Martin Bursík

Martin Bursík
Deputy Prime Minister of Czech Republic
In office 9 January 2007 – 8 May 2009
Prime Minister	Mirek Topolánek
Minister of Environment
In office 9 January 2007 – 8 May 2009
Prime Minister	Mirek Topolánek
Preceded by	Petr Kalaš
Succeeded by	Ladislav Miko
In office 27 February 1998 – 22 July 1998
Prime Minister	Josef Tošovský
Preceded by	Jiří Skalický
Succeeded by	Miloš Kužvart
Chairman of the Green Party
In office September 2005 – 8 June 2009
Preceded by	Jan Beránek
Succeeded by	Ondřej Liška
Personal details
Born	12 August 1959 Prague, Czechoslovakia
Political party	Civic Forum (1989–1991) Civic Movement (1991–1996) KDU–ČSL (1999–2003) Green Party (2004–2013) Liberal-Environmental Party (2013–present)
Spouse	Kateřina Jacques (since 2015)
Alma mater	Charles University

Martin Bursík (born 12 August 1959 in Prague) is a Czech politician. Bursík has twice served as Minister of the Environment and is also former chairman of the Green Party.

Early life and education

In the 1980s, Bursík studied environmental engineering at the Charles University. In June 1989, he joined the dissident movement and signed the declaration of the anti-communist movement. During the Velvet Revolution in November 1989, he was one of the founders of the Civic Forum.

The Civic Movement, which emerged from the Civic Forum and would later become the Party for the Open Society, nominated him as vice-chairman and he was elected into parliament. After the breakup of the Civic Movement, Bursík switched to the Free Democrats. He served as the Minister of the Environment under Josef Tošovský for a few months in 1998.

Bursík unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Prague and joined the Christian Democrats but left this party in 2003.

He joined the Green Party in June 2004 and was elected party chairman. After 2006 parliament election he became a member of the Chamber of Deputies and was also appointed Minister of the Environment in the second cabinet of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.

His priority as Minister of the Environment was climate change.

As of 2014 he is a professor at New York University in Prague.

References

• (in German) Schwarz, Karl-Peter: "Außen neureich, innen grün" in FAZ May 9, 2006 pg. D8.