Mirek Topolánek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mirek Topolánek
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Topolánek in 2007
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| Prime Minister of the Czech Republic | |
| In office 16 August 2006 – 8 May 2009 |
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| President | Václav Klaus |
| Deputy | Martin Bursík Vlasta Parkanová Petr Nečas Alexandr Vondra |
| Preceded by | Jiří Paroubek |
| Succeeded by | Jan Fischer |
| Leader of the Civic Democratic Party | |
| In office 15 December 2002 – 13 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Václav Klaus |
| Succeeded by | Petr Nečas |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 3 June 2006 – 15 September 2009 |
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| Senator from Ostrava | |
| In office 23 November 1996 – 21 November 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Liana Janáčková |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 May 1956 Vsetín, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) |
| Political party | Civic Democratic Party (1994–2015) Independent (2015–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Civic Forum (1989–1991) |
| Spouses | Pavla Topolánková (1979–2010) Lucie Talmanová (2010–present) |
| Children | 4 |
| Signature |  |
Mirek Topolánek (born 15 May 1956) is a Czech politician and business manager. He served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2006 to 2009. He was also the leader of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) from 2002 to 2010.
From 2006 to 2009, Topolánek was a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Before that, he was a senator for Ostrava from 1996 to 2004. After leaving politics in 2010, Topolánek worked in the electric power industry.
On 24 March 2009, Topolánek resigned as prime minister. This happened after he lost a no-confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies. He stayed in office until 8 May 2009. Then, Jan Fischer became the interim prime minister.
In November 2017, Topolánek ran for president in the 2018 election. He received 4% of the votes and finished sixth.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mirek Topolánek went to a military high school in Opava. He studied at Brno University of Technology. There, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1996, he received a scholarship for a management training course in Cyprus. He also took a course in corporate management.
He started his political journey in 1989. He joined the Civic Forum, a movement formed after the communist era. Since 1994, he has been a member of the Civic Democratic Party. Topolánek also helped start an engineering company called VAE Ltd. in 1991. He was on the board of directors for VAE Inc. from 1996 to 2003.
Political Career
Topolánek was elected as a local council member for Ostrava-Poruba in 1990. He held this position until 1994.
Becoming a Senator
In 1996, Topolánek ran in the Senate election for the Ostrava-city district. His campaign focused a lot on his family. This was unusual in the Czech Republic at the time. Topolánek won the election by a small number of votes. He became a new Senator.
In 1998, he was re-elected as Senator. He then became the leader of his party's group in the Senate. From 2002 to 2004, Topolánek was the deputy president of the Senate. He did not seek a third term as Senator in 2004.
Leading the Civic Democratic Party
Topolánek was elected leader of the Civic Democratic Party in 2002. In the 2006 legislative election, the results were very close. The parliament was split evenly between left-leaning and right-leaning parties.
President Václav Klaus appointed Topolánek as prime minister on 16 August 2006. He formed a government with members only from his party and some independent politicians. This first government did not win the confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies.
Topolánek continued as caretaker prime minister. On 9 January 2007, his second government was appointed. This time, he formed a coalition government with the Green Party and the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party. This government finally won the confidence vote on 19 January 2007.
Time as Prime Minister (2006–2009)
Topolánek's first government was formed on 3 September 2006. It failed to gain the confidence of the Chamber of Deputies on 3 October 2006. This was the first time in Czech history a government failed to win a confidence vote.
His second government was appointed on 9 January 2007. On 19 January 2007, it successfully passed the confidence vote.
Anti-Missile Defence System
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Mirek Topolánek supported the idea of an anti-missile defense system. This system was proposed by the US government at the time.
Government Priorities
In October 2007, Mirek Topolánek introduced "Five Prime Minister's Priorities." These were key goals for his government. They included areas like healthy public finances, a modern state, safety for citizens, removing barriers, and promoting science and education.
Czech Presidency of the European Union
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Topolánek's government led the Czech Republic during its presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2009. During this time, the Czech presidency helped resolve a gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine. They also dealt with the conflict in Gaza.
Topolánek remained in his role as President of the European Council until his government was replaced.
Government Falls
On 24 March 2009, the opposition parties succeeded in a no confidence vote against Topolánek's government. The vote passed with 101 votes in favor of no confidence. Four members of Topolánek's own coalition voted with the opposition.
After the vote, Topolánek announced he would resign. He remained in office until 8 May 2009. On 15 September 2009, Topolánek resigned his seat in the Chamber of Deputies.
Challenges and Public Incidents
Topolánek faced criticism for some of his public statements and actions. In March 2007, he was criticized for a message he sent to a journalist. In October 2008, he had an incident with a photographer.
In May 2009, a photo was published that showed Topolánek sunbathing. He later confirmed it was him. In March 2010, he made some controversial statements in an interview. He later apologized, saying his words were taken out of context. Due to this, Topolánek decided to step down as his party's election leader for the May 2010 election. Petr Nečas took over his role. In April 2015, he was no longer a member of the ODS because he did not pay his membership fee.
Business Career
After leaving politics, Topolánek started a business career. His work involves consulting, helping with business deals, real estate, and marketing. He has said that his contacts from politics helped him succeed in business.
2018 Presidential Election
On 5 November 2017, Topolánek announced he would run for president in the 2018 election. He gathered signatures from Senators to support his candidacy. Many politicians from his former party, the Civic Democratic Party, praised his decision. They saw him as an experienced candidate.
Topolánek started his campaign on 30 November 2017. He said his foreign policy would be practical and support human rights. He was against migrant quotas and adopting the Euro currency.
The first round of the election was held on 12 and 13 January 2018. Topolánek received 4.3% of the votes and came in sixth place. He accepted his defeat and supported Jiří Drahoš for the second round.
After the 2018 Presidential Election
After his presidential campaign, Topolánek returned to work for EPH holding. On 9 January 2019, Topolánek announced plans for a talk show called Topol Show. The first episode was released on 7 February 2019. He later announced his candidacy for the President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic in December 2022.
Political Views
Topolánek describes himself as a liberal conservative politician. He believes his values are conservative, but his economic views are liberal.
He has stated that his party, ODS, should follow the ideas of Klausism. He also supported indirect elections.
Before the 2017 legislative election, Topolánek said that ODS should take more patriotic stances. He believed this would prevent the rise of extremist parties. He also criticized other parties for being too supportive of the European Union. He was very critical of ANO 2011 and Andrej Babiš. He also criticized French president Emmanuel Macron.
On 4 November 2017, Topolánek spoke at a meeting. He criticized Multiculturalism and Angela Merkel's policies towards refugees. He warned against Sharia law and called for a ban on political Islam.
Personal Life
Topolánek has two daughters, two sons, and two grandchildren. He was married to Pavla Topolánková from 1979 to 2010. In June 2010, he married Lucie Talmanová. His hobbies include tennis, golf, and rally driving. He enjoys books by authors like Steinbeck and Hemingway. He admires political figures such as Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.
See also
In Spanish: Mirek Topolánek para niños
