Prague - Facing the latest round of criticism from media for his recent state-funded trip to a football match abroad, the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek resorted to what has become his usual tactic: unleashing another attack against journalists.
Midway through today's government press conference he took time to read a prepared statement in which he lectured the newsmen about his legal entitlements as a head of government, insisting he was the one who saves, rather than wastes money on comfort.
Of all the privileges accorded to him by Czech laws, he uses "less than a third", he said.
Topolánek's diatribe came after a series of critical reports in the media about his frequent use of government airplanes to travel abroad for occasions which straddle the line between official and private visits.
It had been alleged that on last year's return trip from an official visit to Bulgaria the plane made a stop in Innsbruck, Austria, where the PM spent the weekend skiing.
In another instance, the use of a police siren on the car he was traveling in to see a tennis match was questioned as well as the apparent speeding.
Topolánek's latest eyebrow-raising trip came last week when he showed up in Vienna for the Euro 2008 final between Spain and Germany. Cabinet member Džamila Stehlíková from the Green Party said she knew nothing about the PM's trip being sanctioned by fellow ministers only to retract her statement later with apologies.
As it was, Topolánek had been invited to Vienna by his Austrian counterpart. Yet, he went further during today's press conference, claiming he and his entourage can use the government airplane whenever he wants.
"The law is not concerned whether the transport is for private or official visit. In cases of top politicians and their hectic schedules, both on weekdays and weekends, it is very difficult to discern public from private," Prime Minister Topolánek read from his statement.
He also reminded the journalists he has not moved to Kramář Villa close to the Government House in the center of Prague, although he is entitled to that.
