CITIZENS FOR THEIR RIGHTS IN PRAGUE
Civic Association
Rooseveltova 5, 160 00 Praha 6
Prague 16th April 2009
OPEN LETTER
Re: Complaint regarding the interests of the Czech Republic abroad being damaged
Dear Mr Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dear Chairmen of the Foreign Committees of the Senate and Parliament,
We are turning to you in dire need of help in the matter of saving the Centre for homeless mothers and families with children in Prague 11, Donovalska 1862. Its history and current situation are very unusual. In 1997, the Civic Association Walking Together rented a disused and derelict building of a former crèche from the Local Authority in Prague 11. After the building had been renovated with the help of the local Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren congregation, a church was erected, so that they would become an architectural unit.
However, this was not all. It was, first of all, a spiritual union with the poorest people in the city who landed up in crisis, which, in most cases, was not of their own doing. Complex family problems have been very successfully resolved, which was an incentive for donors from abroad, mostly Protestant churches in Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Switzerland and also from the United States, to help to finance the reconstruction of the Centre. The result has been ‘genius loci’, as Mayor Pavel Bem rightly remarked at a meeting of the City of Prague Council on 19th February 2009, when the petition to save the Centre in Donovalska 1862, Prague 11 was discussed. Petr Necas, Minister of Employment and Social Security, has also unambiguously supported the action to save the Centre.
A
Mayor Pavel Bem’s conduct was highly respectable during the discussions and when the Resolution of the City of Prague Council no. 24/1 was being adopted. Thanks to Mr Bem, Mr Jiri Janecek, a Councillor of the City of Prague Council, was commissioned to find a solution, so that the Centre would be saved and another building for a kindergarten, which was a reason (in name only) for terminating the lease, be found. At the City of Prague Council Meeting Mr Dalibor Mlejnsky, Mayor of Prague 11, promised to cooperate in solving the problem.
Unfortunately, we have to report that Councillor Janecek has not managed to do anything in the matter. He did not ensure that the lease contract would be extended and so the Centre Walking Together received an order to vacate the building and hand it over to the ‘Jihomenstska majetkova’ joint-stock company, at 10 a.m. on 2nd March 2009. ‘Jihomenstska majetkova’ is a company whose Chairman of Board of Trustees is Dalibor Mlejnsky, Mayor of Prague 11. The result of this conflict of interests is that the lease has not been extended in spite of the fact that it was part of the Resolution of the City of Prague Council no. 24/1. Extension of the lease was a condition for the Centre to be able to remain in the building in Donovalska 1862, Prague 11.
Contrary to the Resolution of the City of Prague Council no. 24/1 on 19th February 2009, the Prague 11 Council, chaired by Dalibor Mlejnsky, Mayor, and Jiri Janecek, Councillor, adopted Resolution no. 28/22/Z/2009 on 19th March 2009 to evict the Walking Together Centre from Donovalska 1862, Prague 11.
What is the international dimension of this tragic misunderstanding? Donors from abroad protested when they learned about the intention of Prague 11 Council to terminate the lease on the building, which would result in the closure of the Centre and all the social and spiritual services that the Centre had been providing would come to nothing. The donors have written personal letters and also letters on behalf of congregations and communities which were addressed also to the Mayor of the City of Prague.
Here is a quotation from a letter written by Friedhelm Borggrefe, Honorary Citizen of Ludwigshafen, leading figure in the Evangelical Church of Palatinate, with long-lasting interest in social affairs: “It was our Evangelical Church of Palatinate who contributed more than 200 000 Euros from church collections and the budgets of various foundations. When the foundation stone of the church building was being laid, not only the wife of Mr Spidla, then Prime Minister, was present, but also representatives of the City of Prague who assured the guests from abroad that the project would become a paradigm of social work in the Czech Republic. I think that the current actions will have not only catastrophic repercussions for the people in your city, but also for the image of your city which will be seen as one with an incompetent and hostile social policy and also a policy hostile towards the Church and its work in the Czech Republic. I urgently request, Mr Bem, that the decision be changed”.
Mr Borggrefe sent a similar letter to the German Ambassador in the Czech Republic, Mr Elfemkamper. All the letters were the basis for Mr Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Czech Republic, to request that Dalibor Mlejnsky, Mayor of Prague 11, revoke the plan to close down the Walking Together Centre. Relevant documents were also handed to Mrs Irena Moozova, Head of the Representation of European Commission in the Czech Republic.
B
Walking Together Centre in Prague 11 has been accommodating people from any part of the city. It is in agreement with the Act of the City of Prague, no. 131/2000 Sb. It is, in fact, an agreement between the City of Prague and Prague 11 Councils which should guarantee that the Walking Together Centre would be able to operate in the building in Donovalska 1862. Councillor Janecek does not tell the truth when he publicly says that there is no money for a kindergarten. There are some facts: Prague 11 Authority has the budget of CZK 3,000,000,000 for the four-year term. Not one per cent but only a few per thousand would save the situation.
What are the real reasons for the Local Authority in Prague 11 to desire the building in Donovalska 1862 even when it obviously damages the interests of the citizens of the Czech Republic abroad? In 1997 the building was in a very bad state of repair. There are twenty modern flats now. The reason for Prague 11 Authority is to gain the flats for free. There used to be a Social Services Centre in Prague – Southern City, a budget organization in Prague 11. However, it was abolished on 19th March 2009 and instead, ‘Jihomestska socialni’joint-stock company was established. Prague 11 Authority is the sole owner.
The composition of the ‘Jihomestska socialni’ joint-stock company:
Chairman of the board: Jiri Janecek - Councillor
Vice-chairman of the board: Jan Maixner – Deputy mayor
Chairman of the board of trustees: Dalibor Mlejnský – Mayor
Member of the board of trustees: Maixner jnr., son of Deputy mayor
Contact person for applicants for the post of director of ‘Jihomestska socialni’: Mrs Maixner – wife of Maixner, Deputy Mayor
According to the Deed Foundation, ‘Jihomestska socialni’ joint-stock company was established to create profit. At its founding, the company received an initial deposit of CZK 2 mil from the public resources of Prague 11 Council. General annual meeting allocates bonuses for the members of the board and the board of trustees. According to Articles of Association, the General annual meeting is attended by Prague 11 Council, which actually means that Councillor Janecek votes for the bonus for the chairman of the board (Janecek), Deputy mayor Jan Maixner votes for the bonus for the vice-chairman (Jan Maixner) and for the bonus for the member (Maixner jnr. his son), Mayor Dalibor Mlejnsky votes for the bonus for the chairman of the board of trustees (Dalibor Mlejnsky).
According to the Deed Foundation of ‘Jihomestska socialni’ joint-stock company the line of business is to provide social, home and nursing care services in order to make profit.
This is in contradiction with the City of Prague Act no.131/2000 Sb. which, in §2, states that the Capital city of Prague and the local authorities care for the needs of their citizens and also safeguard the interests of the public.
Prague 11 Council is not an entrepreneurial entity that could act to make profit. In contrary, according to the City of Prague Act, it must care for the needs of its citizens. What follows below is the Communication of the Commission to the European Parliament, Council, European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions, the final version ‘KOM(2007)725 of 20.11.2007’…. In this document, in par. 2.3, it says:
Targets and principles for the provision of social services:
- these services are provided on the principle of solidarity and they depend to a great extent on being financed from public resources, so as to secure the equality of access for all regardless of means and earnings,
- Non-profit-making providers, just as volunteer workers, often play an important part in providing social services. They contribute to social integration, social cohesion and intergenerational solidarity.
From the above we can see that the founding of ‘Jihomestska socialni’ joint-stock company by Prague 11 Council with the view that they would make profit by entrepreneurial provision of social services and, possibly, creates a line from public resources de facto straight to the bank accounts of some of the councillors is in contradiction not only with the City of Prague Act, but also with the relevant documents of the EU.
To give full information, it also needs to be said that citizens have the right to see the accounts of non-profit-making organizations, but a joint-stock company is a private company and citizens cannot attend their general annual meeting despite the fact that, in this case, public resources are at stake.
C
Mr Jiri Janecek, Councillor of Prague 11, full-time (eight hours a day) Councillor of the City of Prague for CZK 80k/month, also works full-time (eight hours a day) as Member of Parliament for CZK 200k/month and is chairman of the Regional Association of the Civic Democratic Party in Prague 11. Prague 11 Council is a coalition of the Civic Democratic Party and the Czech Social Democratic Party. Chairman of the Club of Councillors in Prague 11 Council is Mr Miroslav Svoboda, Member of Parliament. Both Members of Parliament knowingly damage interests of the Czech Republic abroad and, nevertheless, they hold decision-making positions in Prague 11 Council. Therefore we appeal to the Chairmen of the Civic Democratic Party and the Czech Social Democratic Party that they should demonstrate that their parties are strong enough to safeguard interests of the Czech Republic abroad, and they should take relevant steps to do it.
CONCLUSION
City of Prague Council meets at 9 am on Thursday 23rd April 2009. One of the items on the agenda should also be ‘Saving the Walking Together Centre in Donovalska 1862’ as adopted in the Resolution of the City of Prague Council no. 24/1 on 19.2.2009. However, Councillor Janecek has refused to put this item on the agenda for this meeting.
Therefore we request that the Mayor of the City of Prague include this item in the agenda for the meeting of the
City of Prague Council on 23rd April 2009, which is in agreement with the rules of procedures of the Council.
According to the rules of procedures a minister of the government or his or her representative, a Member of Parliament, or a Senator must be given a chance to speak at a meeting of the City of Prague Council. We extend to you our warm invitation; your contribution will certainly help to preserve the credit of the Czech Republic abroad.
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Dear Mr Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
We are writing to ask you to exert every effort, so that the Centre Walking Together in Prague 11 will be preserved in the original shape. If you would make an apology to the foreign donors, it would certainly enhance the credit of the Czech Republic.
Dear Chairmen of the Foreign Committees of the Senate and Parliament,
We are writing to ask you to include our complaint in the agenda of the nearest meeting of the Committee you chair. We would like the Members of Parliament and Senate to know what is actually happening. To gain credit for the Czech Republic is difficult, but it is very easy to lose it.
Dear Chairmen of the Civic Democratic Party and the Czech Social Democratic Party,
We are writing to ask you to use your influence and prevent the interests of the Czech Republic abroad from being damaged.
In conclusion, we ask all of you who have been addressed if you would kindly reply in writing.
Yours sincerely,
Karel Berka
chairman
Attachments:
1/ Petition
2/ Letter from the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs
3/ Resolution of the City of Prague Council 24/1 – Save the Walking Together Centre in Prague 11
4/ Resolution of the Prague 11 Council – Closing the Walking Together Centre in Prague 11
5/ Complaint of a donor from abroad addressed to the Mayor Bem
6/ Complaint of a donor from abroad addressed to the German Ambassador
7/ Request of Senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs addressed to Mayor of Prague 11 to preserve the Walking Together Centre
8/ List of last permanent addresses in the city of Prague of residents of the Walking Together Centre
9/ Agenda for the meeting of the City of Prague Council on 23rd April 2009