Milan Horácek
Encyclopedia
Milan Horáček is a Czech-born German
politician, a founding member of the German Green Party
, a former member of the Bundestag
(1983–1985) and a former Member of the European Parliament
(2004–2009).
From 1965 to 1967 his political activism got him into trouble with the Czechoslovak communist regime, and he was arrested several times. After the suppression of the Prague Spring
in 1968, he fled from Czechoslovakia and settled in West Germany
. There he worked in industry and for a trade union
magazine. From 1976 to 1981 he studied political science
in Frankfurt
, and in 1979 was involved in the establishment of Die Grünen. In the 1980s he was active in Hesse
for the party, was a municipal councillor in Frankfurt 1981–1983, and was elected to the Bundestag
in 1983, serving until 1985, as a member of its Foreign Affairs Committee. His main interests there were foreign affairs and security, Central
and Eastern Europe
and human rights
. From 1985 to 1990, he was a group specialist on foreign and security policy, human rights and Eastern Europe.
Besides his political work, Horáček engaged in Czechoslovakian exile activities. He was publisher of the Czech exile magazine Listy ("Sheets"). In 1990 his Czech citizenship was restored and president Václav Havel
appointed him to the Council of Advisers. He was director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation
's office in Prague from 1991 to 2004, and also worked at its Bonn office 1998–2000.
As a candidate of the Green Party federations of Saxony
, Saxony-Anhalt
and Thuringia
he was elected to the European Parliament
in June 2004. He also participates in activities of Green Party
in the Czech Republic
and was not reelected to European Parliament in June 2009.
In 2008, he co-organized (with Gisela Kallenbach
) a public hearing in the European Parliament on totalitarian regimes in support of the Prague Declaration
. He co-sponsored the European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
politician, a founding member of the German Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
, a former member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
(1983–1985) and a former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(2004–2009).
From 1965 to 1967 his political activism got him into trouble with the Czechoslovak communist regime, and he was arrested several times. After the suppression of the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
in 1968, he fled from Czechoslovakia and settled in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. There he worked in industry and for a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
magazine. From 1976 to 1981 he studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, and in 1979 was involved in the establishment of Die Grünen. In the 1980s he was active in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
for the party, was a municipal councillor in Frankfurt 1981–1983, and was elected to the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
in 1983, serving until 1985, as a member of its Foreign Affairs Committee. His main interests there were foreign affairs and security, Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. From 1985 to 1990, he was a group specialist on foreign and security policy, human rights and Eastern Europe.
Besides his political work, Horáček engaged in Czechoslovakian exile activities. He was publisher of the Czech exile magazine Listy ("Sheets"). In 1990 his Czech citizenship was restored and president Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
appointed him to the Council of Advisers. He was director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation
Heinrich Böll Foundation
The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a German, legally independent political foundation. Affiliated with the German Green Party, it was originally founded in 1987 and rebuilt in 1997...
's office in Prague from 1991 to 2004, and also worked at its Bonn office 1998–2000.
As a candidate of the Green Party federations of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
and Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
he was elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in June 2004. He also participates in activities of Green Party
Green Party (Czech Republic)
The Green Party is a political party in the Czech Republic.The party was founded in February 1990 but for a long time it struggled to obtain significant influence in Czech politics. In the 2002 legislative election the party received 2.4% of the vote...
in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and was not reelected to European Parliament in June 2009.
In 2008, he co-organized (with Gisela Kallenbach
Gisela Kallenbach
Gisela Kallenbach is a German politician. She served as a Member of the European Parliament for Alliance '90/The Greens, part of the European Greens, from 2004 to 2009. Since 2009, she has been a member of the Parliament of Saxony...
) a public hearing in the European Parliament on totalitarian regimes in support of the Prague Declaration
Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism
The Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism , which was signed on 3 June 2008, was a declaration signed by prominent European politicians, former political prisoners and historians, including past signatories of Charter 77 such as Václav Havel, which called for condemnation of and...
. He co-sponsored the European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism
European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism
The European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism was a resolution of the European Parliament adopted on 2 April 2009 by a vote of 533-44 with 33 abstentions, in which the European Parliament condemned totalitarian crimes and called for the recognition of...
.