Experts in the Senate called for NPÚ director Hájek to resign

Prague - Former members of the expert council of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ), which was dissolved last week by its General Director Tomáš Hájek immediately after their resignations, today called on Hájek at a public hearing in the Senate to resign immediately himself. Only Hájek's departure could start a real discussion about the future of heritage care and its reasonable reform, said former council member Josef Holeček to the senators.
The NPÚ published Hájek's new concept of heritage care on its website on Monday, which Holeček described as merely a "stylistic exercise." "The General Director does not understand the issue of monuments at all," stated Holeček, who was himself a member of the expert commission that selected Hájek for the position. "It was a mistake, and I apologize for this poor judgment at least on my behalf," he stated. "The public should also know that the commission was not a tool of the Minister of Culture, but that it truly made its decisions autonomously," Holeček stated.
Hájek's appearance was also supposed to be on today's hearing agenda; however, Hájek did not show up before the senators, nor did the invited representatives from the Ministry of Culture. "The General Director prefers not to participate in public appearances where he would not be able to defend his actions. Today's situation, where he was unable to come or send a representative, only confirms that," said another former advisory committee member Václav Girsa, who criticized Hájek for what he perceives as the politicization of the heritage care field. He also called for Hájek's resignation.
On the other hand, Josef Plos, secretary of the Chamber of Architects, distanced himself from this demand.
Experts on heritage care have raised objections against Hájek since the beginning of his tenure at the head of the NPÚ. They also had concerns about the selection process for the new director; according to Hájek's opponents, not a single qualified heritage specialist was on the committee, and Minister Vítězslav Jandák did not consult anyone from his top advisory body on heritage care, the Minister's Scientific Council, when forming it.
Senator Martin Mejstřík described the situation where heritage care is subject to state administration as catastrophic. He believes that a new heritage law could resolve it. "Let's end these hearings and prepare a new heritage law so that at the end of the next electoral term, we don’t have to meet again here stating that we are back at the beginning," he declared.