a long time, I learnt to play the piano. I sing every day, but I am not an instrument player who can practice for hours on end. It is important to overcome laziness. I don’t go to the gym, but I regularly use an exercise bike. I always have to keep myself in check, and I restrict my diet. I avoid alcohol, something which isn’t easy to do within Czech culture. Everyone asks me whether there’s something wrong with me. They can ́t imagine deciding to make a radical change overnight.

You’ve said that Czech music isn’t particularly well known abroad. Why is that?

If you sing in Czech, the audience doesn’t understand. I often perform in Italy and I sing in Italian because the audience like it when they understand. At chamber recitals where I include Czech songs, I’ve learnt always to explain to the audience what I’m going to be singing about. This increases understanding, the songs are perceived differently and they gradually grow in popularity. Dvořák is well known in the USA, but in Italy it was very difficult to get him into my repertoire. Because I studied in Italy, there is no language barrier. Italians often think of me as Italian due to my appearance. I like going there often, but the economic situation there at the moment is unfortunate. Young people leave to go abroad because they can’t find work. Corruption is pervasive in Italy. I regret how little we Czechs appreciate how beautiful, clean and safe Prague is. I live near Charles Square, and I feel safe. I walk through the park alone in the evening. I’m proud to be Czech. We have low unemployment and stability. So why are we always complaining?

Have you got any more unfulfilled dreams?

I’ve already said I would like to be the Ambassador to Italy. I believe that what I send out into the ether will return to me. In terms of singing ambitions, I’m too experienced to believe it’s only about aptitude and talent. Working for the best opera houses is also a matter of tough business and political contacts. Take a look at the over-representation of Russian singers, such as in La Scala. Not even classical music has managed to avoid the influence of lobbyists, connections and sponsors. Few people realise that opera and classical music are businesses. Issuing a CD isn’t just about whether you’re the best in your category; it’s important to choose a repertoire which attracts attention. Then it’s important to find a sponsor or patron to issue your CD. The costs for arranging a director, studio, cutting, mixing, etc. can’t be funded from sales. That’s why I’m really pleased to have succeeded, and in spring I’m going to be launching my new CD of early Dvořák songs. I’ll be happy if Czech and Slovak Leaders readers can be there for it.

Linda Štucbartová

The 13th season of the LOUČEŇ CHATEAU and news of the Light Art Outdoor Installation

Kateřina Šrámková, owner of the Loučeň Chateau

Kateřina Šrámková, owner of the Loučeň Chateau, the original residence of the Thurn-Taxis family, is a holder of the Exceptional Businesswoman award, although her own story and manner, of course, do not come off as exceptional. Her original profession was a tax advisor. She is also a mother to four children, as well as the person who not only restored the run-down chateau, but also created a unique system of 12 labyrinths and mazes in the chateau gardens. In keeping with her innovative approach towards running a historical building, Kateřina introduced the concept of the year-round season in the Czech Republic, along with experience tours of the chateau’s premises. A sharp contrast to any monotone interpretations of tangled data, names and events, like the organized tours we have become accustomed to in the past. Some routine elements of the tours left such an impression on visitors that many of them have requested these elements themselves. You are required to put on slippers in place of your shoes to walk inside the Loučeň Chateau, since visitors have taken a liking to this custom. Part of the Loučeň Chateau is the Maxmilián Hotel, which provides additional services. Loučeň is ranked just behind Karlštejn Castle within the Central Bohemian region and holds seventh place in the country-wide rankings. Seven is a lucky number for Mrs. Kateřina, and Loučeň actually commenced operations on 7. 7. 2007.
You can experience a tour at Loučeň with Mrs. Kateřina playing the role of the White Lady.The White Lady actually existed as Terezie Berková of Dubé, who was the daughter of the burgrave of czar Rudolf II and wife to Václav Berka of Dubé. The White Lady of Loučeň was a kind ghost who always gave out sweet pudding to children. Maybe thanks to her there is still a spirit of friendliness and well-being in the chateau.

Mrs. Kateřina, the turning point of the century was truly a turning point for you. In the year 2000 the LOUČEŇ company acquired the property of the chateau and park and the company left its established career. But you did not burn out or try to get away from the city, a pattern that is quite common today.

Nothing was impossible in the nineties. I was fulfilled in my original profession as a tax advisor, but after I bought the Loučeň Chateau, it became necessary for me to start concentrating on one thing. I ended my career of wearing pumps and working in a large office on Wenceslas Square, and I threw myself into everything that I didn’t know how to do and everything I wasn’t familiar with.
My intuitive decision probably wouldn’t seem correct according to many managerial guidebooks. Having two careers at once simply wasn’t possible any more. You can clone yourself at 150%, but not at 300%.

What do you consider to be exceptional?

After I received this award, my daughter gave me a flower dedicated to “the most exceptional businesswoman”. This was morethan the award I received at the beautiful Czech National Bank, because it was from someone very close to me. I don ́t associate with the word “exceptional” too much. For an industrious, tireless businesswoman yes, but exceptional?

What would you reward yourself with then? Do we, as women, even know how to award ourselves?

hat is a good question. I think that I was able to find a good mix between what is important and has to be done, and that which can wait or doesn’t have to be done. My work consists of the entire Loučeň complex, which has 23 hectares, combined with caring for a six-member family and commuting more than 100 kilometers daily, all of which must fit into one day that only has 24 hours. When others often ask me how I handle it all, I answer that I don’t know. I get up in the morning and start the day, and I finish in the evening and then I go to sleep. I think that the key is perfect organisation. And I am definitely not perfect. It’s like with the number of children. When a person has only one, they still feel like they can’t keep up. The more a person does, the more that person can handle. Gradually, the awards come from the outside. I am proudest, however, of the attendance at Loučeň, which varies between 160,000–180,000 visitors a year, depending on the weather, activities and other factors. I would like to point out that “the more visitors the better” does not always apply to attendance. Seventh place in attendance is better for me than first place, since that position belongs to the Prague Castle.

You are awaiting your 13th season this year. What’s something new you’re planning?

You are the first one to tell me that it’s the 13th season. I am excited about this season, because it will be different than the others. We are moving away from the format of short-term events, since this format has been exhausted in the Czech Republic. As our clients and their habits change, we are starting to focus more on activities that take place within a range of two weeks up to one month. We are planning a Czech fairy-tale summer for the month of August.

Czech castles and chateaus are unique, not only from the perspective of preserved and original historical facilities, but also from the perspective of public accessibility.Appreciative commentary often resounds from foreign visitors. Are we succeeding, as Czechs, in recognizing and appreciating the value of our cultural heritage?

I think that we appreciate its beauty as soon as we leave the country to travel abroad.Although I don’t have the statistics, I would presume that we must be in first place in Europe, not just for the number of accessible sights, but also for the number of guides, tour circuits and expositions. Such beautiful, historical interiors accessible to the public in such a plentiful amount is something I have not experienced in any other country.

You follow foreign trends very carefully and then try to bring them to Loučeň. You were inspired by labyrinths in France. What other new things are you planning?

I am planning something new, but this time it’s not the result of direct inspiration. I came up with a new concept myself after having tried to find a specific resource to implement. I discovered that they are already implementing a similar concept abroad, even at historical sites. On one hand, this made me happy, but on the other, I was disappointed. No similar place existed that we could draw inspiration from when we opened Loučeň. There was no example of good practice. We went with the trial and error method, and I am happy that there were more successful trials than there were errors. It happened many times that our ideas were actually brought to us by someone else. Personally, this made me very happy, because one does not copy the same bad idea twice.I was the one who first came up with the concept of the year-round operating season for castles and chateaus. Although we fought long and hard with the weaker winter season, the concept proved to be correct over time. It makes me happy to see how in November, everyone is issuing information regarding their Advent activities and winter tours. Not too many people will remember that before, sites like these were strictly open only from 1 April to 31 October.But back to my original thought. In English, the title is “Light Art Outdoor Installation”, but as for the title in Czech, we are still looking for one that sounds nice. This installation is about the use of modern technology that is capable of programming light, color, and intensity, and my vision is to make the park beautiful in the dark. Imagine the park in the dark, and in the dark there are illuminated objects – various trees, water areas, bushes and stumps, which are, in a sense, artistic creations in themselves, and now they will be illuminated and connected to a moving light show. I am consumed with this idea; I actually just returned from a trade fair in Frankfurt. Thanks to this installation, we can even extend the attractiveness period of the chateau to after sunset. The well-known Castle-Chateau Night is held on the last weekend in August, so we are aiming to introduce ourselves to the visitors. The climax will then be afterwards, during Advent and Christmas time.

I know that you don’t keep usual casual habits. You do not live at the Loučeň Chateau, because you think that the chateau does not belong to you. You are managing it for the next generation. If you were to create a coat of arms, what would you put on it?

A deer. The most elegant animal found in Czech forests in my opinion. When it snows, they kick up frost with their hooves. And another parallel? I love tall high heels.

Other than an invitation to Loučeň, what closing message do you have for the readers of the Czech and Slovak Leaders magazine?

In terms of business, I can’t advise the readers at all. Someone who has more experience than I can give advice on that. Instead, I will answer from the context of everyday life. You should never be afraid to take up arms for the right ending. Not in any situation or at any age. If we will not physically work with our hands, then there will be nothing left behind uswhen we’re gone.

By Linda Štucbartová

“We have all been fighting for a spot at the top since we started”

Petra Plemlová, Owner and founder of unuodesign s.r.o.

The story of a young, successful businesswoman in the field of e-commerce with children’s clothing. Petra is a four-time mother whose story is full of many genres. Even though many people would like to see a fairy tale with a happy ending, some moments were more like a dark Scandinavian thriller. Despite a not-too-happy childhood and constant underestimation on the part of her two older and more successful siblings, Petra graduated as a kindergarten teacher. Working with children fulfilled her purpose, and it was here that she became aware of how much time and energy she spent on dressing and undressing children, as she continuously encountered uncomfortable and impractical children’s clothing. From a young age, she spent a lot of time with her neighbor, a well-trained dressmaker from the period of the First Republic. It was only a matter of time before this hobby became Petra’s main occupation.

She gradually began to make her first products, initially only for friends and for her own children. Clothing easy enough that children can dress themselves. When the front and back of the clothes are the same, it doesn’t matter if they mix up the sides. Clothing without zippers and buttons. Clothing that grows with the children, so there is no need to order a new size every three months. She had to begin running her business full time after her husband nearly destroyed their entire apartment when he fell ill with a mental disorder. Her stock of already prepared sewing materials was also destroyed.

Petra remained alone with her four small children and was under constant scrutiny from the unhelpful social workers, who were more anti-social than social. Over a three-year period, she built a company that now attains a turnover of 50 million Czech crowns, employs more than 50 people and, within the scope of the Unuo endowment fund, provides help to women who have found themselves in a situation similar to her own. However, this conversation is not about the past, but rather the future. How does a successful businesswoman perceive the region of South Bohemia in which she conducts her business? What does the future hold for her industry, with regard to materials and e-commerce? And is this extremely active woman even able to relax?

Petra, the Australian Open has just recently ended. While many people were happy to see clothing made from recycled materials and produced by Adidas, you instead lamented on social media that unuodesign has already been using recycled “soft shell” material for a long time. It is more expensive, but for a good reason. Furthermore, your “growing” clothing has a usable lifespan of more than three months. How do you cope with the fact that large companies receive much more attention than smaller companies, despite the smaller companies being much more progressive?

I think that every company gets as much attention as it deserves. We have all been fighting for a spot at the top since we started. Especially if we started in a large industry, such as the one represented by the textile industry. We can deserve the attention if we get through great work performance, by making something original or by doing things differently. At unuo, we decided to use all three of these approaches that I just mentioned. I am glad that we are doing very well in the field of PR connected with organic or recycled materials.

You started doing business in Tábor and you’re doing well. In today’s economic environment, where the labor supply is limited, you are succeeding in taking on new workers, especially female workers. What’s your opinion on the specifics of doing business in the region of South Bohemia?

I can’t speak about the entire region, but personally I am excited about the city as well as the people who live in Tábor. Everything is different in Prague. The employees in this small city are not used to changing their profession or the company they work for, especially several times a year. Luckily, we avoid this fluctuation and any frequent position changes. I feel that the inhabitants of smaller cities care more about their good name. They are aware that if they end up getting a bad name at a few companies, the word will very soon spread. The people here are more “loyal” to their field. You could say that their lives are more motivated by relationships than by money.

We personally met at a panel discussion organized by the Elegantní Česko company, because both of us are proud of the traditions of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Custom sewing is one of those traditions on which one can establish oneself. You yourself were, however, sceptical about the future of the textile industry in Europe.

Our statistics confirm the reality that our customers feel positively toward production in the Czech Republic. It is even part of the positive decision-making criteria when choosing to buy Czech or foreign. Unfortunately, it is ranked third, right after the criteria of price and quality. From my experience, I’m speaking especially about the textile industry of manufactured clothing. If Czech customers buy clothing for their children at stores with prices lower than five euros, it is only a matter of time before the textile industry in the Czech Republic disappears altogether. It is interesting to note that many goods from third-world countries are subject to special duties so that imports of these products into the Czech Republic do not endanger certain industries. And then there is, for instance, agriculture which is subsidized by the state. No one is offering a helping hand to the textile industry, and that raises the question of how long the textile industry will last. Not just with regard to clothing production, but also textile production, the schools that supplied new dressmakers or weavers to companies have disappeared in the Czech Republic. Schools intentionally do not open these fields, because there is no interest on the part of the students. Students are not interested because the bright future of a seamstress who works a three-shift schedule and barely makes the minimum wage is not something anyone would want to have. And now we arrive back to the customer. The employer cannot pay his employees more if mothers buy clothes in stores at prices that are less than what we as suppliers have to pay for the material.

E-commerce business deals with new technologies. Other than clothing and materials, you offer a digital solution for the automation of warehouse processes that help other e-shops. This approach has won twice in the Czech Entrepreneurship Awards contest. Which direction would you like to go in the future? What is your dream?

Although my previous forecast may have been pessimistic, I hope that even ten years from now, unuo.cz and unuodesign.cz will be able to produce beautiful fabrics and children’s clothing. As for our application, PICKI, I hope that it will become a great helper, not only for our company, but for others as well. But naturally, I still see this application as an infant that will need a lot of care before it is self- sufficient and financially independent.

I won’t ask how you handle and multitask all your different roles. I know that this question, which is often asked of working mothers, will not seem quite fair to you. Instead, I will ask you about your great dedication to your work. Do you even know how to relax? How do you recharge your battery?

I am lucky because my job is my dream come true. Thanks to this, I no longer feel the need to relax that much.Whatyoulovehasthetendencytorecharge you a lot more than it exhausts you. I often relax at my sewing machine, which is actually my “job”. I love technology and read a lot about it, so I’m actually discovering what the new developer will introduce to us and when. Actually, that is also my “job”. I play a lot with the kids and go outside with them, which is a small part of my “job” as well. Only by observing my own children and other children can I see what our little clients and their mothers need.

We are doing this interview in January 2019. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? And what would you like to wish the readers of Czech and Slovak Leaders?

I have one big goal in 2019, and that is to spend more time with my children. Not to be at home more, I’m there very often, but to be present with my children, enjoy their beautiful smiles and their love, which is so pure that it cannot be compared with anything else. My online children were born so I can support my real children. Now, when they´re successfully carrying out their mission, beautifully and on their own, I can focus my attention on the place where it is most needed. I extend this wish to the readers as well, and not only for 2019!

By Linda Štucbartová

“NAFIGATE will become a world-renowned cosmetics brand”

Ondřej Mynář, CEO, Nafigate Cosmetics

In October 2018, the Czech company Nafigate Cosmetics launched a new cosmetic product that does not use microplastics. This product has secured world primacy for Czechs in access to cosmetics. The new peeling shower milk with the natural polymer P3HB is based on a unique development by Czech scientists. There is a picture of a sea turtle on the product packaging, reminding the consumer of the serious problem of microplastics in water. As we deal with innovations in business regularly in Czech Leaders, I happily accepted the invitation to lunch from Ondřej Mynář, CEO of Nafigate Cosmetics. A work lunch has never passed so quickly. I admired how young and successful Ondřej is, while remaining modest and humble in spite of his success. He started as a summer worker in the company, slowly working his way up to the CEO chair and fully taking over the management from his mother, Lenka Mynářová. Ondřej Mynář faces the future with optimism. He has travelled nearly the whole world, but decided to continue doing business in the Czech Republic. He speaks of Czech scientists with enthusiasm, as he does of his dreams. Personally, I am glad that this special issue dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia can feature him, a representative of the new young generation of leaders who are picking up the industrial tradition of the First Republic while having global experience and ambitions.

Ondřej, what was the path from academic research into nanofibres to a cosmetic product that is unique in the world?

The research started in Nafigate Corporation and focused on development of nanofibre applications for water and air filtering and on the application of nanofibres in biotechnologies. As part of its activities, Nafigate Corporation worked on developing nanofibres designed for skin use. Examining the transfer of active substances using nanofibres was one part of the medical research that appeared very promising. It showed that nanofibres can in fact actively bind pus from acne, for example. Eventually, a team of about 15 scientists decided to make a bold innovative leap: shift the research into cosmetics. Medical research is both money- and time-consuming in terms of approval and regulatory procedures, and it takes decades; we have to be able to respond within weeks. And it was based on this nanofibre research for cosmetics that Nafigate Cosmetics was established in 2015.

The story of Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics can be used as an example of combining primary and applied research. At the start, however, your key product failed rather than succeeded, which goes to confirm the well-known fact that initial failure is common in start-ups and means nothing.

Research into nanofibres and their effectiveness was indeed the foundation for Nafigate Cosmetics. Nafigate Cosmetics started as a spin-off project with the product AcneInvisible. Building a company on a single product was in itself not the best idea. AcneInvisible didn’t do well as a product. It cost us a lot of money and energy, but on the other hand we learnt a lot from it. We removed the product as such from the market after a year and a half, because it fell short of our high expectations. During the product modifications, however, we confirmed the effectiveness of nanofibres in cosmetics, customers began asking for more products, and eventually they demanded a whole product range. So we gradually developed Nano-Eye Lift, used for immediate wrinkle reduction.
A study verified by the National Institute of Public Health proves a reduction in wrinkles of up to 75% after a 30-minute application. At the same time, the nanofibres open up pores, enabling penetration of more active substances into the skin. Gradually, we’ve marketed creams, serums and other products, as is common with other cosmetics companies. The total number of our products has grown to 36 in three years. We have not only thousands of customers but also more than 350 partner parlours, where customers can test out our entire product range. We thus offer not only products focused on wrinkle reduction and hydration, but also a cream with active substances containing hyaluronic acid. We continue to market not only new products in the form of cosmetics but also technological innovations that make our products unique.

Your career story somehow reminds me of the American dream. You joined Nafigate Corporation as a summer worker and then you worked your way up to marketing manager and marketing director. At Nafigate Cosmetics, you’re the company co- owner, chairman of the board of directors and you manage the whole company.

Yes, I started by preparing documents and presentations. Communication in Nafigate Corporation ran at a scientific level, proceeded at professional trade fairs and focused on development. After establishing the cosmetics company, I was the only one with the basics of communication marketing, and I was able to communicate over social media and adjust communication to the end customer. Suddenly I started dealing with very different issues relating to legislation and base products. After three years, I can say in all conscience that we have everything working smoothly and the team’s well on its way! We employ 15 people and our turnover target for this year is over 8 million.

Let’s now look at your brand new product, which you launched in October and is unique in the world of cosmetics.

It’s a shower gel based on a biopolymer that’s never been used in cosmetics so far. This means our product doesn’t contain microplastics, which are microparticles that enter water and severely contribute to upsetting of the ecosystem, because microplastics take centuries to break down in the environment. The Hydal technology again originates from Nafigate Corporation. By the way, the Hydal technology won first place in this year’s competition Innovations for Sustainable Development. It’s a new technology, the only one in the world that can process industrially and reuse spent deep-frying oil and turn it into a brand new, high-value raw material, a PHB-type biopolymer. It’s used either as a raw material for bioplastic production, or as a naturally decomposing microplastic. Nafigate Cosmetics has been successful in grasping the ideas of excellent Czech scientists and linking them to the end market. I’m glad to bring to the market innovations coming from Czech scientists, who can do world-class science at a fraction of the cost. That said, the transfer of innovations from laboratories to the end market is very complicated.

It looks like you’ve found the Holy Grail of linking primary and applied research. Even big corporations have a hard time finding an answer to that. For you, it’s the customer who’s at the fore, not science as such.

There’s an underlying united effort of all those involved. We all strive for the best product for the customer. We face numerous challenges, legislation being the first one. If you’re a pioneer in something, for example in using biopolymers in cosmetics, you have to design special testing, because no-one’s ever done this procedure before you. The readiness of the whole team for action is shown when the first non-standard procedure comes. I’m really proud of the composition of the teams in both companies, Nafigate Corporation and Nafigate Cosmetics. Nafigate Corporation pays great attention to talent management; resolving the problem of not using microparticles involved an array of absolutely brilliant postgraduates, supported by more experienced corporate employees. The other team, at Nafigate Cosmetics, then literally dived into resolving the legislative issues connected with marketing the product. The point is that the customer demands all the standard properties in a product; innovation is secondary only to that. To give an example: when you use a shower gel, you have to get a pleasant feeling from using it, a gentle touch, foaming ability, and so on; the innovation really comes second in this case. The product’s properties have to be identical, to which we add a second value, namely an environmental approach, since the product is fully degradable in water. We have one stage in the product development cycle that not many companies have. None of our products will reach the market until we have favourable comments from customers. We use a network of cosmetics parlours for this, in which we regularly test our products. We pay great attention to feedback from our customers, and adjust our formulations based on it. Frequently we do this repeatedly. On the other hand, we’re very fast and capable of responding within weeks or several months. Sometimes we don’t market the product at all, because we know we wouldn’t be able to keep our promises and corporate values. We make our products without parabens, and if we use perfumes, then only natural ones.

Another frequently debated issue is successorship. You took over from your mother, but originally she wanted you to do sociological research. What’s it like working with your mum?

You know, sometimes it’s hard to have your mum at work. On the other hand, I realise many of my achievements are only thanks to her. She allowed me to travel, organise trade fairs in China, and try dealing with important business partners. As for business, each of us is different. I’d describe my mother as an energy hurricane. She handed the company over to me completely, as I don’t think having multiple leaders is viable. I was well prepared for successorship; I’d worked hard for it. All the employees knew me, as I’d hired some of them myself. The fact that I’d helped build the company and had an expert understanding of the issues helped me a lot. I often see cases where someone from the outside arrives to manage a company. Personally I don’t think it’s appropriate; you have to know the company from the inside. It’s also easier to gain people’s confidence if they’ve known you as a hard-working person with a vision for moving the company forward.

What is your vision?

To build a world-renowned cosmetics brand based on technological innovations. To use the magnificent potential of Czech scientists in the Czech Republic, which is a great country for doing business. I’ve travelled all over the Czech Republic. At present, we have facilities or collaborating institutions in Ostrava, Hradec Králové, Liberec and Prague. What we are lacking is better PR, and I’m glad to be able to contribute with my vision for a company that has the potential to change the world.

By Linda Štucbartová

(This interview is a loose continuation of the series on innovations. We recommend the previous interviews about nanotechnologies with Jiří Kůs and about circular economy with Soňa Jonášová. The interviews are available on- line at www.czechleaders.cz/interviews)

“I welcome any substantive discussion”

Alena Schillerová, Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic

How and with what feelings did you celebrate the 28 October 1918 anniversary?

The hundredth anniversary of Czechoslovakia’s founding which we celebrated this year inspired me to remember those who helped the newly emerging state to attain its place in the heart of Europe. Our predecessors weren’t just involved in the formation of our independent state, but also helped ensure that Czechoslovakia was recognized as an island of democracy within Central Europe. Although we certainly shouldn’t disregard the darker periods of our history either, because as Winston Churchill once said: “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”

This interview is for readers of Leaders magazine. How do you perceive leadership, what kind of leader are you, and do we have enough leaders today?

I think good leaders are drivers who believe in themselves, in their people and in what they’re doing. They can choose the right people and give them the space to show what they have within themselves. They can motivate their team and give it positive energy and inspiration. I have tried to adhere to these principles the whole of my career. And even in my professional life, I’ve had the opportunity to encounter loads of people who exactly meet these characteristics.

Forbes magazine has described you as the third most influential woman in the Czech Republic. Congratulations on behalf of the Czech and Slovak Leaders editorial board. How do you perceive this award?

It’s a great honour for me, and also proof that our work at the Finance Ministry is noticed and appreciated. At the same time, I consider the award a great commitment, and I take it with the same humility that my colleagues and I feel in working for the citizens of this country. We still see many things here we want to improve.

You are the first female Finance Minister. How do you perceive the debate about equal representation for women in top positions in the Czech Republic? Can you say what the new perspective you have brought to this role is?

Being a woman in charge of a department might seem like an advantage, because as women we have a somewhat different method of communication than men. But I’ve never tried to deliberately exploit this. Over my whole life, I’ve endeavoured to ensure that it is my abilities and my work which speak for me. I hold the position that if you do your work well, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman.

Let me yet avail of your expert perspective – how do you see the gender pay gap problem, which is the second highest within the EU here in the Czech Republic?

According to Eurostat, on average women here earn 22 % less than men, which seems really appalling. There are many reasons for this difference. It is almost exclusively women here who take parental leave, putting their career on hold for a number of years during which time men reach higher positions. These differences are less clear in the over-55 age category however. Also, more women work in education and health, fields where people earn less in general than in fields where more men work – e.g., in construction. But I certainly don’t want to downplay the problem. On the contrary. By law, employers must follow an equal treatment principle in rewarding their employees, but unfortunately this principle is still quite often breached. Women’s lower earnings are reflected in the size of their pensions – women receive pensions of around a fifth less than men and, as such, are more frequently at risk of poverty.

As Finance Minister, you are mainly linked to the introduction of electronic sales records. The Finance Minister isn’t exactly popular right now, nor is the electronic sales records concept. What is it like in general to enforce unpopular measures?

I don’t think electronic sales records are unpopular. On the contrary, sociological research suggests it is consistently supported by around two-thirds of Czechs. But of course, I regularly meet many people with different opinions to me on many matters. And that’s okay. I relish my work, and thus I welcome any substantive discussion and I don’t object to reasonable suggestions. From time to time I also encounter criticism which I consider unfair and full of misrepresentations, but I certainly won’t let it frustrate me. That’s why I also think my mission is about clearly and matter-of-factly explaining the what, why and how of what we’re doing.

I know you’ve given lectures in the past. Do you still find time for them?

I currently lecture at various specialist seminars or at meetings with entrepreneurs. In the past I was an external lecturer at the Faculty of Law’s Department of Financial Law and Economics at Masaryk University in Brno, but now my busy schedule means I just don’t have the time. But I’m always happy to return to academia, and I will certainly be happy if the opportunity again arises in future to lecture to students.

As a member of the Brno University of Technology’s Scientific Board, I’d like to ask you how you’re managing to link science and the practical world.

As Finance Minister, I think it is important we are able to give more money to this field. In the draft state budget for next year, we have boosted expenditure on higher education by 2 billion crowns, and education overall has also seen significant improvement – by 29.6 billion crowns. Besides that, we are also increasing expenditure on science and research by 1.5 billion crowns to a total of 36 billion crowns. And as a former member of the Faculty of Business and Management Scientific Board at the Brno University of Technology, I can confirm that when I held that position it was very common for students to acquire practical knowledge during their master’s studies. The faculty’s doctoral studies and science and research activities have continued to develop, and I believe that co-operation with the practical world and the business sector is today expanding. I trust that other economic and technical faculties are doing similarly well.

What would your advice be if you were mentoring yourself twenty years ago?

To be honest, I wouldn’t give my younger self any specific advice. I’ve made progress in small steps over my career, and I truly appreciate what I have finally managed to achieve. Now I’m Finance Minister, and that didn’t just come out of thin air. It’s the outcome of the decisions I made at crucial forks in my previous life. And it’s also because I’ve managed to overcome various challenges. Building a career is a life-long path during which one acquires the necessary experience and learns from one’s mistakes. Looking back, there’s nothing I would change.

By Linda Štucbartová

“We Tell Stories”

Michal Lukeš, Director of the National Museum in Prague

At the age of 26, Michal Lukeš was the youngest director of a national cultural institution in Europe, and after over 15 years in the position he is one of the longest-serving museum directors. Under his management, the National Museum has repaired most of its dilapidated buildings, such as the National Monument at Vítkov, the Czech Museum of Music and the Ethnographic Museum. He pushed through the renovation of the National Museum building on Wenceslas Square and secured funding for it, and acquired the former Federal Assembly building for the National Museum. He has managed to repair the National Museum building in an incredibly short time – just 42 months – and open it for celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia on 28 October 2018.

What feelings did you have as an individual – as a husband, as a father to two daughters – when celebrating the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia, coincidentally also the first day of standard operations after the official re-opening of the National Museum?

I did not have much time to celebrate for myself during the 100th anniversary celebrations since I had a lot of work and official duties. My wife and daughters symbolically baked me some gingerbread with icing in the colours of our national flag. I try to educate my children about history, and ever since they were small I have brought them up in a traditional spirit and with love for our country. My feelings on 28 October were celebratory, and I’m glad our celebrations went well and people commemorated the 100th anniversary of our Republic spontaneously and on their own initiatives. I’m glad we have the good fortune to live in a prosperous, safe and, above all, democratic republic.

Do you remember the first time you visited the National Museum? How do you attract your youngest generation of visitors? What about the oldest? And what would you suggest foreigners visit?

Probably like everyone else I remember the whale skeleton and loads of animals. We attract the youngest generation with a whole range of special programmes for schools and families, and all our exhibitions have kids’ and educational features. We try to make the museum intelligible and fun for them. We attract adults through unique experiences and exhibits which they won’t find anywhere else. I’d invite everyone to visit our New Building to see our Celts exhibition, or our fascinating Noah’s Ark zoological exhibition. In our Historical Building, besides our renovated interiors you can admire the 200 rarest exhibits of our museum at our 2x100exhibition.Buttherearealsofascinating exhibitions at the Czech Museum of Music and the Náprstek Museum. Anyone who wants to learn more about modern Czech history should visit the National Monument at Vítkov, where they can combine a museum visit with admiring a fantastic view over Prague from the roof of the monument.

You’re well known for often using your sense of humour in your role. Were there any times during the renovation when you lost your sense of humour?

I haven’t yet lost my sense of humour, not even during the renovation, and even in the most serious of moments I have always tried to encourage colleagues with humour. Although I am a fan of black humour, so I don’t know whether I’ve always succeeded 🙂

You ́ve had the honour of being first in two areas – at the age of 26 you were the youngest director of a large national cultural institution in Europe, and now after over 15 years in your position you are one of the longest-serving museum directors. In terms of leadership, what stage is the most difficult?

I can’t say what stage was most difficult. When I took on the role at a very young age, I had the task of shaking up and modernising a somewhat dusty institution. And we did a pretty good job. We managed to push on with loads of innovative projects and investments, both in museum infrastructure and buildings. The museum is growing dynamically, but running these projects requires a lot more management work and responsibilities. Each stage of my leadership here has had its pros and cons, but together I think they form one of the most coherent and positive stages in the history of the institution.

What museums in Europe / in the world do you like visiting? What museums could be a model for the National Museum?

We visit, find inspiration in, and above all co- operate with, a wide range of worldwide institutions such as the British Museum, the Natural History museums in New York and London, the Smithsonian Institute in the USA, the National Museum of Scotland, and also museums in smaller countries such as the Estonian National Museum. Polish museums are very inspiring, such as the Warsaw Rising Museum. Naturally, our closest partner museum is the Slovak National Museum. But it’s not about which specific museums can be a model for us; we endeavour to find inspiration from the best of them, while also learning from errors others have made.

I had the opportunity to visit the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem in October, and this is at the absolute cutting edge in terms of using modern technologies, appealing to visitors, working with stories, emotions and literally drawing visitors into the story. On the other hand the museum has no real exhibits or collections. Probably little will remain of our generation except in the digital world. How do you see the future of museums and collections?

The job of a museum is to look after the cultural heritage of our ancestors, document our era and preserve as objective an image of it as possible for the future. Museums’ collections and original objects will always remain at the core of their purpose. Naturally, in today’s modern era we store a lot more digital information besides objects. In our exhibitions, we don’t just showcase individual objects, but rather aim to tell stories. Our exhibitions also include multimedia technologies, both to expand the information they provide, and for fun and to interest visitors. Methods of presentation have changed, but the meaning of museums has remained the same for centuries, and I think it will continue to do so.

I’d also like to ask about the much-debated Pantheon of leading Czech figures. I feel a lack of women there. Which women would you like to see there?

You’re right; there aren’t many women in the Pantheon. But the Pantheon represents the intellectual and social legacy of the 19th century. It’s not about which women I would like to see there. The Pantheon is essentially a kind of museum document showing how our ancestors saw the world.

What future career/personal challenges have you got in store?

I definitely want to build a complete new National Museum exhibition. We’ve managed to repair the beautiful Historical Building, and open a number of exhibitions within it, but it is the museum’s permanent exhibitions which give it its spirit. That is currently my greatest challenge.

By Linda Štucbartová