Interviews

Jan Farský: I have not deviated from my values

Published: 8. 10. 2021
Author: Karel Černý
Photo: Photo archives of Jan Farský
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MP Jan Farský defended the position of First Vice-Chair of the party at the most recent STAN congress. He is leading the ticket for the STAN and Pirate coalition in the Liberec Region in the upcoming election, and he has chosen a very distinctive means of transportation to travel this region. He is also a lifelong Boy Scout.

When you say "Boy Scouts", people tend to think of words like honor, truthfulness, morale, etc. But "politics" makes people think quite the opposite. Can you even uphold the Boy Scouts code and morale in politics?

I got into politics because I wanted to make a change. It was not for personal gain or to improve my social status. Politics is and always will be a service to the public, and as such, it should be done honestly and honorably in order to earn the people's trust. I have not deviated from my values and I do not plan on doing so in the future. You will often come across opponents who do not play by the rules, and it becomes much more difficult, but even then you must not forget your basic values. So yes, they can be upheld, but it is not always easy.

The Pirate and STAN coalition has indicated you – in case it will be taking part in putting together the government – as the potential minister of defense. What would be your priorities in this position?

First, it would most certainly be an increase of defense funding, as we have promised in the NATO, in the amount of 2% of the GDP, and stabilizing the army budget. The army budget can be an important factor in the modernization of our country through research and development. Furthermore, it would be reinforcing EU cooperation, supporting military operations of the democratic countries in the Baltic Region, and modernization with the aim of including new and innovative technologies in our defense policy in order to strengthen our defense in general, and against hybrid threats in particular.

Now, what will be the Chamber's top priority?

Without a doubt, repairing the financial damage caused by the previous administration. The Chamber of Deputies is in charge of approving the national budget, and whether as part of the Government or not, the 101-majority will give us a chance to have the final say in how the National Budget Bill will ultimately end up looking. As for pushing through amendments to laws in the Chamber, it will be necessary to take rather drastic steps towards fixing the bungled Construction Act that was approved due to Communist votes. Together with the democratic opposition, we put forth proposals to improve it but they have been refused. For instance, setting straight the distraint system and giving people facing bankruptcy a chance, and also removing the obstacles stopping us from truly modernizing state administration.

Your iteration of the Contract Registry Bill, approved in 2015, was voted Act of the Year. Was the approval process a tough journey?

Certainly. It was one of the first acts really looking to shed light on national budget expenses. It is no surprise that certain "interest" groups were not very happy about it. These groups then often tried to convince me – to no avail – to stop sponsoring the bill. I am still elated to this day that I managed to win this particular battle.

You are known to be a proponent of transparent politics. You have been an MP for 8 years, have also been a regional representative, as well as town representative, councilman, and mayor. How does political transparency look on all of these levels?

Last year, the Czech Republic placed 49th on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nothing to be proud of, and I must say that things are getting worse. One of the reasons STAN was established was to weed out corrupt actors in communal politics. I feel that things have improved since then, but it is easier than doing the same in national politics.

How does it look on the national level then?

The fish rots from the head, as they say. Whether you like it or not, having a Prime Minister who is being investigated for grant fraud, a Prime Minister who is in a massive conflict of interest, leaves an impression on the entire society that it is ok to lie and cheat. Which is definitely not ok, and I am happy that STAN is a key player, who not only talks about corruption but actively fights it. We managed to push through the aforementioned Contract Registry Bill as well as the Bill on Conflict of Interest, we actively interpellated members of the Government in connection with suspicious orders of medical supplies during Covid, we have been in long-term support of the renegotiation of the Lobbying Act and an amendment to the Act on Fair Economic Competition. Regarding transparency in the Chamber, things are not as crazy as they were in the 90s. There are still issues to be worked out, however, and it is a challenge for the upcoming term as well.

In October 2014, you were included in the list of top 100 innovators in Central and Eastern Europe by the New Europe initiative. What was it that earned you this nomination?

If I recall correctly, it was my support of changes in communal politics and certain laws. Other important factors were the changes in the way public service contracts are assigned or the Contract Registry Bill. In short, transparency.

Seven years ago, you established the Mayors for Mayors initiative. Is it still going?

As a mayor, I noticed that I learned the most from meeting other inspiring mayors. We are all working on similar issues and it is wasteful to invest efforts into finding a solution that already exists. That was also the reason for establishing this initiative – sharing experience, inspiration, showing "best practices". We discussed architecture, municipal business management, tourism and how to support it, how to win elections, and many other topics. The initiative is still going, although lately, due to Covid and time constraints in general, we have had to limit in-person meetings.

Was there anything that surprised you during your pre-election tour around the Liberec Region?

I was positively surprised by the growth of our villages and towns – not only through public but also private investments. That is where you can also see the way our society has been evolving. And by the extensive reach of the general public in terms of local activities. It is a good base to build on. A negative surprise, on the other hand, was the unwillingness to vote that I would often see. I hope I changed some people's minds at least.

You chose the Velorex as your means of travelling across the region. Why this vehicle in particular?

The Velorex can be heard long before you can see it, it is impressive when it arrives, and you can smell it long after it has gone. [laughs] It is hard to miss, and that is an important point when you are campaigning. What's more – it feels like a nice show of this sort of pretend nostalgia of the past. It is beautiful, we like to remember it, but nobody would want to drive it to work anymore. You can believe me when I say that after two weeks of campaigning.

Jan Farský (born July 11, 1979, in Trutnov) is an MP, First Vice-Chair of the STAN movement, and representative of the city of Semily.

He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the Masaryk University, Brno. After his studies, he worked as a lawyer at the Semily City Office. He went on to work at a private law firm, and subsequently as an advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, Martin Jahn. Farský later worked at the Škoda Auto company in the public relations department. He has also previously been the mayor of Semily and representative of the Liberec Region.

He has been a Boy Scout since 11 years of age. As of 2013, he is the leader of a Boy Scouts facility in Semily.

He is married and has four children – Magdalena (4), Jan (6), František (13), and Johana (14). His hobbies predominantly include travelling. Before his injury, he enjoyed paragliding, he also likes to read, bike and ski.

The traveller

Jan Farský loves to travel. "I fulfilled my first travelling dream at 19, when my friend and I went through Canada, the USA, and even had a quick foray into Mexico, all in the span of three months," he says. "A year later, another dream came true. My friends and I travelled along the Trans-Siberian Railway and spent a month wandering around Lake Baikal. It is, to this day, the most wonderful place I have ever seen. I crisscrossed Czechia with my parents as a child as well as on Boy Scouts' adventures. I keep discovering more of it with my children, and it is still just as beautiful. The Liberec Region with places like the Czech Paradise, Krkonoše and Jizera mountain ranges, Lake Mácha, and so on, is an absolute wonderland. I enjoy the Krušné Mountains for their rugged and mysterious nature.


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