Jaroslav Bašta

{{Infobox Ambassador

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Jaroslav Bašta

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Jaroslav Basta 2003.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Bašta in 2003

| order =

| title = Minister without Portfolio

| term_start = 22 July 1998

| term_end = 23 March 2000

| primeminister = Miloš Zeman

| predecessor = Vladimír Mlynář

| successor = Karel Březina

| order1 =

| ambassador_from1 = Czech Republic

| country1 = Russia

| term_start1 = 19 September 2000

| term_end1 = 2005

| predecessor1 = Luboš Dobrovský

| successor1 = Miroslav Kostelka

| president1 = Václav Havel
Václav Klaus

| order2 =

| ambassador_from2 = Czech Republic

| country2 = Ukraine

| term_start2 = December 2007

| term_end2 = March 2010

| predecessor2 = Karel Štindl

| successor2 = Ivan Počuch

| president2 = Václav Klaus

| office3 = Member of the Chamber of Deputies

| term_start3 = 9 October 2021

| term_end3 = 7 April 2024

| term_start4 = 1 June 1996

| term_end4 = 14 September 2000

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1948|5|15}}

| birth_place = Plzeň, Czechoslovakia

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2024|4|8|1948|5|15}}

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| nationality =

| party = Freedom and Direct Democracy (2021–2024)

| otherparty = ČSSD (1994–2019)

| spouse = Dara Baštová

| partner =

| relations =

| children = 1

| residence =

| alma_mater = Charles University

| occupation =

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| signature = Jaroslav Bašta – signature 1976.jpg

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Jaroslav Bašta (15 May 1948 – 7 April 2024) was a Czech politician and diplomat. He was a signatory of Charter 77.{{cite web|url=http://www.vlada.cz/cz/clenove-vlady/historie-minulych-vlad/prehled-vlad-cr/1993-2010-cr/milos-zeman/jaroslav-basta-38875/|title=Jaroslav Bašta|language=Czech|work=vlada.cz|accessdate=7 December 2014}} Between 1998 and 2000 he served in the cabinet of Miloš Zeman as Minister without portfolio. Bašta became the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Russia in September 2000.{{cite web|url=http://zpravy.idnes.cz/velvyslanec-basta-miri-na-ministerstvo-zahranici-fvr-/domaci.aspx?c=A050815_181636_domaci_jpl|title=Velvyslanec Bašta míří na ministerstvo zahraničí|language=cs|website=iDNES.cz|date=15 August 2005|accessdate=7 December 2014|publisher=Mafra}} 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.{{cite web|first=Hana|last=Pecinová|url=http://zpravy.aktualne.cz/domaci/po-afere-s-vizy-konci-velvyslanec-basta-duvod-zdravi/r~i:article:658164/|title=Po aféře s vízy končí velvyslanec Bašta. Důvod? Zdraví|language=cs|work=Aktualne.cz|date=17 January 2010|accessdate=7 December 2014}}

In 2021, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).

On 10 September 2022, SPD announced it would nominate Bašta for the 2023 Czech presidential election.{{cite web |title=Kandidátem hnutí SPD na prezidenta bude poslanec Bašta |url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/domaci-kandidatem-hnuti-spd-na-prezidenta-bude-jaroslav-basta-40408327 |website=Novinky.cz|date=10 September 2022 |access-date=10 September 2022 |language=cs|agency=Czech News Agency|publisher=Borgis}} He was also endorsed by the Tricolour Citizens' Movement{{cite web |title=Jaroslav Bašta – Mír je pro naše politiky sprosté slovo |url=https://volimtrikoloru.cz/videa/jaroslav-basta-mir-je-pro-nase-politiky-sproste-slovo/ |website=Tricolour Citizens' Movement|date=17 December 2022 |access-date=21 December 2022 |language=cs}} and the Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS).{{cite web |title=Tomáš Vandas twitter status|url=https://twitter.com/tomas_vandas/status/1611290106752823297 |website=Twitter |access-date=7 January 2023 |language=cs}} He finished fifth of eight candidates in the first round on 14 January 2023, with 4.45% of the vote.{{cite web |last1=Biben |first1=Martin |title=Bašta v druhém kole nikoho nepodpoří, řekl po porážce. Okamura to chce ještě vyhodnotit|url=https://domaci.hn.cz/c1-67159900-basta-v-druhem-kole-nikoho-nepodpori-rekl-po-porazce-okamura-to-chce-jeste-vyhodnotit|website=hn.cz|access-date=15 January 2023|language=cs|date=14 January 2023|publisher=Economia}}

Bašta died after a long illness on 7 April 2024, aged 75.{{cite news |last=Vašinová|first=Jolana|title=Zemřel Jaroslav Bašta. Poslanci a bývalému velvyslanci bylo 75 let |url=https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/jaroslav-basta-umrti-spd-cssd-velvyslanec-rusko-ukrajina.A240326_125103_domaci_hovo |access-date=8 April 2024 |website=iDNES.cz|agency=Czech News Agency|publisher=Mafra}}{{cite web |title=Jaroslav Bašta |url=https://www.psp.cz/sqw/detail.sqw?id=207&o=9 |website=Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic |access-date=9 April 2024 |lang=cs}}