Miroslav Kalousek
Encyclopedia
Miroslav Kalousek is a Czech
politician
, who currently serves as the Finance Minister. He is also the First Deputy Chairman of the Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09, the party he founded.
Kalousek was previously a member and also chaired then-government party Christian Democrats.
Kalousek studied chemistry
at a university
in Prague
. Since 1990 he worked in civil service. His most notable position held was at the Ministry of Defense where he was responsible for budget and acquisitions (1993 - 1998).
In 1998
and 2002
Kalousek was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. In 2003 he was elected as leader of KDU-ČSL. The party was in slow decline and Kalousek was seen as tough person not giving up seemingly lost case. In fact, the party declined further under his leadership.
resulted in situation where no party of coalition of parties was able to form a viable government. During next months several alternatives were negotiated with no result.
On August 24, 2006 Kalousek unexpectedly accepted an offer from Jiří Paroubek
to start negotiation about minority government by KDU-ČSL and the Social Democratic Party
which would be tolerated by the communists
. The presidium of the party expressed no objections.
Such negotiation was in conflict with the pre-election promises and vocal anti-communistic stance of the party and its electorate.
On August 25, 2006 mass protests by KDU-ČSL members, regional organisations and parliamentaries went public. The party group in Brno
(the biggest regional organisation) refused the negotiation and asked for resignation of Kalousek and of the whole presidium of KDU-ČSL. Other organisations expressed similar requirements. Some parliamentaries declared that they won't support such government.
At the evening of the same day the country-wide committee of KDU-ČSL refused the negotiation by overwhelming majority and Kalousek resigned. According to Miroslav Kalousek, his negotiation with Jiří Paroubek was a part of a plan how to destroy the government coalition of ČSSD and ODS which seemed to be the most probable scenario. That finally really happened and ODS refused to participate on "big coalition" and created own government with minority support in the Parliament.
In 2009, after a supposed drift of KDU-CSL to the political left, Kalousek left the party, and with several former KDU-CSL colleagues created a new party called TOP 09. This party has celebrated a success in the parliamentary election and currently is one of the three parties governing in a right-wing "coalition of fiscal responsibility".
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....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who currently serves as the Finance Minister. He is also the First Deputy Chairman of the Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09, the party he founded.
Kalousek was previously a member and also chaired then-government party Christian Democrats.
Kalousek studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at a university
Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague
Institute of Chemical Technology Prague is the largest university specializing in chemistry in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1952 and since that time it has been one of the leading research spots in Central Europe. More than 2,000 students are accepted every year...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Since 1990 he worked in civil service. His most notable position held was at the Ministry of Defense where he was responsible for budget and acquisitions (1993 - 1998).
In 1998
Czech legislative election, 1998
Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 19 and 20 June 1998. The result was a victory for the Czech Social Democratic Party, which won 74 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 73.9%.-Results:...
and 2002
Czech legislative election, 2002
Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 14 and 15 June 2002. The result was a victory for the Czech Social Democratic Party, which won 70 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 57.9%.-Results:...
Kalousek was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. In 2003 he was elected as leader of KDU-ČSL. The party was in slow decline and Kalousek was seen as tough person not giving up seemingly lost case. In fact, the party declined further under his leadership.
Minority government's scandal
Parliament election in 2006Czech legislative election, 2006
Parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 2 and 3 June 2006.The pre-election campaign was fierce and mostly negative. A major scandal broke out few days before the election. The two largest parties had profited from the divisive campaign – both had obtained the highest percentage...
resulted in situation where no party of coalition of parties was able to form a viable government. During next months several alternatives were negotiated with no result.
On August 24, 2006 Kalousek unexpectedly accepted an offer from Jiří Paroubek
Jirí Paroubek
Jiří Paroubek is a Czech politician, who served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 25 April 2005 to 16 August 2006. He was also Chairman of the Czech Social Democratic Party , but resigned from his position immediately after the result of the 2010 Legislative Election was announced...
to start negotiation about minority government by KDU-ČSL and the Social Democratic Party
Czech Social Democratic Party
The Czech Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic.-History:The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament...
which would be tolerated by the communists
Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia
The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia , abbreviated to KSČM, is a political party in the Czech Republic. It has a membership of 82,994 and is a member party of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left bloc in the European Parliament...
. The presidium of the party expressed no objections.
Such negotiation was in conflict with the pre-election promises and vocal anti-communistic stance of the party and its electorate.
On August 25, 2006 mass protests by KDU-ČSL members, regional organisations and parliamentaries went public. The party group in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
(the biggest regional organisation) refused the negotiation and asked for resignation of Kalousek and of the whole presidium of KDU-ČSL. Other organisations expressed similar requirements. Some parliamentaries declared that they won't support such government.
At the evening of the same day the country-wide committee of KDU-ČSL refused the negotiation by overwhelming majority and Kalousek resigned. According to Miroslav Kalousek, his negotiation with Jiří Paroubek was a part of a plan how to destroy the government coalition of ČSSD and ODS which seemed to be the most probable scenario. That finally really happened and ODS refused to participate on "big coalition" and created own government with minority support in the Parliament.
In 2009, after a supposed drift of KDU-CSL to the political left, Kalousek left the party, and with several former KDU-CSL colleagues created a new party called TOP 09. This party has celebrated a success in the parliamentary election and currently is one of the three parties governing in a right-wing "coalition of fiscal responsibility".