Wife’s tweets cost Czech ambassador his job

Borůvka (right) presented his credentials to the then Swiss president Didier Burkhalter in September 2014 Czech Embassy Bern

Karel Borůvka, the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Switzerland, has been recalled because of tweets by his wife insulting prominent Czech personalities, including foreign minister Lubomír Zaorálek. 

The Czech ministry of foreign affairs confirmed Borůvka’s imminent departure to swissinfo.ch on Thursday adding that it was ordered by President Miloš Zeman.

“The reason of his removal was a disrespectful and shameful behaviour of his wife (who as a wife of a Czech ambassador should have been representing Czech Republic without a doubt and with dignity) and the way he had managed (or rather hadn’t managed) the situation when his wife was publicly and repeatedly (over a year and a half) insulting not only some Czech media figures (journalists/commentators), colleagues in state sector and Czech fellow diplomats (via twitter, text messages, e-mails),” ministry spokesperson Michaela Lagronova, told swissinfo.ch by email.

The ambassador will have to leave office by the end of April. He officially assumed duties in September 2014 and was due to serve for four years. 

In an interviewExternal link with the Czech media website Lidovky.cz, Borůvka said no justification was given for his recall from office. He alleged that he was told off in the past for his reluctance to restrict his wife’s activity on social networks. He defended his wife’s behaviour stating that she was within her rights as a private individual to comment freely. The ambassador called the decision to recall him unbelievable and outrageous.

Alena Borůvkova (@AlenaAlboruvka on twitter) made her feelings against Zaorálek clear through a series of insulting tweets including calling him a pretentious, miserable loser. She rejected criticism for her twitter comments claiming she was victim of harassment, intimidation and discrimination.