Václav Klaus facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Václav Klaus
Klaus in 2015

2nd President of the Czech Republic
In office 7 March 2003 – 7 March 2013
Prime Minister	Vladimír Špidla Stanislav Gross Jiří Paroubek Mirek Topolánek Jan Fischer Petr Nečas
Preceded by	Václav Havel
Succeeded by	Miloš Zeman
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
In office 1 January 1993 – 2 January 1998
President	Václav Havel
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Josef Tošovský
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 17 July 1998 – 20 June 2002
Preceded by	Miloš Zeman
Succeeded by	Lubomír Zaorálek
Leader of the Civic Democratic Party
In office 21 April 1991 – 15 December 2002
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Mirek Topolánek
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (Federal part)
In office 2 July 1992 – 31 December 1992
President	Václav Havel
Preceded by	Petr Pithart
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 7 June 1990 – 7 March 2003
Minister of Finance of Czechoslovakia
In office 10 December 1989 – 2 July 1992
Prime Minister	Marián Čalfa
Preceded by	Jan Stejskal
Succeeded by	Jan Klak

Personal details
Born	(1941-06-19) 19 June 1941 (age 83) Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (now Czech Republic)
Political party	OF (1989–1991) ODS (1991–2003) Independent (2003–present)
Other political affiliations	National Council of European Resistance
Spouse	Livia Mištinová (1968–present)
Children	Václav Jan
Relatives	Zoë Pastelle (niece)
Alma mater	University of Economics, Prague, Cornell University
Signature
Website	Official website: http://www.klaus.cz/

Václav Klaus (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvaːtslaf ˈklaus]; born 19 June 1941) is a Czech economist and politician. He was the second President of the Czech Republic from 2003 to 2013. Before that, he was the first Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 1998. He also served as the last prime minister of the Czech Republic when it was part of Czechoslovakia.

During the time when Czechoslovakia was a Communist country, Klaus worked in a bank. After Communism ended in November 1989, he became the Minister of Finance. In 1991, Klaus helped start the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). He was prime minister from 1992 to 1997.

His government faced challenges in 1997. After the elections in 1998, he became the president of the Chamber of Deputies (1998–2002). He was elected President of the Czech Republic in February 2003 and re-elected in 2008. During his time as president, he had strong opinions on many topics. These included his views on climate change and the European Union. He also granted a large amnesty near the end of his term. This led to serious claims about his actions as president.

Klaus stopped being active in politics after his second term ended in March 2013. However, he still shares his thoughts on national and international issues. His political ideas are sometimes called Klausism.

Early Life and Education

Václav Klaus was born in Prague in 1941. This was during the time when the Nazis occupied the area. He grew up in the Vinohrady neighborhood.

Klaus studied Economics at the University of Economics, Prague. He graduated in 1963. He also spent time studying at universities in Italy and at Cornell University in the United States. After his studies, he worked at the State Institute of Economics. He later worked at the Czechoslovak State Bank from 1971 to 1986. In 1987, Klaus joined the Institute for Prognostics.

Becoming Prime Minister

Klaus entered politics during the Velvet Revolution in 1989. This was a peaceful uprising that ended Communist rule. He became an economic advisor to the Civic Forum, a group that wanted to unite anti-government movements. On 10 December 1989, Klaus became Czechoslovakia's Minister of Finance.

In October 1990, Klaus was chosen as the chairman of the Civic Forum. A few months later, he helped create the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). This party supported a free-market economy. Klaus led ODS to win the most votes in the Czech elections in June 1992. ODS became the largest party, and Klaus became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.

ODS also did well in the Czechoslovak federal election held on the same day. Klaus then talked with Vladimir Meciar, the leader of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). They agreed to split Czechoslovakia into two independent nations. This happened on 1 January 1993.

Klaus led ODS to win the most votes again in the 1996 elections. He remained prime minister in a government that did not have a full majority. However, in late 1997, he had to step down as prime minister. This was because of issues with how money was handled in his party.

During his time as prime minister, President Václav Havel did not agree with Klaus's plan to sell state-owned businesses to private owners. This plan was meant to quickly change the economy to a free market. But Havel said it caused some of the country's economic problems later on.

Leader of the Opposition (1997–2002)

At a party meeting in 1997, Klaus was re-elected as chairman of ODS. Some members who disagreed with him left the party. They formed a new party called the Freedom Union in 1998.

ODS came in second place in the 1998 elections. The Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) won more votes. Klaus then made an "Opposition Agreement" with Miloš Zeman, the ČSSD chairman. This agreement allowed Zeman's party to govern even without a full majority. In return, ODS got several important positions in parliament, including Klaus becoming the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

The Opposition Agreement caused public protests. This led Zeman to say he would not run for Prime Minister again. In the elections of June 2002, ODS lost to ČSSD again. After this, Klaus decided not to run for party chairman again. He became the honorary chairman of the party. Mirek Topolánek took over as party leader.

Presidency (2003–2013)

Standard of the President of the Czech Republic

After losing two elections, Klaus decided to run for president. He wanted to take over from his political rival, Václav Havel. The parties in power could not agree on one candidate to run against him.

Klaus was elected President of the Czech Republic on 28 February 2003. This happened in the third round of voting. Both parts of Parliament voted together in a secret ballot. He won with 142 votes out of 281. It was reported that he won because of support from Communist Members of Parliament. Klaus said he did not owe them anything for his election.

Using Vetoes

Klaus often criticized Václav Havel for using his power to stop laws. Klaus promised he would not do this as much. However, he used his veto power more often than Havel did. For example, he stopped an Anti-Discrimination Law in 2008. He said it was a threat to personal freedoms. He also stopped a bill about chemicals, saying it was a burden for businesses.

Views on the European Union

Klaus had strong views about the European Union (EU). He believed that joining the EU would make the Czech Republic lose much of its independence. He did not tell people how to vote in the 2003 vote on joining the EU. Most people (77%) voted yes.

Klaus often said that EU member countries were losing their independence. He even suggested that the EU should be "scrapped." He thought it should be replaced by a simple free trade area. He also claimed that the EU was a threat to freedom, like the Soviet Union used to be. In 2005, he called the EU a "failed and bankrupt entity."

Václav Klaus with Boris Tadić during his state visit to Serbia in 2008.

In November 2008, Klaus was in Ireland. He held a press conference with Declan Ganley, who was against the Treaty of Lisbon. Some Irish government members said this was "inappropriate."

European Parliament Speech

On 19 February 2009, Klaus gave a speech to the European Parliament. He said the EU did not have enough democracy. He also criticized its economic policies.

He said that in the European Parliament, there was only one main idea. He felt that those who thought differently were called "enemies of European integration." He also said there was a big distance between citizens and EU leaders. He called this a "democratic deficit." Klaus believed that plans to make the EU more integrated would make this problem worse.

He warned that trying to speed up integration could harm the good things Europe had achieved. He hoped that citizens would not feel forced to accept the EU project. After his speech, some members of the European Parliament walked out.

Views on the Euro

Klaus often criticized the EU's economic policies. He also did not like the idea of using the Euro as a common currency. In 2008, he wrote that the Euro showed that forcing different economies into one system was not good for all countries.

Signing the Lisbon Treaty

Klaus was the last EU leader to sign the Treaty of Lisbon. Other European leaders did not like his delay. The Czech Prime Minister, Jan Fischer, said Klaus would sign it eventually.

In November 2008, Klaus said he would not block the treaty if he was the only one against it. He signed the Treaty of Lisbon on 3 November 2009. However, he never signed an addition to the treaty called the European Financial Stability Facility. His successor, Miloš Zeman, signed it later.

Views on Russia

Klaus wanted to work with Russia on things like energy. In the 1990s, he supported new oil and gas deals between the Czech Republic and Russia. He was against building a pipeline between the Czech Republic and Germany.

In 2006, The Economist magazine called Klaus one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's "warmest admirers." Klaus received the Pushkin Medal from Putin in 2007 for promoting Russian culture. This was partly because he spoke Russian when talking to Putin. Klaus said that relations with Russia had seen "tremendous successes."

However, in a 2009 interview, Klaus said Russia was not a threat but was still a big and ambitious country. He said Czech authorities should be careful with Russia.

Views on Kosovo

Klaus did not agree with NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. He also often criticized Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008. He said that recognizing Kosovo would open a "Pandora's box" in Europe. This meant it could lead to bad results. He compared Serbia's situation to the 1938 Munich Agreement. When Serbia called back its ambassador because the Czech government recognized Kosovo, Klaus invited the ambassador for a friendly goodbye. In 2011, Klaus said that as long as he was president, the Czech Republic would not send an ambassador to Kosovo.

Re-election as President

The 2008 presidential election was different from past ones. The votes were recorded, not secret. This change was asked for by several Czech political parties.

Klaus's opponent was Jan Švejnar, an economics professor. He was supported by the Green Party and the Social Democratic Party. The first vote in February 2008 did not have a winner.

In the second vote, a new candidate, Jana Bobošíková, was nominated by the Communist Party. She later withdrew. Klaus won the third round by just one vote. His first term ended on 7 March 2008, and he took his oath for the second term on the same day. This meant his second term ended on 6 March 2013.

Resignation as Honorary ODS Chairman

Václav Klaus stepped down as Honorary Chairman of ODS on 6 December 2008. The next day, his ally Pavel Bém lost a vote for ODS chairman to Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek.

Chile Pen Incident

Václav Klaus visiting ESO's Paranal Observatory, Chile.

In April 2011, a video showed Klaus taking a pen during a visit to Chile. This was widely reported. Klaus said the event was overblown. He explained that official pens are usually free for official visitors to take.

A spokesperson for the Chilean President said that guests could take pens from meetings.

Australian Parliament House Incident

In July 2011, President Klaus visited Canberra, Australia. His visit was not an official state visit. He was invited for an interview at the Parliament House studios. When he arrived, he was asked to go through standard security, like regular visitors. Staff tried to help him bypass security, but they could not. So, Klaus left the building.

Klaus said the issue was not about security itself. It was about how he was treated. No one was there to meet him when he arrived. After waiting, he was told to wait in line with many schoolchildren for security. Klaus refused to wait and offered to do the interview at his hotel. The TV station declined this offer.

The head of protocol for the Czech President supported Klaus's actions. He said it was "disrespectful" to check a head of state.

Airsoft Gun Attack

On 28 September 2012, Klaus was attacked during a ceremony in Chrastava. A 26-year-old man, Pavel Vondrouš, used an airsoft gun on Klaus's arm. Klaus was taken to the hospital for minor bruising. The attacker was caught and later received a suspended sentence.

The President's bodyguards were criticized for not acting quickly. The head of the President's security resigned after this event.

2013 Amnesty and Accusations

On 1 January 2013, Klaus announced an amnesty. This was to mark 20 years since the Czech Republic became independent. The amnesty released many prisoners. It also stopped many court cases that had been going on for a long time. Over 6,000 prisoners were released. Many long-running corruption trials also ended. This caused a lot of public anger.

People widely criticized the amnesty. Some people started a petition to ask the Senate to make serious claims against President Klaus. They wanted the Constitutional Court to look into whether he had broken constitutional rules. This is similar to a process called impeachment. More than 64,000 people signed the petition.

On 4 March 2013, the Senate voted to make claims against Klaus. They said he had broken the constitution in five ways, including the amnesty. The next day, the Constitutional Court rejected a request to cancel the amnesty. Since Klaus's term was ending the next day, the court's decision was mostly symbolic. Klaus said this was an attempt by his political opponents to harm his presidency.

After the Presidency

After his presidency ended in 2013, Klaus became a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. However, his position ended in 2014. This was due to his views on the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine and his support for some far-right parties in Europe.

In September 2014, Klaus said in an interview that Ukraine was an "artificially created state." He also said that Russia's actions in Ukraine were part of a civil war. He described the Maidan protests as an "artificial event created by the West."

In the 2018 presidential election, Klaus supported his former political opponent Miloš Zeman. In November 2024, Klaus made headlines for saying that female defense ministers were "absurd nonsense."

Tricolour Party

Klaus's son, Václav Klaus Jr., became a member of Parliament in 2017. He was later removed from the Civic Democratic Party in 2019. He then started a new party called the Tricolour Citizens' Movement. Václav Klaus joined this party as an adviser on foreign relations.

COVID-19 Rules

On 28 October 2020, Klaus did not wear a face mask at a public event. This was against COVID-19 rules set by the government. Klaus said that people who wear masks support certain political ideas. The Prague Public Health Office fined Klaus for not wearing a mask. In February 2021, Klaus tested positive for COVID-19. He recovered at home.

Other Activities

Economic Views

In 1995, while he was prime minister, Klaus became a Professor of Finance at his old university. He sometimes gives economics classes there. He focuses on his ideas about free market economics, like those of Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman.

Since 1990, Václav Klaus has received almost 50 honorary degrees. He has also written more than 20 books about social, political, and economic topics. Klaus is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. He has written articles for the Cato Journal. In 2008, he received an award from the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

In 2009, Klaus was elected as a foreign member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Views on Climate Change

Václav Klaus in 2009

Klaus does not believe that global warming is mainly caused by humans. He has called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "a group of politicized scientists." He also said that some politicians do not share their doubts about global warming because of "political correctness."

In March 2007, Klaus said that environmentalism should be seen as a social idea, like communism or feminism. He compared it to a religion or a "modern counterpart of communism." He felt it tried to change people's habits and economic systems.

In June 2007, Klaus wrote that environmentalism was "the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, a market economy and prosperity." He said that debates on environmental issues were meant to stop freedom and democracy. He also said that "scientific consensus" is often made by a small, loud group, not by most people. He wrote that environmentalism is a "leftist ideology" and a way to bring about "socialist government at the global level."

In November 2007, Klaus said on BBC World that the interviewer was "arrogant" for saying there was a scientific agreement on climate change. He was "absolutely certain" that in 30 years, people would be thankful for his views on the issue.

At a UN Climate Change Conference in September 2007, Klaus again rejected the idea of global warming. He asked for a second group of scientists to create different reports. He also said countries should be allowed to set their own plans for the problem.

In 2007, Klaus published a book called Blue Planet in Green Shackles. In the book, he claims that the idea of global warming is "a very dangerous theory." At the September 2009 UN Climate Change Conference, Klaus spoke against the meeting. He called it "propagandistic."

In 2011, Klaus called global warming a "communist conspiracy." In 2012, he spoke at a conference for people who doubt climate change.

Personal Life

Václav Klaus is married to Livia Klausová, who is an economist from Slovakia. They have two sons, Václav Klaus Jr., who is also a politician, and Jan, who is an economist. They also have five grandchildren.

State Awards

National Awards

Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion (28 October 2019)
Former ex-officio Sovereign of the Order of the White Lion (7 March 2003–7 March 2013)
Former ex-officio Sovereign of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (7 March 2003–7 March 2013)

Foreign Awards

Austria: Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (15 May 2009)
Germany:

Saxony: Recipient of the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony (17 May 2008)

Lithuania: Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Vytautas the Great (9 April 2009)
Poland: Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (10 July 2007)
Russia: Recipient of the Medal of Pushkin (27 December 2007)
Slovakia: First Class of the Order of the White Double Cross (6 March 2013)
Spain: Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (24 September 2004)
Albania: Doctor Honoris Causa University of Tirana, For the valuable contribution to the development of the Albanian state, 2010