Miroslav Kalousek
| Miroslav Kalousek Member of Parliament |
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| 8th & 10th Finance Minister of the Czech Republic | |
| In office 13 July 2010 – 10 July 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Petr Nečas |
| Preceded by | Eduard Janota |
| Succeeded by | Jan Fischer |
| In office 9 January 2007 – 8 May 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Mirek Topolánek |
| Preceded by | Vlastimil Tlustý |
| Succeeded by | Eduard Janota |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 1998 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 December 1960 Tábor, Czechoslovakia |
| Political party | TOP 09 |
| Other political affiliations |
KDU-ČSL |
| Spouse(s) | Radka Kalousková |
| Website | www.miroslav-kalousek.cz |
Miroslav Kalousek (b. 17 December 1960 in Tábor) is a Czech politician and former Finance Minister of the Czech Republic. He is also the First Deputy Chairman and the principal founder of the Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 party (TOP 09).
Kalousek was previously a member of and also chaired the then-government party the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL).
He studied chemistry at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. From 1990 he worked in the civil service. His most notable position there was at the Ministry of Defense where he was responsible for the 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 a tough person not giving up a seemingly lost case. In fact, the party declined further under his leadership.
Minority government scandal[edit]
The 2006 parliamentary election resulted in a situation where no party or coalition of parties was able to form a viable government. Over a period of many months a number of alternatives were negotiated with no result.
On 24 August 2006 Kalousek unexpectedly accepted an offer from Jiří Paroubek to start negotiations on a minority government of KDU-ČSL and the Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) which would be tolerated by the Communists. The presidium of the party expressed no objections.[1]
Such negotiations were in conflict with the pre-election promises and the vocal anti-communist stance of the party and its electorate.[2][3]
On 25 August 2006 mass protests by KDU-ČSL members, regional organisations and members of parliament went public. The party group in Brno (the biggest regional organisation) refused the negotiated solution and asked for the resignation of Kalousek and of the whole presidium of KDU-ČSL. Other organisations made similar demands. Some members of parliament declared that they wouldn't support such a government.[2]
On the evening of the same day the country-wide committee of KDU-ČSL refused the proposal by an overwhelming majority and Kalousek resigned. He has claimed his negotiation with Jiří Paroubek was part of a plan to bring down the government coalition of ČSSD and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) which otherwise seemed to be the most likely scenario. That goal was in fact achieved when ODS refused to participate in a "grand coalition" and created its own government with minority support in the Parliament.
In 2009, after a supposed drift of KDU-ČSL to the political left, Kalousek left the party altogether, and with several former KDU-ČSL colleagues created a new party called TOP 09. This party celebrated success in the 2010 parliamentary election and until July 2013 was one of the three parties governing the Czech Republic as part of the centre-right "coalition of fiscal responsibility".
References[edit]
- ^ "Vedení KDU-ČSL za Kalouskem nestálo, ale neřeklo to", novinky.cz, 28 August 2006, accessed 30 August 2006
- ^ a b Lidovci v krajích žádají rezignaci vedení strany, ČeskéNoviny.cz, ČTK, 25 August 2006, accessed 30 August 2006
- ^ KDU-ČSL ukončila jednání s ČSSD, Kalousek rezignuje, ČeskéNoviny.cz, ČTK, 25 August 2006, accessed 30 August 2006
External links[edit]
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