YOU CAN’T HIDE THE CZECH IN ME
AS MAYOR, YOU HAVE MANY WORK RESPONSIBILITIES. WHAT DOES FREE TIME MEAN TO YOU? HOW AND WITH WHOM DO YOU PREFER TO SPEND IT?
Free time is as valuable as gold to me — especially when it means spending moments with my family, whom I hardly get to see during the busy workweek. To be specific, I have a wife, two daughters, and a son, and I enjoy every free moment most when I’m with them. It’s both relaxing and joyful. These are the most precious moments in life.
YOU’RE VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND CREATE YOUR OWN POSTS. HOW DEMANDING IS CONTENT CREATION FOR YOU? AND HOW DO YOU TRY TO CAPTURE PEOPLE’S ATTENTION?
I graduated from the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlín, and I used to manage a nationwide radio network, so I’ve always been close to marketing and communication — and I really enjoy working with social media. Content creation can be demanding, mainly because in many cases, you have to travel somewhere first. Otherwise, I don’t overthink it. I simply share updates about my work, and occasionally something from my free time as well. I promised not to be a mayor who just lays wreaths. I kept economic affairs under my responsibility, for example, so there are plenty of projects that need to be communicated.
DO YOU BELIEVE SOCIAL MEDIA IS PART OF A POLITICIAN’S JOB?
Absolutely. Today, social media has, to a large extent, replaced traditional mail or even email. I try to approach it not just as a media tool, but also as a form of public service. I see it as my duty to respond to people, keep them informed, and explain what we’re doing in Plzeň — where we’re investing, which organizations or projects we support. People have become used to the fact that I’m active on social media, so they often send me reports of offenses, crimes, or traffic issues in the city. I address these immediately with the relevant authorities, and in many cases, we manage to catch a problem early or even track down the perpetrator.
ANIMALS OFTEN APPEAR IN YOUR POSTS. DO YOU HAVE A PET? WHICH ANIMAL IS YOUR FAVORITE, AND WHY?
I’ve always liked animals, which is also why I chose to keep the Plzeň Zoo under my portfolio — it’s the region’s biggest attraction. At home, I have a Hungarian Vizsla, and I often take him on walks to clear my head. He’s a full-fledged member of our family.
YOU’RE KNOWN TO BE A FAN OF GOOD FOOD AND COOKING. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DISH?
I’m not particularly picky, but if I get to choose, I enjoy spicy food — I like going out for Asian or Mexican cuisine, and I’m also a big fan of meat. Even though international cuisine is a huge trend these days, you can’t take the Czech out of me. Just recently, I had a real craving for tomato sauce with pasta elbows. And anyone who knows me well knows that I have a real appreciation for good coffee.
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS MORE OF AN ACTIVE OR PASSIVE SPORTSMAN?
These days, definitely more passive — but in my youth, I was a competitive swimmer, and I still enjoy swimming to this day. I’ve loved sports since I was a child, and now I mostly enjoy them as a spectator. I’m a loyal fan of Viktoria Plzeň football, and of the hockey team “Indiáni,” where I served as club director during the season when they won their first championship title. I also try to support handball and other, less-followed sports. Plzeň is truly a city of sports — a fact confirmed not only by the success of our athletes and teams, but also by the city’s excellent sports infrastructure. And by the way, I kept that under my portfolio too. (laughs)
THEATRE, CINEMA, VISUAL ARTS — WHICH OF THESE IS CLOSEST TO YOU?
I enjoy going to the theatre and do so regularly. I mostly go to the cinema with my youngest daughter, and I always like to take a look at visual art, though to be honest, I don’t really have time to attend exhibitions as often as I’d like. Of the recent ones, the exhibition of works by Michael Rittstein at the New Theatre really stuck with me. It left a strong impression.
WHAT WAS THE LAST CULTURAL EVENT YOU ATTENDED, AND WHAT IMPRESSION DID IT LEAVE ON YOU?
One truly special event was the opening celebration marking the 10th anniversary since Plzeň was named the European Capital of Culture. It was the launch of “Plzeň 2025 – Open Up!”, featuring illuminated puppets from Germany and a stunning videomapping display projected onto our beautiful St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral. And what impression did it leave on me? That Plzeň is a city full of incredible potential and we have so much to offer. We are among the best — not only in sports but undoubtedly in culture as well. I believe we have every reason to be proud.
THE CITY OF PLZEŇ BOASTS MANY INTERESTING PLACES WORTH VISITING. WHICH SITE OR LANDMARK IS CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART? AND WHICH TOURIST SPOTS IN PLZEŇ WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO OUR READERS?
Plzeň is a beautiful city, and in my view, its greatest beauty lies in the very heart of its center. Our remarkable Renaissance town hall, St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, the second-largest synagogue in Europe, the plague column, the park ring, and so much more. I spend a lot of time in the city center, and yet I never tire of it. It’s beautiful at any hour and in every season. It’s true that during the summer, the whole area gets so hot it becomes uninviting to linger — but we’ve already found a solution. We’ve prepared a revitalization project for the main square, which, in collaboration with respected architects, will be sensitively redesigned. As part of this, we’ll be planting trees directly into the ground. Many politicians before us have promised this, but none managed to deliver. We’ve already completed hydrogeological and engineering-geological surveys to serve as a foundation for the designers, and we plan to begin the transformation as early as next year.
Author: Lenka Prokšová
Photo: archive of Roman Zarzycký
