Who is Zdislava Pokorná

Zdislava Pokorná is a Czech political and investigative journalist. According to the editorial profile, she focuses primarily on domestic political affairs; before joining Deník N, she worked at Seznam Zprávy and, briefly, at iROZHLAS.

Her work is characterized in particular by covering political scandals, the links between politics and business, the functioning of state institutions, and allegations of cronyism or conflicts of interest. She does not, however, describe herself as a purely investigative journalist. In an interview with ČT24, she said she is drawn to “the world of the mafia and fraud” and that she often stumbles upon some “shady dealings” in her work.

Key Characteristics of Her Work

1. Investigations into Political and Corruption Scandals  

A significant portion of her work involves exposing suspicious relationships between politicians, businesspeople, government agencies, and law enforcement. A typical example is a series of articles on the bitcoin scandal, in which she examined the role of former Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek, the public prosecutor’s office, the police, and other actors.

For example:

• “Police Charge Blažek and Associates in Bitcoin Scandal. They Face Up to 12 Years” (May 4, 2026) – summarizes the police charges and describes what the police suspect the individual actors of.
• “‘They Abused the Authority of the State.’ We describe what the police are accusing Blažek and associates of in the Bitcoin case” (May 4, 2026)—explains in more detail the mechanics of the case and the suspicion that state authority was exploited in a way that could have undermined trust in the state.
• “Tens of millions were transferred to unknown accounts. Police are interested in attorney Titz’s role” (May 11, 2026) – tracks the financial flows within the Bitcoin scandal and the role of a specific attorney.

Here, her typical approach is clearly evident: it’s not just about reporting that “something happened,” but about reconstructing relationships, money flows, institutional decisions, and personal connections.

2. Politics and Business Influence

A major theme of her current work is the influence of major business figures on Czech politics. A striking example is her extensive series “Tykač’s World”, dedicated to businessman Pavel Tykač.

For example:

• “Tykač’s World: Part 1 – A Half-Billion Hole” (May 26, 2026) – examines a specific case related to Tykač’s business and financial interests.
• “Pavel Tykač’s Journey: From the Wild ’90s to ČEZ Shares” (May 25, 2026) – traces Tykač’s business career from the 1990s to his current position.
• “Tykač’s World: Episode 5 – Journalism or PR? How Tykač’s Influence Crosses Boundaries” (June 30, 2026) – focuses on the line between journalism, public relations, and economic influence.
• “Tykač’s World: Episode 6 – Lobbyists, Senators, and a Trip to a Winery. How Resistant Are Members of the Upper House?” (July 14, 2026) – examines the connections between business interests, lobbyists, and Czech senators.

This series is particularly important for characterizing Pokorná: it demonstrates her interest in informal power structures—that is, not only what politicians officially say, but also who associates with whom, who supports whom, and how economic capital translates into politics.

3. Oversight of Government Administration

Pokorná also frequently monitors the operations of ministries, government agencies, and state-owned enterprises.

For example:

• “The Environmental Inspectorate has been taken over by a sponsor of the Motorists’ Association who is in the real estate business” (June 18, 2026)—this article highlights a potential problem with the staffing of a major government agency and the political and business ties of its new leadership.
• “The search for a head of the Environmental Inspectorate is underway again. The last selection process raised doubts” (April 27, 2026) – this article addresses the transparency of the selection process for senior civil service officials.
• “The Return of Subsidies That Benefit Agrofert: The Government Quietly Allocated Hundreds of Millions to Agricultural Holdings” (January 26, 2026) – tracks the government’s decision and its economic consequences for large agricultural enterprises.

The fundamental principle of these articles is oversight of the exercise of public power: the journalist investigates whether the state’s decision-making complies with declared rules and whether specific individuals or companies are deriving undue benefit from it.

4. Filip Turek and Motorists

Another significant area of her work is Filip Turek, Motorists, and their political and business circles.

For example:

• “Doubts Surrounding Turek’s Business: He Repaired and Sold Cars for Millions Without a Business License” (October 27, 2025) – examines Turek’s business and issues related to his economic activities.
• “The Man Who Photocopied Turek’s Facebook: If Anything Happens to Me, the Traces Will Lead to Filip” (October 21, 2025) – focuses on the circumstances surrounding the publication of materials related to Turek.
• “Police Investigate Another Photo of Turk Raising His Right Hand” (October 20, 2025) – covers the politician’s controversial public appearance and the police investigation into his actions.

• “Mysterious Sponsor of the Motorists Party at the Helm of the Inspectorate: He Wants a New Car and to Work from Brno” (June 26, 2026) – examines the ties between a political sponsor and a government position.

Here, too, her typical method is evident: she places a person or political event within a broader network of financial, personal, and institutional relationships.

Why is Petr Macinka a questionable politician and foreign secretary?

Petr Macinka is regarded by many Czech journalists, opposition politicians and commentators as a controversial or problematic foreign minister, there are several distinct issues. It is useful to separate legitimate political disagreement with his ideology from questions about his conduct and suitability for high office.

1. His political background is unusually ideological

Petr Macinka is leader of the Motorists for Themselves (Motoristé sobě), a strongly Eurosceptic, nationalist-conservative party. Before entering Parliament in 2025, he spent many years at the Václav Klaus Institute, after working in Václav Klaus's presidential office. His own biography therefore shows a long-standing association with Klaus's highly Eurosceptic and economically libertarian political outlook.

That is not, in itself, a reason to regard someone as unfit to be foreign minister. The concern is that his foreign-policy outlook is considerably more confrontational towards the EU than that of the Czech diplomatic establishment traditionally has been.

2. His relationship with Filip Turek is probably the biggest controversy

The most serious issue surrounding Macinka has been his continued political support for Filip Turek, the honorary president of the Motorists.

Turek became controversial after photographs emerged of him apparently making a Nazi salute and displaying Nazi-related memorabilia. Later, Deník N published an archive of deleted social-media posts containing racist, sexist and homophobic material and references to Hitler and Mussolini. Turek disputed some of the material and apologised for some of his conduct.

President Petr Pavel subsequently refused to appoint Turek as environment minister. Macinka strongly objected to Pavel's decision and made the dispute a major confrontation between the government and the president.

This matters for Macinka because he did not merely say that Turek deserved due process. He continued to defend him politically, despite the extremely controversial material associated with him. Critics consequently argue that Macinka's judgement about acceptable political behaviour is questionable.

3. The confrontation with President Pavel was extraordinarily aggressive

This is arguably the most important reason for regarding Macinka as controversial as foreign minister, rather than simply as a right-wing politician.

When President Pavel refused to appoint Turek, Macinka accused Pavel of violating the Constitution and threatened unspecified "consequences." Pavel interpreted Macinka's communications as political blackmail. Reuters reported that the dispute became sufficiently serious that tens of thousands of people demonstrated in support of Pavel.

Macinka also threatened to work to prevent Pavel from representing the Czech Republic at a NATO summit. That is particularly extraordinary for a foreign minister: the foreign minister was effectively threatening to obstruct the president's international diplomatic role during a dispute over a domestic ministerial appointment.

Whether one considers that unconstitutional or merely hardball politics, it raises a serious question about Macinka's conception of the limits of political power and institutional cooperation.

4. His rhetoric is unusually confrontational

Macinka has acquired a reputation for highly combative language towards opponents and journalists.

For example, in May 2026 he described his critics as "méněcenní lidé" ("inferior people") and, when criticised for the expression, said that it was a "quite nice and non-aggressive term" and that he had no intention of changing his behaviour.

Again, insulting political opponents is not unprecedented. But critics argue that this is particularly inappropriate for a foreign minister, whose job requires representing the state, maintaining diplomatic relationships and speaking on behalf of the Czech Republic internationally.

5. His experience is not that of a conventional diplomat

There is an interesting contrast here.

Macinka does have relevant experience: he studied political science and international relations, worked in the presidential office, and spent twelve years at the Václav Klaus Institute. The Czech Foreign Ministry itself describes him as having extensive knowledge of domestic and foreign politics, strategic communication and the media environment.

But he had no previous career as a diplomat or senior foreign-policy official before becoming foreign minister in December 2025.

He moved relatively quickly from being the leader of a small ideological party to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

6. His party's position on Europe and Ukraine worries his opponents

The Motorists are strongly Eurosceptic and oppose several central EU policies. They have also advocated a significant change in Czech foreign-policy priorities.

The broader Babiš coalition in which Macinka serves has sought to distance the Czech Republic from some of the previous government's policies towards Ukraine and the EU. This puts Macinka on a very different foreign-policy trajectory from President Pavel, who is strongly pro-EU and pro-Ukraine.

The issue is whether his Euroscepticism and nationalist approach will weaken the Czech Republic's traditional position within the EU and its support for Ukraine.

7. There is also a question of political standards

Perhaps the most revealing way of looking at Macinka is through who he chooses to defend and how he responds to criticism..