PHOTO: Zuzana Bönisch

During the first day of his visit, the President of the Republic met with the Rector and Vice-Rector of the Faculty of Philosophy at Palacký University in Olomouc, and held a discussion with students. At the regional office, he met with the regional governor and the leadership of the Olomouc Region. "In this region, I believe there are many examples, not only of good things, but also of issues that are present in other regions, and it is becoming clear that some of these problems will require systemic solutions at the level of the entire state and government," said President Petr Pavel at a press conference. In the afternoon, the President met with representatives of the Jesenicko region and participated in a discussion with the residents of the town of Javorník, along with the regional governor.

The President's wife, Eva Pavlová, officially opened the Center for Conflict Resolution and Mediation, which has recently been established at the Faculty of Law of UPOL, as part of her visit to the Olomouc Region. "I became familiar with mediation through my work at a mediation center, and it has earned my trust. I believe that it should be used more often than traditional court proceedings, especially in family disputes, because it helps not only to resolve the subject of the dispute, but also to mend strained interpersonal relationships," said Eva Pavlová at the end of her visit.

On the second day of the visit, the presidential couple visited the Woox clothing company, which, among other things, is a traditional manufacturer of flannel shirts. During a visit to the Vápenná Elementary School, which offers instruction in both traditional and Montessori methods, the presidential couple met with students and teachers. "It was very direct. The entire atmosphere shows that the children are doing well here. It is a great example for other regions that a school like this can be located practically anywhere," said President Petr Pavel. This was followed by lunch and a discussion with the mayors of the Jesenicko and Šumpersko regions.

President Petr Pavel particularly praised the openness and objectivity with which the mayors assess the problems of the region. One of the topics was the issue of subsidies and the financing of projects. "We touched on a problem that is widespread throughout the entire Czech Republic: that the system of subsidies and the issuance of subsidy programs is not structurally well designed, and that, according to many mayors, it tends to exacerbate problems and inequalities between poorer and wealthier parts of the country, rather than helping to solve them. In this context, some also mentioned the budgetary allocation of taxes, which is not entirely well designed, and which will certainly be a topic that needs to be addressed at the national level," said the President.

In the afternoon, the presidential couple visited the Velké Losiny Handmade Paper Mill. The President's visit to the Olomouc Region concluded with a discussion with representatives of the Land Forces Command in Olomouc.

(Communication Department of the Presidential Office/JaV)