Alexandr Vondra

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Alexandr Vondra

Alexandr "Saša" Vondra (pronounced [ˈalɛksandr̩ ˈvondra]) (born 17 August 1961 in Prague^[1]) was the foreign minister of the Czech Republic from 4 September 2006 to 9 January 2007 and Senator for Litoměřice district for the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) since autumn Czech Senate election, 2006. On January 9, 2007, during the new government reshuffle, he was appointed a deputy Prime Minister for European affairs^[1].

He graduated in geography from Charles University in Prague in 1984, receiving a Doctor in Natural Sciences degree one year later^[1]. In the mid-1980s he was a dissident and Charter 77 signatory^[2]. After organizing a demonstration in January 1989, Vondra was imprisoned for two months^[2]. In November 1989, while the Velvet Revolution was underway, he co-founded the Civic Forum^[1].

In 1990-1992, Vondra was foreign policy advisor to President Václav Havel^[1]. When Havel stepped-down from his office during dissolution of Czechoslovakia and at the same time independent Czech foreign service began to be formed, Vondra became Czech Republic's First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 1992, responsible i. a. for negotiating the division of Czechoslovak diplomacy^[3]. In 1996 he was a chief negotiator for the Czech-German Declaration on the Mutual Relations and their Future Development^[2]. In March 1997 Vondra left to become the Czech Ambassador to the United States, staying there until July 2001^[3]. From March 2001 to January 2003, Vondra was the Czech Government Commissioner responsible for preparation of 2002 Prague summit of the NATO^[3]. From January to July 2003 Vondra was a Deputy Foreign Minister^[3].

He became paying ODS member only after his ministerial appointment and the victory in Senate elections in October 2006. He is generally perceived as pro-United States^[4] and wary of European integration though less than ODS Euroskeptic hardliners and has good connections to Havel (his announced return to politics in spring 2006 was taken as a sign of ODS trying to appease the political centre); this makes his new post rather ironic, not to say superfluous, but in forging the new coalition in autumn of 2006, ODS ceded the foreign ministry to his predecessor Cyril Svoboda from Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party whose pro-EU line is also closer to the Green Party that enters the government as well.

He is married and has 3 children^[1].

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f RNDr. Alexandr Vondra. Government of the Czech Republic. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lenka Ponikelská. "‘Saša‘ Vondra: dissident minister", Czech Business Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dr. Alexandr Vondra. Alexandr Vondra official website. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.
^ Jana Mlčochová. "Russian crude, Aero’s deal and the ČSA trap", Czech Business Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. "[Vondra is] Known for his pro-Western and especially pro-U.S. stance"