Michal Horáček (born 23 July 1952) is a
Czech entrepreneur, lyricist, poet, writer, journalist and music producer. From 2007 until 2010, he was the chairman of the
Czech Academy of Popular Music.
He founded Czech betting company Fortuna. He stood to become
Czech president
The president of the Czech Republic is the head of state of the Czech Republic and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.
The president mostly has ceremonial powers as the day-to-day business of the executive governm ...
in the 2018 presidential election, but came in 4th in the first round, failing to advance.
2018 presidential election
In April 2016, Horáček announced his possible candidacy in the
2018 Czech presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Czech Republic in January 2018. The first round took place on 12 and 13 January. As no candidate won a majority, a run-off election between the top two candidates, Jiří Drahoš and President Miloš Zeman, ...
. Horáček announced his candidacy on 7 October 2016.
He officially launched his campaign on 3 November 2016. He said that he wanted his campaign to be based on respect for all people and their opinions.
Horáček announced his advisers on 9 February 2017, including former Slovak presidential candidate
Magdaléna Vášáryová, nuclear energy safety expert
Dana Drábová
Dana Drábová (born 3 June 1961) is a Czech physicist and politician. She is the chair of the State Office for Nuclear Safety and she was President of the 2023 meetings of the parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety.
Life
Drábová was bor ...
, and surgeon Pavel Pafko.
In 16 April 2017, Horáček started gathering the 50,000 signatures required for participation in the election.
On 6 May he reported that he had gathered the required number of signatures.
Horáček finished fourth of the nine candidates, with 9.18% of the vote. Horáček then endorsed
Jiří Drahoš
Jiří Drahoš (born 20 February 1949; ) is a Czech physical chemist and politician who has been the Senator of Prague 4 since October 2018. Previously, Drahoš served as President of the Czech Academy of Sciences from 2009 to 2017, and was a ca ...
for the second round.
Political views
Horáček once said that "left-wing thinking isn't thinking",
but later said that he had changed his mind and started to consider it more seriously.
He describes himself as neither left-wing nor right-wing,
but his platform for the 2018 presidential election was described by political scientists as left-wing.
He supports
European Union membership but would not oppose a referendum about leaving it.
Horáček stated in July 2016 that opposing immigration was "like opposing rain", and added that Czechs have historically helped immigrants.
He has expressed opposition to migration quotas and to accepting large numbers of refugees, saying that the Czech Republic should not accept immigrants that Czechs do not want to accept.
Personal life
Horáček is a Roman Catholic. His great-uncle
Jaroslav Heyrovský, a chemist and inventor, became the first Czech recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1959.
Discography
;Studio albums
*1987: ''Potměšilý host'' with
Hana Hegerová
Hana Hegerová (20 October 1931 – 23 March 2021) was a Slovak singer and actress. Often referred to as the Queen of Czechoslovak chanson, she gained popularity primarily as a singer of chansons. Outside of her homebase, Hegerová has attaine ...
&
Petr Hapka
*1988: ''V penziónu Svět'' with Petr Hapka
*1996: ''Citová investice'' with Petr Hapka
*2000: ''Richard Müller a hosté'' with
Richard Müller &
Jan Saudek
Jan Saudek (born 13 May 1935) is an art photographer and painter.
Jan Saudek's art work represents a unique technique combining photography and painting. In his country of origin, Czechoslovakia, Jan was considered a disturbed artist and oppre ...
''
*2001: ''Mohlo by tu být i líp'' with Petr Hapka
*2003: ''
Tak to chodí
''Tak to chodí'' (''So It Goes'') is a compilation album by Czech recording artists Michal Horáček and Jarda Svoboda, released on B&M Music in 2003.
After a series of album projects recorded exclusively in collaboration with Petr Hapka, Horáč ...
'' with Jarda Svoboda
*2006: ''
Strážce plamene'' with Petr Hapka
*2008: ''
Ohrožený druh
''Ohrožený druh'' (''Threatened Species'') is a compilation album by Czech recording artist Michal Horáček, released on Sony BMG in 2008.
Track listing
;Notes
* All songs performed in Czech with exception of "Esik az eső, csendesen", s ...
''
*2009: ''Kudykam'' with Petr Hapka
*2011: ''
Tante Cose da Veder'' with Petr Hapka &
Ondřej Brzobohatý
*2012: ''
O lásce, cti a kuráži''
*2012: ''
Michal Horáček Tribute''
*2013: ''
Český kalendář
Czech (; Czech ), historically also Bohemian (; ''lingua Bohemica'' in Latin), is a West Slavic languages, West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak languages, Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin alphabet, Latin script. Spoken by over 10 mi ...
''
Bibliography
*1983: ''Království za koně'', Olympia
*1984: ''Zpráva z Kentucky'', Turf klub SSM
*1990: ''Jak pukaly ledy'', Ex libris
*1996: ''Los a sázka'', Fortuna
*2002: ''Kdo víc vsadí, ten víc bere'' with Ladislav Verecký, Nakladatelství
Lidové noviny
*2004: ''O české krvi otců vlasti'', Nakladatelství Lidové noviny
*2007: ''O tajemství královny krav'', Nakladatelství Lidové noviny
*2009: ''Kudykam'', Nakladatelství Lidové noviny
*2012: ''Český kalendář'', Nakladatelství Lidové noviny
*2012: ''Habitus hazardního hráče'', Nakladatelství Lidové noviny
Awards
References
External links
Michal Horáček(official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horacek, Michal
1952 births
Businesspeople from Prague
Journalists from Prague
Czech philanthropists
Politicians from Prague
Candidates in the 2018 Czech presidential election
Living people
Czech Roman Catholics
Czech male poets
Czech Roman Catholic writers