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Czech diplomacy has a new man tasked with helping oust Russia from diplomatic positions in Eastern European countries. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (Pirates) appointed him a diplomat with many years of experience in this region, Černín Castle confirmed to the Aktuálně.cz newspaper. The permanent director of one of the department’s key divisions is a former diplomat suffering from a drunk driving scandal.
David Stulík lived in Kiev for more than ten years and worked there as an ambassador for the European Union diplomatic service. At the turn of 2013 and 2014, he experienced first-hand the mass protests that led to the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. His regime’s forces killed more than a hundred people during the demonstrations.
Stulík has been working as an adviser at the Foreign Ministry since June last year, but was promoted last Tuesday. Foreign Minister Lipavský appointed him representative for the Eastern Partnership. “Czech diplomacy will be able to draw on 30 years of experience and knowledge of Eastern Europe, where Mr. Stulík lived and worked,” said Daniel Drake, spokesman for the department.
The authorized representative’s task is to effectively influence the European Union’s policy towards Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. These are the countries of the former Soviet bloc in which Russia enforces its interests by force or coercion. Georgia experienced a Russian invasion in 2008, and Ukraine has been resisting Russia’s military aggression since February 2022.
linguistic proficiency
“Russia is trying to impose its power and its imperial policies and influence in this part of Europe, while the European Union offers these countries mutually beneficial partnership relations and equal participation in the process of European integration. It is a great honor for me to take part in such an important foreign policy direction for us within the EU,” David Stulík told Aktuálně.cz.
The Czech Republic considers the above-mentioned states to be an area of its strategic interest. In this context, the Černín Palace highlights the language skills of the new plenipotentiary, as he is one of the few in the ministry who speaks Ukrainian. He is also fluent in Russian and Belarusian. “He personally knows a number of key people in the region and also has extensive contacts within the European Union institutions,” spokesman Drake added.
The position of Commissioner for the Eastern Partnership has been vacant for months. Most recently it was held by Jan Marian, who became political deputy minister last May. The head of Czech diplomacy directly assigned Stulík to this position, choosing from several candidates with experience in the European Union and Eastern Europe. Stulík will be the representative until the end of the year.
Key lady for staff
Another important personnel decision was made last year without public attention. Jana Hybášková became the permanent head of the human resources department and headed the department as deputy from mid-June 2022. After a successful selection process for her, she was appointed overall manager by the Department’s State Secretary Radek Rubeš.
For Hybášková, who was a member of the European Parliament and served as the European Union ambassador to Iraq and later Namibia, this step is fundamental. While her credentials, which were granted after the death of the previous department head, could be revoked at any time, her appointment as overall head guarantees her a leadership position for five years.
Jana Hybášková, Head of the Human Resources Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | Photo: DVTV
The first human resources officer influences the professional careers of the ministry’s employees. All changes go through her; she is responsible for staffing the official and employment offices at home and in the embassies. “At the same time, proposals for personnel changes in the headquarters, in the embassies and in the positions of heads of the ministry’s subsidized organizations are being processed,” explained Mariana Wernerová from the ministry’s press department.
Appointed permanently after illness
In addition to her diplomatic service, Hybášková recently attracted attention for a traffic accident while under the influence of alcohol. At the end of August 2021, she crashed into four cars on Bělohorská Street in Prague and then fell onto the roof. In addition to her, she had on board the head of the Ministry for Middle Eastern States, Petar Hladík. Her breath test showed 1.5 per mille alcohol.
In the abbreviated criminal proceedings, Hybášková pleaded guilty to endangerment under the influence of a drug, which, according to the Criminal Code, is punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years. The diplomat confessed and transferred the money to an account to help crime victims. The public prosecutor’s office therefore dropped the proposal to punish her in autumn 2021 and at the same time set a probation period of 18 months.
Hybášková was not allowed to drive a car during this time. Not even half way through her term of office, the ministry leadership put her in charge of the above-mentioned department. Hybášková’s probationary period expired last spring. Shortly thereafter, out of the media spotlight, she became a full-time director, a position she received after a selection process. “She was appointed on July 1, 2023,” Werner added.
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