Jaroslav Bašta (15 May 1948 – 7 April 2024) was a Czech politician and diplomat. He was a signatory of

Charter 77 Charter 77 (''Charta 77'' in Czech language, Czech and Slovak language, Slovak) was an informal civic initiative in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members ...

. Between 1998 and 2000 he served in the cabinet of

Miloš Zeman Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician who served as the third president of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2023. He also previously served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...

Minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

. Bašta became the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Russia in September 2000. He served for five years in Russia, later becoming Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, where he worked for three years until stepping down for health reasons in 2010. In 2021, he was elected to the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

for

Freedom and Direct Democracy Freedom and Direct Democracy (, SPD) is a political party in the Czech Republic. It is led by Tomio Okamura and it holds 20 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The party has been described as right-wing or far-right on the political spectrum. It ...

(SPD). On 10 September 2022, SPD announced it would nominate Bašta for the

2023 Czech presidential election Presidential elections were held in the Czech Republic in January 2023, resulting in the election of Petr Pavel. Incumbent president Miloš Zeman was not eligible to run due to the two-term limit. The first round took place on 13 and 14 Januar ...

. He was also endorsed by the Tricolour Citizens' Movement and the

Workers' Party of Social Justice The Workers' Party of Social Justice () was a Czech militant far-right political party, which existed from 2004 to 2024. In 2010, the party, under its original name of the Workers' Party, was banned by the Czech Supreme Administrative Court, beco ...

(DSSS). He finished fifth of eight candidates in the first round on 14 January 2023, with 4.45% of the vote. Bašta died after a long illness on 7 April 2024, aged 75.

References

1948 births 2024 deaths Czech diplomats Politicians from Plzeň Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to Russia Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to Ukraine Charter 77 signatories Government ministers of the Czech Republic Czech Social Democratic Party Government ministers Freedom and Direct Democracy MPs Freedom and Direct Democracy presidential candidates Candidates in the 2023 Czech presidential election Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (2021–2025) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (1996–1998) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (1998–2002) {{Czech-politician-stub

See also

References