JUDr. Martin Netolický, Ph.D., is a graduated lawyer who has long focused on local government financing and budget law. He has also worked in this fi eld as an assistant professor at Palacký University. He has been the Governor of the Pardubice Region since 2012. His hobbies include culture, history, sports and cooking.
EU membership also means opportunities for your region. How do you apply the principle of investing as efficiently as possible?
As the Governor of the Pardubice Region, I have been promoting the principle that the region must be prepared to draw on any external resources to the maximum extent possible, be it national subsidies or, above all, European ones. Our region has always tried to be as prepared as possible for all the calls that have been announced so that the region can obtain as many resources as possible for benefi cial projects. The 2014-2020 programming period has been highly successful for our region. We owe many thanks to all those who have been involved in the preparation of individual projects. The entire Pardubice Region obtained almost CZK 44 billion in the selected operational programmes, which is the second-largest amount per capita in the Czech Republic. At the same time, as a region, we have the highest number of projects supported as an applicant. We have outpaced even regions that are many times larger and more populous. The EU funds are a signifi cant and valuable help to us, and we will continue to use them in the future. That is why we are already working hard to prepare projects for the 2021+ programming period.
The origins and development of aviation are connected with the Pardubice Region. What are the regional development priorities today, not only in transport but also in the fi eld of innovation?
The Pardubice Region has always been and will continue to be, closely connected with transport in all its forms. Our location predestines us as a natural transport crossroads of the Czech Republic and Central Europe. The backbone road I/35 runs through the region. I fi rmly hope that in the coming years, it will be replaced in its entire length by the D35 motorway, the first section of which from Opatovice nad Labem to Časy was opened at the end of last year. The region is also crossed by the main railway corridor to Bratislava, Vienna, and towards Olomouc, major Polish cities and Ukraine; it off ers very good transport accessibility in all directions for residents and businesses in the region. Pardubice International Airport is in a diffi cult situation. Passenger transport is dependent on many external influences and international stability. That is why I have long pointed out the need to focus on cargo or general aviation. In the field of innovation, we are, for example, a co-founder of the Pardubice business incubator P-PINK. After several years of operation, it has successfully established itself in supporting the business environment in our region. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic entered into the start-up of many projects. Still, even during this period, we found ways to help with good ideas and connect individual activities. For example, we have prepared so-called start-up vouchers for budding entrepreneurs. These can be used by any entrepreneurial entity based in our region which has been operating for less than three years. The amount of support per application ranges from CZK 20,000 to CZK 200,000. It should be noted that there is a great interest in this form of support.
The quality and accessibility of healthcare are one of your region’s strengths. How do you manage to accomplish this, and is it a path of sustainable development?
I started working on the development of healthcare in the region in 2011 when I took up the position of Councillor for Healthcare. At that time, the healthcare facilities were suff ering deep losses, and the fi rst step was to merge the five separate county hospitals into one jointstock company. Long-term financial results showed that creating one public limited company was the best option for the entire regional health service.
Thanks to this, we are making the most significant investment in regional healthcare in the history of the Pardubice Region. For CZK 1.7 billion, we are now building the central emergency room at Pardubice Hospital, the largest healthcare construction currently under construction in the Czech Republic. In addition, we are completing the central reception in the Ústí nad Orlicí Hospital for CZK 500 million, and we are completing a new Aftercare Hospital in Moravská Třebová for CZK 300 million. The new building should become one of the most modern aftercare hospitals in the whole country. I must not forget the already completed psychiatry pavilion at the Pardubice Hospital for CZK 320 million.
We are doing our best to ensure that the availability and quality of healthcare — not only acute but also follow-up and rehabilitation care — is high in our region.
The region is famous for its monuments and culture. What does Smetana’s Litomyšl mean to you?
Smetana’s Litomyšl is rightfully one of the jewels of our region, which is why it is also included in the document The Face of the Pardubice Region, which represents the most important cultural, social and sporting events of our region. We are a region with many cultural traditions, and the national festival Smetana’s Litomyšl is among the most prestigious ones. It is a phenomenon that is probably unparalleled in this country, with the exception of the Prague Spring International Music Festival. Once a year, for one month, the beautiful Renaissance town of Litomyšl is transformed into a cultural metropolis not only in the field of music but also in the field of visual arts. For us, this is an excellent opportunity to invite visitors and culture lovers to other interesting places in the region.
The Pardubice Region is distinguished by its nature as well as its cultural and historical heritage. What else can it off er visitors in the fi eld of tourism?
Although we are one of the smaller regions, we can off er a number of attractive tourist destinations. In addition to the monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Litomyšl and Kladruby nad Labem, the Renaissance Chateau Pardubice, which we own, is worth mentioning, and we are gradually making it more attractive to visitors. In addition to the UNESCO monuments, the traditional carnival rides in Hlinecko and the puppetry in Chrudim are also on the list. A clear pearl of our region is the Králický Sněžník area, which off ers activities in winter and summer. The unique fortification system from the period before the Second World War is worth mentioning. It will especially delight lovers of technical and military monuments. Our region owns the artillery fortification Bouda, which we are restoring to its unique original form. I must not forget Svojanov Castle, the rococo chateau in Nové Hrady near Litomyšl, the town of Polička, the nature reserve of Toulovcovy Maštale (Knight Toulovec’s Stabling), the beautiful dams of Seč or the village of Pastviny. There are plenty of places worth visiting in our region — come and see for yourself!
Thank you for the interview.
