For a long time I was working at schools predominantly with women, there weren ' t any men so it wasn ' t too easy for me later. Men’ s world is different and I had to learn how to deal with them. The big difference in politics is that I am still a mother, wife and it is expected from me to do the housework after coming home. Men come home and everything is ready and waiting for them. In Děčín there had not been a woman leader before so someone had problems with it. But I am used to it and not afraid to speak about it. I like hardworking people.
4. Do you use English in work and do you know some more languages?
I don’ t really speak English at work and I wasn’ t supposed to speak English at work necessarily. At meetings I use an interpreter for better communication when needed. Sometimes I speak German at work or on holidays. It is polite to speak with someone a foreign language informally, though.
5. Have you ever been to Italy, Portugal, Turkey or Canary Islands? I have only been to Turkey, on holidays. 6. What pros and cons has Decin got?
A big plus is its wonderful scenery. We are the greenest city in Czechia. We do have a lot of greenery, it is not that industrial as the other parts of Northern Bohemia. But we have the label of industrial Northern Bohemia. many people are surprised then how beautiful it is here.
A big problem is that we cannot build factories here because of the protected parks. That affects work opportunities. We are among the top 10 towns with high unemployment in Czechia.
There are not many universities and more and more people are leaving Děčín for bigger cities because of work or they find a partner at university and stay there, they do not come back to Děčín. We have a big problem with unemployment. Salaries are low here. Number of shops is declining as people cannot buy much or use services as hairdressers, repairmen, traders, etc.
7. Do you have a role model in politics?
No. I’ m a non-party politician. I use my common sense. It is about work for the town, not political fractions. Important is what is right for people. I was asked by ANO party to go to the election on their candidate list.
8. Do you know about Etwinning? No. 9. What partner cities has Děčín got?
In Germany we have Pirna, it is the most active since they are closest. From Czechia we have Prerov in Moravia. In Slovakia we have Ružomberok. Belchatow is a big town in Poland. Jonava in Lithuania. Once a year we meet and work on cultural projects and exchange experiences.
The contacts are a long-time tradition. The exchange among towns is refreshing. 10. I would like to know( Klára) if you aim higher?