Vladimír Špidla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vladimír Špidla
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Špidla in 2007
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| Prime Minister of the Czech Republic | |
| In office 12 July 2002 – 4 August 2004 |
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| President | Václav Havel Václav Klaus |
| Preceded by | Miloš Zeman |
| Succeeded by | Stanislav Gross |
| European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities | |
| In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Anna Diamantopoulou Stavros Dimas (Employment and Social Affairs) |
| Succeeded by | László Andor (Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) |
| President of the Czech Republic | |
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Acting
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| In office 3 February 2003 – 7 March 2003 Serving with Lubomír Zaorálek
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| Preceded by | Václav Havel |
| Succeeded by | Václav Klaus |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 7 April 2001 – 26 July 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Miloš Zeman |
| Succeeded by | Stanislav Gross |
| First Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Labour and Social Affairs |
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| In office 22 July 1998 – 12 July 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Miloš Zeman |
| Preceded by | Stanislav Volák |
| Succeeded by | Zdeněk Škromach |
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
| In office 1 January 1996 – 31 August 2004 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 April 1951 Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | Charles University in Prague |
| Signature |  |
Vladimír Špidla (born April 22, 1951) is a well-known Czech politician. He served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 2002 to 2004. Later, he became a European Commissioner, working on important issues like jobs and social fairness for the whole of Europe.
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Early Life and Education
Vladimír Špidla was born in Prague, which is the capital city of the Czech Republic. He went to Charles University, where he studied history. After finishing his studies in 1976, he took on various jobs. He even worked as an archaeologist, which is someone who studies old human history by digging up artifacts.
Journey into Politics
Špidla began his political career in his hometown of Jindřichův Hradec after the Velvet Revolution. This revolution in 1989 brought big changes to Czechoslovakia. He joined the Czech Social Democratic Party, which is a political party in the Czech Republic.
- From 1991 to 1996, he was the director of the local labor office.
- In 1992, he became a member of his party's main leadership group.
- He was elected to the Czech parliament in 1996.
- From 1998 to 2002, he served as the First Deputy Prime Minister and also the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. This meant he helped lead the government and was in charge of jobs and social welfare.
- In 2001, he became the chairman, or leader, of the Czech Social Democratic Party.
Leading the Czech Republic
On July 12, 2002, Vladimír Špidla became the prime minister of the Czech Republic. He led a government made up of his party and two smaller parties.
During his time as prime minister:
- He temporarily held the powers of the President of the Czech Republic for a short period in 2003. This happened because the president's term ended before a new one could be chosen.
- His government tried to make changes to help with the country's budget.
- He resigned as prime minister in June 2004. This happened after his party did not do well in the European Parliament elections that year.
Working for Europe
After leaving his role as prime minister, Špidla took on a new important job. He became a European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities in November 2004. This meant he worked for the European Union to help improve jobs and social conditions across many European countries.
As a European Commissioner, Špidla focused on:
- Making sure Europe kept its "social model," which means protecting social justice and fairness for everyone.
- Creating more and better jobs for people.
- Helping Europe deal with an aging population.
- Making society more welcoming and fair for all people.
- He also helped create a special fund called the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund. This fund helps businesses and workers adapt to changes caused by globalization.
He finished his work as a European Commissioner in February 2010.
Later Political Roles
After his time in Europe, Špidla tried to return to Czech politics. He ran for a seat in the Czech Senate in 2010 but was not elected.
From 2014 to 2017, he served as a chief adviser to Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. This role meant he gave important advice to the prime minister.
In 2022, he ran for the Senate again but did not win.
Personal Life
Vladimír Špidla has been married twice and has four children. When he is not working, he enjoys hobbies like cross-country running and marathon running. He can speak German and French.
Images for kids
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Vladimír Špidla's signature
See also
