PRAGUE - TOP 09 will be led for the next two years by the party's current vice-chair, MP Matěj Ondřej Havel. Jiří Pospíšil was elected to the post of 1st Vice-Chairman. Ondřej Müller, Lukáš Otys, Kateřina Pastorková and Marek Ženíšek became the next vice-chairs. The party appointed its new leadership at its 9th electoral assembly in Prague's Don Giovanni Hotel.
From the delegates of the congress he received Matěj Ondřej Havel a strong mandate of 120 out of 171 votes. In his candidate's speech, he called on the new Presidency to focus on strengthening the importance of TOP 09 as a party of strong experts on issues of sound public finances, clearly formulated foreign policy, demythologised environmental policy, thoughtful education policy and others.
He also warned of growing efforts to undermine the country's democratic principles and called for a vigorous defence, including by activating civil society: „Soon we will probably face a much more sophisticated effort to undermine freedom of speech and the free dissemination of information than before, by trying to subjugate and, if necessary, restrict independent, public media.“
„Again, there is a big effort to convince people not to care about governance. Indifference and disinterest in public affairs, in the actions of the Government, Parliament, and the like, are a good breeding ground for the leisurely work of dismantling liberty by the salami method. This will be risky for the whole country and our role in Parliament is therefore irreplaceable,“ Havel continued. „TOP 09 has proven many times in the past that it can be a strong and visible beacon of values in such storms, and it will have to prove that now as well.“
Havel previously served as vice-chair of TOP 09 and in the outgoing government he was also chair of the House Education Committee, where he advocated for reform of the education system, innovations in teaching, and the quality preparation of future teachers. A former teacher himself, he was a teacher and later the principal of the J. K. Tyl Grammar School in Hradec Králové. He is expected to continue to lead the Education Committee after the autumn elections, in which he was again successful as a Member of Parliament.
MP and former party chairman Jiří Pospíšil, in accordance with his earlier statements, declined the nomination for TOP 09 chair for personal reasons. During the congress, he was therefore invited to run for the position of 1st Vice-Chairman, which he accepted and on the basis of which he was subsequently elected to the position with 110 votes.
In his candidacy speech, he also called for active work in the context of the post-election political developments in the country. „Those who question the post-Soviet development, who are in favour of Putin's Russia, are in power.“ he said. „We don't have room to lick our wounds from a lost election.“
The party's board has been rejuvenated after the congress - changes have been made to three of the four vice-chair positions. The new faces of the narrower leadership are Ondřej Müller, regional manager of TOP 09 and councillor for Pardubice, Lukas Otys, Regional Chairman of TOP 09 in the Karlovy Vary Region and former Vice-Chairman, and Kateřina Pastorková. The mandate was defended by the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation and one of the founding members of the party Marek Zenesek.
The Assembly was also an official farewell to the current President Markéta Pekarova Adamová, who has led the party for the past six years and has not run again.
„Don't go back to the past as a panacea, all returns to the roots are just strumming the strings of nostalgia. Look much more forward,“ Pekarová Adamová advised the party members at the beginning of the assembly. „This does not mean that we do not learn from the past or that we ignore it. But the world around us is changing very quickly and we must not stand still.“
Veronika Rejmanová
New TOP 09 leadership
Chairman
Matěj Ondřej Havel
1st Vice-Chairman:
Jiří Pospíšil
Ordinary Vice-Presidents:
Ondřej Müller
Lukas Otys
Kateřina Pastorková
Marek Zenesek
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