“If anyone in the Czech Republic thinks that the Czech Republic can reach the European level by developing Brno, Ostrava, Břeclav or Krnov, it is a big mistake,” he said today at the launch of the TOP 09 Hudeček senate and municipal campaign. “Only the support of the center, only the support of the capital, only the support of Prague and only the active activity of us residents of Prague can be the only tool to be at the European level in all the indicators we would like,” he said.

Critics: The flight and the convulsive effort to attract

The reaction did not take long. The South Moravian governor Michal Hašek (ČSSD) remarked on Facebook that while reading the words of the mayor of Prague, he remembers the film Even Bigger Nerd Than We Hoped. “Tomáš Hudečka, the Czech Republic is really not just the capital city of Prague with its tunnels for public finances,” he also wrote.

The former mayor of Prague and the leader of the ODS candidate in the capital, Bohuslav Svoboda, again described Hudeček’s statement as a convulsive effort to attract attention. “I don’t know if Tomáš Hudeček is serious, if he says that the Czech Republic will reach a higher level only if it mainly supports Prague,” he said in a press release.

“I would like to point out that it is Miroslav Kalousek from TOP 09 together with Petr Gazdík from STAN together Prague by about 700 million crowns a year to change the system of budget determination of taxes,” he also noted that only a person unsure of his job and position it can be similarly doubtfully defined.

What will they say in Hudeček’s Olomouc? sounded from Brno

Petr Vokřál, who is a candidate of the YES movement for the mayor of Brno, also expressed his disagreement. “I consider these words to be completely inappropriate and I hope that this is a one-off flight from Mr. Hudeček and not part of the TOP 09 election program. declaration. Jaroslav Kacer is the leader of the TOP 09 candidate in Brno.

Hudeček’s statement was also rejected by the People’s Candidate for Mayor Klára Liptáková. “Outside Prague, they make up 90 percent of the population and at the same time three quarters of gross domestic product,” he says. “I think it is obvious for native Praguers as well as for people who live in Prague, but were born elsewhere, for example as the mayor of Olomouc,” she said. “Cyril and Methodius did not come to Prague either,” they insured.

The mayor finally sprinkled his head with ashes

In the afternoon, the mayor of Prague acknowledged his mistake and apologized to the inhabitants and representatives of the mentioned cities for his comments. “What I wanted to emphasize is the fact that Prague is a key driver of the entire Czech Republic, contributing the most to domestic GDP. In addition, significant changes are taking place in Prague today, which is directing it to the level of developed and successful western metropolises. That is why it is important for the state to support Prague. The entire Czechia, including the regions, will benefit from the growing prosperity of the capital, “he said.

“Of course, the state must think of other cities, towns and regions. I am not asking for any exceptions for Prague, it is in our common interest for it to be a prosperous and modern metropolis and to become the driving force of the growth of the entire state, “he added.