Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic

10/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/09/2024 07:48

Lukáš Vlček appointed as Minister of Industry and Trade to replace Jozef Síkela, candidate for the office of European Commissioner

Published:
8.10.2024
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Odbor komunikace 01400

Prime Minister Petr Fiala appointed Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček. His main priorities include the implementation of the new Economic Strategy of the Czech Republic, completion of negotiations on the tender for the construction of new nuclear sources in Dukovany and other strategic projects, work on the modernization of the energy industry, consumer protection and a fair environment for business, including reducing the administrative burden.


"There are priorities that need to be mastered by new Minister, whether it is the last step towards the completion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant, the simplification of administration and the functional digitization of basic processes for entrepreneurs. The active role of the Czech Minister of Industry in the European Union to defend the interests of the Czech Republic is also important. He should participate in making the EU more rational in the future and not make decisions that threaten our competitiveness"said Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the press conference.

"I want to thank my predecessor Jozef Síkela for a lot of work he did at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. I don't see my work as a place to just tighten things up. My visions are much more varied and extend into the next election period, and my goal is to get the Czech Republic into the top 10 economies in Europe" says Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, adding that the new Economic Strategy, which was launched in recent months in cooperation with the MIT, will help to meet this goal. "We will present the strategy today at the International Engineering Fair and submit it to the government for approval in the coming days. This is a long-term vision for the development of the Czech economy with an emphasis on a high added value, which is the basis of the prosperity of every economy. The economic strategy, which is appreciated by leading Czech economists, must not just remain on paper, and I am going to start implement it from the first day in my office."

In the field of energy, new Minister will continue important negotiations on the diversification of gas supplies and the completion of new nuclear units in Dukovany. A key area will also be the modernization of transmission and distribution systems for a stable energy infrastructure and the development of renewable energy sources. Minister Vlček plans to push through another amendment to the Energy Act, which introduces new modern rules for the electricity market, such as accumulation, flexibility and its aggregation. "I will also focus on bringing new investments with high added value, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence or electromobility, and I would like to bring investors mainly to economically and socially excluded regions. I will not forget the support of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can continue to grow and innovate" adds Minister Vlček, who also plans to focus on consumer protection, the fight against monopolies and oligopolies, greater housing availability thanks to modern building standards, and open and understandable communication with the public. At the same time, today the ministry also launches its account on the social network Instagram under the e-mail address @mpo.gov.cz.

Lukáš Vlček has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since October 2021. In 2022, he was elected 1st vice-chairman of the Elders and Independents, where he also was in charge of economic issues as an economic expert. In the House of Representatives, he was a member of the budget committee and the environment committee. He chaired the Standing Committee on Hybrid Threats. Before working in national politics, he worked for 15 years as the Mayor of Pacov. His projects during that time won a number of awards, including the Czech Prize for Architecture. He himself was awarded the title of Best Mayor of the Vysočina Region for his work. While working, he studied political science and sociology, regional development and public administration at the Masaryk University in Brno. You can find the full profile of the Minister at this link.

"I know Lukáš Vlček well thanks to our intensive cooperation basically during my entire tenure at the ministry. I see him as a politician who excels in his hard work, which I think is exactly the attitude that this ministry needs. So, I believe that he can be a good minister of industry and trade" says outgoing Minister Jozef Síkela, who is leaving the post after being nominated for the post of European Commissioner for International Partnerships.

"I would like to thank all the employees of the Ministry of Industry and Trade for their cooperation and commitment during the past three challenging years. Together we managed the consequences of Russian aggression, but also to got rid of energy dependence on this untrustworthy partner. But we were also able to build solid foundations for modern and sustainable energy in the Czech Republic or, for example, make significant progress in attracting strategic investments, which significantly contributed to the fact that the American company onsemi chose the Czech Republic for the location of its investment in the development of the production of modern chips says Jozef Síkela.

Former Minister Jozef Síkela focused on solving the energy crisis and increasing the energy security of the Czech Republic during his tenure at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the threat of dependence on Russian raw materials, there has been a rapid filling of gas reservoirs and diversification of supplies to mitigate the risk of energy extortion. Significant progress has been made in the development of renewable energy sources, especially in the photovoltaics, where a number of installations has increased substantially.

Furthermore, the nuclear energy was developing, including preparations for the construction of new units in Dukovany and plans for small modular reactors. A significant step was also the unification of the EU Member States in the field of energy security and the support of investments in modern technologies and innovations, which are crucial to the future competitiveness of the Czech industry.With his activity, Minister Síkela also significantly contributed to the fact that the American company onsemi decided to place its investment in the development of the production of modern chips. It can be the largest foreign investment in the entire history of modern Czechia.