President Milos Zeman Preceded by Miroslav Gregr Name Jiri Rusnok Succeeded by Bohuslav Sobotka | Preceded by Petr Necas Preceded by Pavel Mertlik Spouse Iveta Rusnokova Resigned January 29, 2014 | |
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Deputy Jan Fischer
Martin Pecina Born 16 October 1960 (age 63)
Ostrava, Czechoslovakia
(now Czech Republic) ( 1960-10-16 ) Alma mater University of Economics, Prague Role Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Education University of Economics, Prague Political party Czech Social Democratic Party Previous office Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (2013–2014) | ||
Czech prime minister loses confidence vote
Jiri Rusnok (born 16 October 1960) is a Czech politician and economist who served as Prime Minister of the Czech Republic between July 2013 and January 2014. Previously he served in the government of the Czech Republic as Minister of Finance from 2001 to 2002 and as Minister of Industry and Trade from 2002 to 2003. On 25 June 2013, he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Milos Zeman. Rusnok replaced Petr Necas, who resigned over a corruption and spying affair. Rusnok was Zeman's economic advisor before the appointment. He is also a member of the National Economic Council (NERV) of the Czech Republic.
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Early life
Rusnok was born in Ostrava-Vitkovice. He studied at the University of Economics in Prague, graduating in 1984. Later, he worked for Statni planovaci komise (State Planning Commission) and Federalni ministerstvo pro strategicke planovani (Federal Ministry for Strategic Planning). Before the so-called Velvet Revolution, he was a candidate for membership in the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
In the 1990s, he worked as director of a department of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (1992–1998). He joined politics in 1998 as a member of the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD). Prime Minister Milos Zeman appointed Rusnok to his cabinet as Finance Minister in June 2001. He continued as Minister of Industry and Trade in the cabinet of Vladimir Spidla; however, he resigned his post and parliamentary mandate and left politics in March 2003, after disagreements with Spidla. After that, he worked in the private sector.
Prime Minister
President Milos Zeman appointed Rusnok as Prime Minister of a caretaker government in June 2013 in a move that was criticized by political parties in the Czech Republic. It was called irresponsible by the parties of the former coalition government (ODS and TOP 09), while the opposition (CSSD) called for early elections.
On 7 August 2013, Chamber of Deputies denied support to the caretaker government of Rusnok. His cabinet got support of 93 legislators, compared to 100 against, while seven legislators abstained. A majority of voting legislators was required. Following the vote, TOP 09 stated that due to a lack of support for a potential renewed ODS-TOP 09-LIDEM government, they would instead support an early election. The CSSD and KSCM also supported an early election. In reaction, Rusnok signaled his intention to resign the next day: "I think this result is positive, as far as further political development in our country is concerned. It will lead to the dissolution of the parliament."