Ondřej Kolář (politician)

Kolář was born in Prague, the son of Czech diplomat Petr Kolář. In his childhood he lived in Norway, Sweden, and Ireland. After returning to the Czech Republic, Kolář studied media studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University and law at the University of West Bohemia. He also completed the international legal theories program at American University Washington College of Law and one year of German studies at Trinity College Dublin.{{Cite news|title=Praha 6: Starostou zvolen Ondřej Kolář (TOP 09)|url=https://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/politika/obce-volicum/Praha-6-Starostou-zvolen-Ondrej-Kolar-TOP-09-346813|website=Parlamentní Listy|date=21 November 2014|language=cs}} In 2011, Kolář started working as secretary to the Foreign Minister and TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg.{{Cite news|first=Jan|last=Prokeš|title=Starosta Prahy 6 Kolář: Komunální politika je pavlač, kde na vás pořád někdo řve|url=https://prazsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/starosta-prahy-6-komunalni-politika-je-pavlac-kde-na-vas-porad-nekdo-rve-20190107.html|website=Deník|location=Prague|publisher=Vltava Labe Media|date=7 January 2019|language=cs}}

In 2013, Kolář became the chairman of the TOP 09 branch in Prague 6. In October 2014, he led TOP 09 to victory in the municipal elections, and was elected mayor of the district in November 2014.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In April 2017, Kolář received media attention after Prague City Hall paid 50,000 CZK for his interview in the men's magazine Playboy.{{Cite news|title=Praha 6 zaplatila starostovi rozhovor v Playboyi, radnici to stálo skoro 50 tisíc|url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/domaci-praha-6-zaplatila-starostovi-rozhovor-v-playboyi-radnici-to-stalo-skoro-50-tisic-40029984|website=Novinky.cz|location=Prague|publisher=Borgis|date=7 April 2017|access-date=14 May 2017|language=cs}} The city hall attributed the payment to an employee error. Kolář resolved the situation by paying Prague 6 the amount for the article.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

According to a survey by Phoenix Research, Kolář was the second-most popular district mayor in Prague in 2017.{{Cite news|first=Aleš|last=Vojíř|title=Nejpopulárnější starostové jsou na sedmičce a šestce. Ti z okraje města propadli|url=https://www.denik.cz/regiony/nejpopularnejsi-starostove-jsou-na-sedmicce-a-sestce-ti-z-okraje-mesta-propadli-20170522.html|website=Deník|location=Prague|publisher=Vltava Labe Media|date=22 May 2019|access-date=14 January 2018|language=cs}}

On 13 May 2017, Kolář attended the unveiling of the foundation stone of the future monument to Maria Theresa in Hradčany, commissioned by Prague 6 at a cost of almost 4,000,000 CZK.{{Cite news|first=Jan|last=Prokeš|title=Petice odmítá pomník Marie Terezie nedaleko Hradu. Hotov by měl být už na podzim|url=https://prazsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/petice-odmita-pomnik-marie-terezie-nedaleko-hradu-hotov-by-mel-byt-uz-na-podzim-20190223.html|website=Deník|location=Prague|publisher=Vltava Labe Media|date=23 February 2019|language=cs}} Kolář stated that: "Marie Theresa is the only woman who ever sat on the Czech throne, and therefore she deserves such a monument."{{Cite news|title=Marii Terezii odhalili u Prašného mostu, přijela také na Hrad|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/regiony/marii-terezii-odhalili-u-prasneho-mostu-prijela-take-na-hrad-96564|website=ČT24|location=Prague|publisher=Czech Television|date=13 May 2017|language=cs}} The

On 18 April 2018, Kolář filed a criminal complaint against himself, stating: "As soon as we approved in the council in 2016, the termination of the disadvantageous contract by which Prague 6 releases Poliklinika Pod Marjánkou to a private individual, we were criticised that the termination was poorly-executed that we paid severance pay without authorization."{{Cite news|title=Starosta Prahy 6 podal trestní oznámení sám na sebe|url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/krimi-starosta-prahy-6-podal-trestni-oznameni-sam-na-sebe-12058|website=Novinky.cz|location=Prague|publisher=Borgis|date=18 April 2018|language=cs}}

Kolář launched the initiative to add an information board to the monument to Soviet Marshal Konev in Prague 6, which explained his merits in liberating a large part of Bohemia from the Nazi occupation, but also noted his contribution to the suppression of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and his alleged patronage of the intelligence survey for the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The ambassadors of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan objected to the plaque.{{Cite news|first=Eva|last=Mošpanová|title=Pražskou sochu maršála Koněva řeší velvyslanci i ruské ministerstvo. Česká strana neskrývá překvapení|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/socha-marsala-koneva-tabulky-rusko-velvyslanectvi-ministerstvo_1801041200_mos|website=Czech Radio|date=4 January 2018|language=cs}} According to the Russian Embassy, Konev did not take part in the invasion in 1968 and had already left commanding positions in the Soviet armed forces due to his age.{{Cite news|title=Koněv se na okupaci Československa nepodílel, tvrdí Rusko|url=https://www.tyden.cz/rubriky/domaci/konev-se-na-okupaci-ceskoslovenska-nepodilel-tvrdi-rusko_482359.html|website=Týden|location=Prague|publisher=Empresa Media|date=30 May 2018|language=cs}}{{Cite news|title=Tabulce u Koněvovy sochy ministerstvo nezabrání. Rozhodnutí přísluší Praze 6, řekl Stropnický|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/regiony/tabulce-u-konevovy-sochy-ministerstvo-nezabrani-rozhodnuti-prislusi-praze-6-rekl-stropnicky-86839|website=ČT24|location=Prague|publisher=Czech Television|date=11 January 2018|access-date=14 January 2018|language=cs}}

In August 2019, Kolář expressed sympathy with the vandals who poured red paint on the Konev monument, and prevented the statue from being cleaned.{{Cite news|title=Zamezte provokacím! Moskva si stěžuje na "zhanobení" pomníku Koněva|url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/zahranicni-evropa-moskva-v-demarsi-protestovala-proti-zhanobeni-pomniku-koneva-40294171|website=Novinky.cz|location=Prague|publisher=Borgis|date=23 August 2019|language=cs}} In September 2019, the council of Prague 6 decided to remove the statue,{{Cite news|first=Roman|last=Šafhauser|title=Praha 6 schválila odstranění Koněva, nahradí ho památník hrdinů|url=https://www.idnes.cz/praha/zpravy/socha-koneva-v-zastupitelstvo-prahy-6-premisteni-pomniku.A190910_085328_praha-zpravy_rsr|date=12 September 2019|access-date=14 June 2020|language=cs}} which was removed from the pedestal on 3 April 2020 and taken into storage.{{Cite news|first=Roman|last=Šafhauser|title=Sochu Koněva v Praze 6 sundal jeřáb, Rusko mluví o vandalském činu|url=https://www.idnes.cz/praha/zpravy/konev-praha-6-marsal-konev-interbrigady-odstraneni.A200403_083311_praha-zpravy_rsr|newspaper=Mladá fronta Dnes|access-date=14 June 2024}}

In the 2022 Czech municipal elections, Kolář ran for council in Prague 6 in the third place on the TOP 09 candidate list. He finished first due to preferential votes and thus defended his seat, but was replaced as mayor by Jakub Starek of ODS.{{Cite web|title=Volby do zastupitelstev obcí 2022 {{!}} Obec Praha 6 {{!}} Kandidátní listina TOP 09|url=https://www.volby.cz/pls/kv2022/kv21111?xjazyk=CZ&xid=0&xv=12&xdz=5&xnumnuts=1100&xobec=500178&xstrana=721|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|access-date=29 November 2022|language=cs}} Kolář served as an opposition representative in the Prague 6 council, but resigned his seat in November 2023.{{Cite web|title=Po rezignaci Ondřeje Koláře se zastupitelského mandátu ujme Tomáš Mandlík|url=https://www.praha6.cz/uvodni-strana/po-rezignaci-ondreje-kolare-se-zastupitelskeho-mandatu-ujme-tomas-mandlik_67031.html|website=Prague 6|date=9 November 2023|access-date=13 November 2023|language=cs}}

In the 2021 Czech parliamentary election, Kolář ran for TOP 09 as the fourth placed candidate on the Spolu coalition list in Prague. With 27,259 preferential votes, he finally finished fifth and was elected as a member of parliament.{{Cite web|title=Volby do Poslanecké sněmovny Parlamentu České republiky konané ve dnech 2021 {{!}} Všechny kraje – Strana Spolu|url=https://volby.cz/pls/ps2021/ps111?xjazyk=CZ&xkraj=0&xstrana=13&xv=1&xt=2|website=volby.cz|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|access-date=11 October 2021|language=cs}}

In the 2024 European Parliament election, Kolář ran as a member of TOP 09 as the sixth place candidate on the Spolu coalition list.{{Cite web|title=Kandidátní listina pro volby do Evropského parlamentu|url=https://www.spolu21.cz/kandidati|website=spolu21.cz|access-date=9 April 2024|language=cs}} He received 31,623 preferential votes and became an MEP.{{Cite news|first1=Lucie|last1=Hottková|first2=Jakub|last2=Dulínek|first3=Jitka|last3=Zadražilová|first4=Oldřich|last4=Danda|first5=Karolina|last5=Brodníčková|first6=Jiří|last6=Mach|first7=Radim|last7=Vaculík|first8=Petr|last8=Svorník|first9=Pavol|last9=Minárik|first10=Jan|last10=Menšík|title=Online: Zájem Čechů o eurovolby byl rekordní|url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/volby-eurovolby-2024-online-vysledky-40475457|website=Novinky.cz|date=9 June 2024|access-date=10 June 2024|language=cs}} On 14 June, Kolář resigned as a member of the Chamber of Deputies and was replaced by his party colleague Martin Dlouhý.{{Cite news|title=Zvolená europoslankyně Dostálová se vzdala funkce místopředsedkyně Sněmovny, šanci má Juchelka|url=https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/klara-odstalova-konec-mistopredsedkyne-snemovny-eurovolby_2406241417_har|website=Czech Radio|date=24 June 2024|language=cs}}

Kolář criticised the International Criminal Court in The Hague for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes during the Gaza war.{{Cite news|first=Iva|last=Bezděková|title=Žádost Haagu o zatykač na Netanjahua rozděluje koalici, Piráti odmítají kritiku, která zní z ODS a TOP 09|url=https://denikn.cz/1442402/zadost-haagu-o-zatykac-na-netanjahua-rozdeluje-koalici-pirati-odmitaji-kritiku-ktera-zni-z-ods-a-top-09/|url-access=subscription|website=Deník N|publisher=N Media|date=3 June 2024|language=cs}}

Although Kolář claimed before the elections that the municipal council of Prague 6 uses "mainly our in-house lawyers and we only need help from the outside in exceptional cases", the law office of Petr Kubíček, Kolář's classmate from the Faculty of Law in Plzeň, prepared a total of 12 legal opinions costing 844,035 CZK in August 2019.{{Cite news|first=Marcel|last=Mihalik|title=Praha 6 přihrává kšefty spolužákům starosty Koláře z "plzeňských práv"|url=https://nasregion.cz/vsechny-regiony/starosta-prahy-6-kolar-prihrava-ksefty-spoluzakum-z-plzenskych-prav/|url-status=dead|website=Náš Region|date=26 August 2019|access-date=4 May 2020|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711042849/https://nasregion.cz/vsechny-regiony/starosta-prahy-6-kolar-prihrava-ksefty-spoluzakum-z-plzenskych-prav/|archive-date=11 July 2020}} According to the lawyers, the legal analyses by several of Kolář's former classmates were overvalued.{{Cite news|first=Marcel|last=Mihalik|title=Právníci: Analýzy Kolářových spolužáků jsou předražené|url=https://nasregion.cz/praha/pravnici-analyzy-kolarovych-spoluzaku-jsou-predrazene|url-status=dead|website=Náš Region|date=30 September 2019|access-date=4 May 2020|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001165102/https://nasregion.cz/praha/pravnici-analyzy-kolarovych-spoluzaku-jsou-predrazene|archive-date=1 October 2019}} Aktuálně.cz reported in March 2020 that Kubíček's law office in Prague 6 received almost 340,000 CZK for two legal opinions which were plagiarised,{{Cite news|first1=Jan|last1=Horák|first2=Lukáš|last2=Valášek|title=Dva právní posudky za 340 tisíc. Psal je starostův spolužák, radnici dodal plagiáty|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/domaci/dva-pravni-posudky-za-340-tisic-psal-je-starostuv-spoluzak-r/r~8762f8485a3911eab408ac1f6b220ee8/|website=Aktuálně.cz|date=3 March 2020|language=cs}} and that Kubíček's analysis was created almost two months before the official order from the town hall. Kolář refused to comment.{{Cite news|first1=Jan|last1=Horák|first2=Lukáš|last2=Valášek|title=Zakázka na právní služby se domluvila předem, advokát radnici peníze za plagiát vrátí|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/domaci/kolar-plagiaty-zpetvzeti/r~d516be8a5e0d11eaa6f6ac1f6b220ee8/|website=Aktuálně.cz|date=5 March 2020|language=cs}}

Kolář tried to legally force opposition representative Jiří Hoskovec to delete a Facebook comment accusing him of taking lucrative city properties to Cyprus through the company SNEO. Ondřej Chrást, Pirate Party group leader on Prague 6 council, demanded Kolář's resignation in December 2019, accusing Kolář of behaving "like a Russian governor" and intimidating the opposition.{{Cite news|title=Piráti v Praze 6 chtěli jednat o odvolání starosty Ondřeje Koláře z TOP 09|url=https://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/arena/monitor/Pirati-v-Praze-6-chteli-jednat-o-odvolani-starosty-Ondreje-Kolare-z-TOP-09-607619|url-access=limited|website=Parlamentní Listy|date=19 December 2019|language=cs}}

In March 2024, in an interview with CNN Prima News, Kolář called former Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek "vulgar".{{Cite news|first=Kateřina|last=Vaníčková|title=Kolář se pustil do Zaorálka kvůli útoku na svého otce. Nešetřil vulgarismy|url=https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/poslanec-a-kandidat-do-europarlamentu-ondrej-kolar-rozhovor-lubomir-zaoralek.A240312_130133_domaci_vank|newspaper=Mladá fronta Dnes|publisher=Mafra|date=12 April 2024|access-date=13 April 2024|language=cs}} Zaorálek later demanded an apology from him.{{Cite news|first=Monika|last=Kabourková|title=Okamžitě skonči a omluv se, vyzval Zaorálek Koláře. Kvůli vulgaritám zvažuje další kroky|url=https://cnn.iprima.cz/okamzite-skonci-a-omluv-se-vyzval-zaoralek-kolare-kvuli-vulgaritam-zvazuje-dalsi-kroky-431851|website=CNN Prima News|date=17 March 2024|language=cs}}

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Politicians from Prague

Category:21st-century Czech politicians

Category:MEPs for the Czech Republic 2024–2029

Category:TOP 09 MEPs