Alexandr Vondra
| Alexandr Vondra | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister of Defence | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 July 2010 |
|
| Prime Minister | Petr Nečas |
| Preceded by | Martin Barták |
| Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs | |
| In office 9 January 2007 – 8 May 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Štefan Füle (as Minister) |
| Senator from Litoměřice | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 28 October 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Zdeněk Bárta |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 4 September 2006 – 9 January 2007 |
|
| Prime Minister | Mirek Topolánek |
| Preceded by | Cyril Svoboda |
| Succeeded by | Karel Schwarzenberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 8, 1961 Prague, Czech Republic |
| Political party | ODS |
| Alma mater | Univerzita Karlova |
| Profession | Politician |
Alexandr "Saša" Vondra (Czech pronunciation: [ˈalɛksandr̩ ˈvondra]) (born 17 August 1961) is a Czech politician, who currently serves as the Senator from Litoměřice and the nation's Minister of Defence. He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party. He is the most vocal proponent of building part of US missile defense system in Brdy, Czech Republic.
Vondra was the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic from 2006 to 2007. On January 9, 2007, during the new government reshuffle, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, the first to hold this office.[1]
He was born in Prague.[1] He graduated in geography from Charles University in Prague in 1984, receiving a Doctor in Natural Sciences degree one year later.[1] In the mid-1980s he was a dissident and Charter 77 signatory.[2] After organizing a demonstration in January 1989, Vondra was imprisoned for two months.[2] In November 1989, while the Velvet Revolution was underway, he co-founded the Civic Forum.[1]
In 1990-1992, Vondra was foreign policy advisor to President Václav Havel.[1] When Havel stepped down from his office during dissolution of Czechoslovakia and at the same time independent Czech foreign service began to be formed, Vondra became Czech Republic's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 1992, responsible i. a. for negotiating the division of Czechoslovak diplomacy.[3] In 1996 he was a chief negotiator for the Czech-German Declaration on the Mutual Relations and their Future Development.[2] In March 1997 Vondra left to become the Czech Ambassador to the United States, staying there until July 2001.[3] From March 2001 to January 2003, Vondra was the Czech Government Commissioner responsible for preparation of 2002 Prague summit of the NATO.[3] From January to July 2003 Vondra was a Deputy Foreign Minister.[3]
He became an ODS member only after his ministerial appointment and the victory in Senate elections in October 2006. He is generally perceived as pro-United States[4] and wary of European integration though less than ODS Euroskeptic hardliners, and has good connections to Havel (his announced return to politics in spring 2006 was taken as a sign of ODS trying to appease the political centre)[citation needed].
Vondra was mentioned as a possible nominee to serve as European commissioner in 2009.[5]
He participated at the international conference European Conscience and Communism, which took place under his patronage at the Czech Senate in Prague in June 2008.[6]
He is married and has 3 children.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f "RNDr. Alexandr Vondra". Government of the Czech Republic. Archived from the original on 2008-02-06. http://web.archive.org/web/20080206085644/http://www.vlada.cz/en/vlada/clenove/vondra.html. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ a b c Lenka Ponikelská. "‘Saša‘ Vondra: dissident minister". Czech Business Weekly. http://www.cbw.cz/en/%91sasa%91-vondra:-dissident-minister-/3360.html. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ a b c d "Dr. Alexandr Vondra". Alexandr Vondra official website. http://www.alexandrvondra.cz/bioenglish.php. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
- ^ Jana Mlčochová. "Russian crude, Aero’s deal and the ČSA trap". Czech Business Weekly. http://www.cbw.cz/en/russian-crude--aero%E2%80%99s-deal-and-the-csa-trap/3622.html. Retrieved 2008-02-11. "[Vondra is] Known for his pro-Western and especially pro-U.S. stance"[dead link]
- ^ "Czech running mates?", European Voice, 24 September 2009
- ^ "Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism - Press Release". Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-05-10. http://www.webcitation.org/5yf4HFF6d. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alexandr Vondra |
- http://www.alexandrvondra.cz – official webpage stressing his senatorial role
- Vondra's statement at the general debate of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly (scanned images in PDF format)
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