Miroslav Kalousek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miroslav Kalousek
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader of TOP 09 | |
| In office 29 November 2015 – 26 November 2017 |
|
| Preceded by | Karel Schwarzenberg |
| Succeeded by | Jiří Pospíšil |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 13 July 2010 – 10 July 2013 |
|
| Prime Minister | Petr Nečas |
| Preceded by | Eduard Janota |
| Succeeded by | Jan Fischer |
| In office 9 January 2007 – 8 May 2009 |
|
| Prime Minister | Mirek Topolánek |
| Preceded by | Vlastimil Tlustý |
| Succeeded by | Eduard Janota |
| Leader of KDU-ČSL | |
| In office 8 November 2003 – 25 August 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Cyril Svoboda |
| Succeeded by | Jiří Čunek |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 20 June 1998 – 19 January 2021 |
|
| Succeeded by | Jan Jakob |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 December 1960 Tábor, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) |
| Political party | KDU-ČSL (1984-2009) TOP 09 (2009-2024) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | UCT Prague |
| Website | www.miroslav-kalousek.cz |
Miroslav Kalousek (born 17 December 1960) is a Czech politician. He was a leader of two political parties, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09. He also served as a member of the Czech Parliament from 1998 until 2021. Mr. Kalousek was the Minister of Finance twice, first from 2007 to 2009 and then again from 2010 to 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Miroslav Kalousek was born in the city of Tábor. He studied chemistry at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. After finishing his studies, he worked as a technician for a company called Mitas Praha from 1984 to 1990.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which brought democracy to Czechoslovakia, Kalousek started working for the government. From 1993 to 1998, he was a deputy minister at the Ministry of Defense. In this role, he was in charge of the budget, making changes to the army, and buying new equipment.
Political Journey
Joining the Christian Democrats
In 1998, Miroslav Kalousek was elected to the Czech Parliament as a representative for the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) party. He later became the leader of this party, serving from 2003 to 2006.
In 2006, after a parliamentary election, it was difficult for any party to form a stable government. Miroslav Kalousek tried to negotiate a deal for his party to join a government with the Social Democratic Party. This deal would have needed support from the Communist Party. However, many members of his own party strongly disagreed with this idea. They felt it went against their promises and their anti-communist beliefs. Because of this strong opposition, the party's national committee rejected the plan, and Kalousek resigned as party leader in August 2006.
In 2007, he became the Finance Minister in the government led by Mirek Topolánek. He held this important position until the government lost a vote of no-confidence in 2009.
Founding TOP 09
In 2009, Miroslav Kalousek, along with Karel Schwarzenberg, helped create a new political party called TOP 09. This party is known for being pro-European and having center-right, conservative views.
TOP 09 entered parliament after the 2010 election. They joined a government with other parties, and Kalousek became the Minister of Finance for the second time.
He was re-elected as a Member of Parliament in 2013. In 2015, he was chosen as the leader of TOP 09, taking over from Karel Schwarzenberg. In July 2020, he announced he would not run for election again. He officially resigned from parliament on 19 January 2021. He explained that he believed new members should take seats in parliament before the upcoming elections.
After leaving politics, he started hosting a show on TV Barrandov called Hovory Kalousek Soukup. On 1 October 2024, Kalousek left TOP 09, stating that he had different opinions from the party. There has been talk in the media about him possibly returning to politics and starting a new party before the 2025 parliamentary election. As of October 2024, he has not confirmed or denied these rumors.
Political Views and Policies
Miroslav Kalousek is generally considered a center-right conservative politician. He has shown neutral views on some social issues, like same-sex marriage. For example, in 2023, he encouraged other members of parliament to vote for a bill supporting same-sex unions, even though he is conservative.
As Finance Minister during the Great Recession, his economic approach was careful. He focused on being financially responsible and cutting government spending. His goal was to balance the country's budget as much as possible. While some people found these policies too strict, others saw them as effective.
Kalousek is also known for supporting Tibet. He has often spoken against the foreign policies of China and Russia. Like many Czech politicians, he supports Israel.
