Karel Havlíček (politician)

Karel Havlíček
MP
Havlíček in 2023
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 December 2025
Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš
Preceded byVít Rakušan
Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
In office
30 April 2019 – 17 December 2021
Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš
Minister of Industry and Trade
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 December 2025
Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš
Preceded byLukáš Vlček
In office
30 April 2019 – 17 December 2021
Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš
Preceded byMarta Nováková
Succeeded byJozef Síkela
Minister of Transport
In office
24 January 2020 – 17 December 2021
Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš
Preceded byVladimír Kremlík
Succeeded byMartin Kupka
Deputy President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
18 February 2022 – 8 October 2025
First Deputy Leader of ANO 2011
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 February 2022
Preceded byJaroslav Faltýnek
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 October 2021
Personal details
Born (1969-08-16) 16 August 1969 (age 56)
České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia
PartyIndependent (nominated by ANO 2011) (2019–2021)
ANO 2011 (2021–present)
Alma materPrague University of Economics and Business, Czech Technical University in Prague
OccupationPolitician, businessman, economist

Karel Havlíček (born 16 August 1969) is a Czech politician, who has served as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic[1] and Minister of Industry and Trade since 15 December 2025, in the third cabinet of Andrej Babiš.[2] He also served as the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Industry and Trade, and Minister of Transport between 2019 and 2021, during Babiš's first term as Prime Minister.

Early life and education

In 2004, Havlíček completed his Ph.D in economics and management at the Prague University of Economics and Business.[3]

Business career

Since 2010, Havlíček has been chairman of the board of the Czech Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and Tradesmen,[4] which he co-founded in 2000. Havlíček also has been a member of the government council for research, development and innovation since 2014,[5] and its vice-chairman from 2018 until 2022.[6] He previously sat in the government council for public investment, the business council, and the steering committee for the implementation of export strategy.[3]

Since 2015, Havlíček has been the majority owner of textile manufacturer Sindat, with a 58% share through the company F-Comp.[7][8]

Political career

On 10 April 2019, Havlíček was appointed to the Second cabinet of Andrej Babiš, replacing Marta Nováková [cs] as Minister for Industry and Trade. On 24 January 2020 he was appointed as the Minister of Transport, a position which he held concurrently with the first.[9] In February 2022 Havlíček was elected deputy president of the Chamber of Deputies.[10]

Andrej Babiš has described Havlíček as a future prime minister of the Czech Republic.[11]

Personal life

Havlíček is an avid listener of rock and folk music, and has occasionally written articles about the subject.[12][13] Since 2010, Havlíček and his wife have been reconstructing the memorial of Karl Schwarzenberg in Český Krumlov.[14] Havlíček is a polyglot; apart from Czech, he can speak English, German, and Russian, as well as some Chinese, French, and Spanish.[15]

References

  1. ^ Hrdlička, Jan (15 December 2025). ""Máme na to 20 minut." První Babišova vláda dojednala, další je maraton uvádění ministrů". Echo24 (in Czech). Echo media. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Havlíček chce kromě snížení cen energií připravit antibyrokratický zákon". ČeskéNoviny.cz (in Czech). Czech News Agency. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Osobní stránka doc. Ing. Karel Havlíček, Ph.D., MBA". IS VŠFS (in Czech). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Novým předsedou představenstva AMSP ČR je Karel Havlíček". AMSP (in Czech). 8 December 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  5. ^ "ČTK: Rada pro výzkum je kompletní, vláda schválila devět nových členů". Government of the Czech Republic (in Czech). 11 September 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Česko nemá být zemí piva či křišťálu. Propagujme technologie, vyzývá odborník". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Czech News Agency. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  7. ^ Pšenička, Jiří (27 September 2016). "Karel Havlíček: Chybí nám generace nadšenců". Dotyk (in Czech). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  8. ^ Bukovský, Jaroslav (5 April 2019). "Šéf podnikatelské asociace Havlíček opouští svůj byznys". E15 (in Czech). Czech News Center. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  9. ^ Mikulka Šelepová, Eva (24 January 2020). "Havlíček stojí v čele dvou ministerstev. Rekordmanem je zatím bývalý prezident Klaus". Czech Radio (in Czech). Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  10. ^ Kopecký, Josef (18 February 2022). "Bývalý vicepremiér Havlíček byl zvolen místopředsedou Sněmovny". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Mafra. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  11. ^ Leinert, Ondřej (9 June 2023). "Babiš: Moje poslední volby? Asi v roce 2025. Vláda ničí naši práci, Fiala to neřídí a Válek by se měl léčit". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Economia. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  12. ^ Havlíček, Karel (12 November 2016). "Leonard nenechal Marianne čekat dlouho". Dotyk (in Czech). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  13. ^ Havlíček, Karel (3 August 2016). "Hudební most Řím–Čerčany". Dotyk (in Czech). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  14. ^ Tröster, Martin (3 August 2012). "U hrádku turisté uvidí i technický unikát". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Karel Havlíček | Životopis". IS VŠFS (in Czech). Retrieved 17 March 2019.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karel_Havl%C3%AD%C4%8Dek_(politician)