Lost in Translation

The Czech language has a word for informant (udavač) and a word for snitch (práskač) but it does not have a word for whistleblower.

The Open Society Fund–Prague is no stranger to taking on issues that are unpopular or receive little attention from policymakers or the general public in the Czech Republic. Our work on promoting inclusive education for Roma is one such example. But supporting a concept such as whistleblowing that has no direct translation in the Czech language has been a particular challenge.

It's not that there isn’t a role for whistleblowers to play in Czech society. Corruption and cronyism are parts of everyday life in the country. And although politicians have promised to take a hard line on these issues, there seems to be little political will for real change.

Despite an environment that seems ripe for supporting the actions of whistleblowers, the concept of exposing information—even when it is done for the public good—is not always seen as a positive thing.

This negative context exists for good reason. For many Czechs, the memory of phone tapping, secret recordings, and surveillance by the State Security force (StB) under Communism still feels fresh in their minds. Things, however, are slowly beginning to change.

Last December, the government faced a no-confidence vote after tapes were leaked in which the Minister of the Environment instructed a subordinate to destroy any documents that would implicate senior officials in corruption.

Libor Michalek—then-director of the State Environmental Fund and the whistleblower behind the tapes—recorded the conversations after he was instructed on several occasions to issue a call for bids on projects where the winners had been predetermined. After Michalek’s attempts to contact the Prime Minister in order to open an investigation were ignored, he began working with a local journalist in order to gather evidence of corruption.

Once the tapes became public, Michalek lost his job and faced a smear campaign. But he also received support from other employees at the State Environment Fund as well as many news commentators.

Michalek’s case gives us hope for the role that whistleblowing can play in stamping out corruption in the Czech Republic. There is a long history of citizen activism in the country and public is greatly concerned about corruption and fraud not only in government but also in the private sector. It is our hope that the foundation’s support for whistleblowers will help inspire more citizens to expose wrongdoing and change the culture of corruption in our country.