Miroslav Kalousek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miroslav Kalousek
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| Leader of TOP 09 | |
| In office 29 November 2015 – 26 November 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Karel Schwarzenberg |
| Succeeded by | Jiří Pospíšil |
| Minister of Finance | |
| 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 |
| Leader of KDU-ČSL | |
| In office 8 November 2003 – 25 August 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Cyril Svoboda |
| Succeeded by | Jiří Čunek |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 20 June 1998 – 19 January 2021 |
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| 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 December 17, 1960) is a well-known Czech politician. He used to lead two important political parties, KDU-ČSL and TOP 09. He was also a member of the Czech Parliament (an MP) for many years, from 1998 until 2021. He served as the Minister of Finance two times, helping to manage the country's money.
Contents
Early Life
Miroslav Kalousek was born in a town called Tábor. He went to the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague where he studied chemistry.
From 1984 to 1990, he worked as a technician at a company called Mitas Praha. A technician helps with the practical parts of a job, like maintaining equipment. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, which changed the government in Czechoslovakia, Kalousek started working for the state.
Between 1993 and 1998, he was a deputy minister at the Ministry of Defense. In this role, he was in charge of the budget for the army, how the army was organized, and buying new equipment.
Political Journey
Starting with Christian Democrats
In 1998, Miroslav Kalousek was elected as an MP for the Christian Democrats party. An MP is a Member of Parliament, someone who represents people in their area and helps make laws for the country. He became the leader of this party in 2003 and stayed in that role until 2006.
In 2006, after the parliamentary election, it was very hard for any party to form a government. Miroslav Kalousek tried to find a solution. He suggested that his party, KDU-ČSL, could work with the Social Democratic Party (ČSSD). This idea was not popular with many members of his own party because it went against promises made before the election. Many people protested, and Kalousek decided to resign as party leader. He later said he was trying to prevent a different, less desirable government from forming.
In 2007, Kalousek became the Finance Minister again, this time in Mirek Topolánek's government. He held this important job until the government lost a vote of no-confidence in 2009. A vote of no-confidence means that most members of parliament no longer support the government.
Joining TOP 09
In 2009, Miroslav Kalousek and Karel Schwarzenberg started a new political party called TOP 09. This party is generally seen as supporting cooperation with other European countries and having conservative ideas about how society and the economy should work.
In the 2010 election, TOP 09 won seats in parliament and joined a new government. Kalousek became the Minister of Finance for the second time.
He was re-elected as an MP in 2013. In 2015, he was chosen to be the leader of TOP 09, taking over from Karel Schwarzenberg. In 2020, he announced he would not run for election again. He officially resigned as an MP in January 2021. He felt that new MPs should take their places to prepare for upcoming elections.
After leaving politics, he started hosting a TV show called Hovory Kalousek Soukup. In October 2024, Kalousek left the TOP 09 party because he had different ideas from the party. There has been talk in the media that he might start a new political party before the 2025 election, but he has not confirmed or denied these rumors.
What He Believes In
Miroslav Kalousek is known for his center-right conservative views. This means he generally supports traditional values and a smaller role for the government in the economy. However, he has neutral views on some social issues, like same-sex marriage. He even encouraged other MPs to vote for a bill supporting it in 2023, even though he is conservative. He is a Catholic.
As Finance Minister, especially during a time of economic difficulty, his policies focused on being careful with government money. He believed in spending less and trying to keep the country's budget balanced. Some people found these policies strict, but they were seen as effective during his time in office.
Kalousek is also known for supporting Tibet and for not agreeing with the foreign policies of China and Russia. Like many Czech politicians, he supports the state of Israel.
