How many ministries might there be? We currently have 14 ministries! The Swiss make do with seven. At one time, the Civic Democrats were touting nine ministries, but no guesses as to why that proposal died. Of course, the pressure was turned up. A few too many politicians and a few too many parties were battling for a little influence and a big office. So we are left with a situation where you go to the authorities, and three or four ministries push you from pillar to post because they don’t want to lose what they have. So they have something to do. And who has a say in the construction industry in the Czech Republic? Transport, industry, the environment, agriculture, local development… Everyone wants their own bit of power, so citizens and businesses are left to run from place to place like headless chickens. Every ministry makes its own purchases in its own way – paper, printers, information systems and cars. The state would save billions, if only we had centralised procurement. I can imagine a situation where we have only 11 ministries. At this particular moment in time. Perhaps fewer in the future. There would be no more talk of how many people from each coalition party must be given a function. No more gambling. In the first-past-the-post system, where the government is a single party, this would be transparent and efficient. The ministers work together, the results are palpable and fast, and responsibilities are clear. What ministries should we have, then? Those fields that belong to each other should be lumped together. As should the people. It’s all rather scattered at the moment. So here are the 11 ministries I think we
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