Petr Macinka bans Ministry staff from Czech Television

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has announced that employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will refuse to communicate with or appear on Czech Television (ČT) until the close of polling on Saturday.

Macinka, a candidate for the Motoristé sobě party in the Prague municipal elections, labeled the broadcaster’s rules for its pre-election ‘Superdebate’ as ‘extremely stupid.’ The dispute arose because the rules prevent him from participating in a debate where his electoral competitors are present.

In response, Macinka has also rejected all current requests from the broadcaster to feature ministry experts in its programming. He stated that this measure is intended to prevent any accidental influence on the elections, noting that ministry staff could otherwise be used to speak positively about him in a way that bypasses the debate restrictions.