Tomáš Petříček
{{Short description|Czech politician}}
{{For|the canoeist|Tomáš Petříček (canoeist)}}
{{Expand Czech|topic=bio|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Tomáš Petříček
|honorific-suffix =
|image = Secretary Pompeo Meets With Czech Foreign Minister Petricek (40244218093) (cropped).jpg
|caption = Tomáš Petříček in February 2019
|office = Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
|primeminister = Andrej Babiš
|term_start = 16 October 2018
|term_end = 12 April 2021
|predecessor = Jan Hamáček
|successor = Jan Hamáček
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|9|27|df=y}}
|birth_place = Rokycany, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (now Czech Republic)
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Social Democracy (2005–2024){{Cite web|title=Petříček a Buzková opouštějí SOCDEM, nesouhlasí se směřováním strany |url=https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/socdem-tomas-petricek-petra-buzkova-odchod-ze-strany.A241007_142247_domaci_misl |access-date=2024-10-07|date=2024-10-07 |website=iDNES.cz|language=cs|publisher=Mafra}}
|spouse =
|children =
|alma_mater = Charles University in Prague
University of Warwick
|religion =
|website =
| module = {{Infobox scientist
| embed=yes
| thesis_title = Energy security perspectives of the European Union
| thesis_year = 2014
}}
}}
Tomáš Petříček (born 27 September 1981) is a Czech politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from October 2018 to April 2021.{{Cite news|title=Czech foreign minister sacked after losing challenge to party leader|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-government/czech-foreign-minister-sacked-after-losing-challenge-to-party-leader-idUSKBN2BZ0W7|website=Reuters|date=12 April 2021}} He served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs between August and October 2018, then Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs from May until December 2017.
Political career
=Early political career=
Petříček went through the ranks of the Young Social Democrats. He became a political officer of the foreign department of the ČSSD and its head, respectively in 2005 and 2006.
Between 2007 and 2009, Petříček was assistant to Libor Rouček, Member of the European Parliament. From 2014 until 2017, he served as an adviser to MEP Miroslav Poche.{{Cite news|first=First|last=Last|title=Kdo povede ministerstvo zahraničí? Kandidátem ČSSD je náměstek Petříček|url=https://www.denik.cz/z_domova/kdo-povede-ministerstvo-zahranici-adeptem-je-soucasny-namestek-petricek-20180918.html|website=Deník|location=Prague|publisher=Vltave Labe Media|date=18 September 2018|language=cs}} Petříček was also involved in the preparation of this party's campaign in 2016 Czech regional election.{{Cite news|first=Jan|last=Novotný|title=zákulisí. Kdo pracuje na volebním úspěchu stran?|url=https://www.euro.cz/clanky/delnici-zakulisi-kdo-pracuje-na-volebnim-uspechu-stran-1300771/|website=euro.cz|date=26 August 2018|access-date=18 September 2019|language=cs}} Later, Petříček worked at the Prague City Hall, where he was in charge of European funds in the council's council, and served on the supervisory boards and boards of several companies.{{Cite news|title=Tomáš Petříček|url=https://mzv.gov.cz/jnp/en/about_the_ministry/organization_of_the_ministry/minister/former_ministers/tomas_petricek_1.html|website=Government of the Czech Republic|date=16 October 2018|access-date=6 March 2023}}
=Minister of Labor and Social Affairs=
File:Secretary Pompeo Meets With Czech Foreign Minister Petricek (49553937436).jpg Michael R. Pompeo in Munich, Germany on February 14, 2020.]]
In May 2017, Petříček was appointed political deputy minister of labor and social affairs of the Czech Republic Michaela Marksová in the Cabinet of Bohuslav Sobotka. He actively supported Petr Dolínek against Miloslav Ludvík in deciding on the position of the leading ČSSD candidate for the 2017 Czech legislative election.{{Cite news|first1=Ondřej|last1=Houska|first2=Helena|last2=Truchlá|first3=Tereza|last3=Hotová|title=Černínský palác má vést proevropský Petříček, Pochemu dřív dělal asistenta|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/domaci/cerninsky-palac-ma-vest-proevropsky-petricek-pochemu-driv-de/r~5d995fe8bb2011e8acf3ac1f6b220ee8/|website=Aktualně.cz|publisher=Economia|date=18 September 2018|language=cs}}
In the 2018 Czech municipal elections, Petříček was the leading ČSSD candidate for the Prague 7 City Council, thus becoming the party's candidate for mayor of this district.{{Cite news|title=Kandidátem ČSSD na starostu Prahy 7 je Tomáš Petříček|url=https://www.parlamentnilisty.cz/politika/politici-volicum/Kandidatem-CSSD-na-starostu-Prahy-7-je-Tomas-Petricek-537566|website=Parlamentní Listy|publisher=Our Media|date=27 May 2018|access-date=18 September 2018|language=cs}} However, he failed to be elected to the city council.{{Cite web|title=Volby do zastupitelstev obcí {{!}} Obec Praha 7 výběr kandidátní listiny|url=https://www.volby.cz/pls/kv2018/kv21111?xjazyk=CZ&xid=0&xv=12&xdz=5&xnumnuts=1100&xobec=500186&xstrana=7|website=Czech Statistical Office|access-date=2 January 2019|language=cs}}
=Minister of Foreign Affairs=
At the beginning of October 2018, Miloš Zeman appointed Petříček as Minister of Foreign Affairs.{{Cite news|first=Josef|last=Kopecký|title=Mohl bych být jmenován příští týden, řekl po jednání u Zemana Petříček|url=https://www.idnes.cz/zpravy/domaci/petricek-schuzka-s-prezidentem-ministerstvo-zahranici.A181004_132912_ekonomika_kop|website=Mladá fronta Dnes|location=Prague|publisher=Mafra|date=4 September 2018|language=cs}} Petříček became the fifteenth member of Second Cabinet of Andrej Babiš, formed by the coalition entities ANO and ČSSD.{{Cite news|title=Česko se dočkalo ministra zahraničí. Prezident Zeman jmenoval Tomáše Petříčka|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domaci/cesko-se-dockalo-ministra-zahranici-prezident-zeman-jmenoval-tomase-petricka-74664|website=ČT24|date=16 October 2018|language=cs}}
Foreign policy positions
=China=
At the end of 2018, Petříček met Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi to discuss intergovernmental commission that would improve China-Czech Republic relations.{{Cite news|title=Petříček řešil s čínským ministrem i lidská práva. Je třeba se jim věnovat, řekl|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/zahranici/petricek-v-rozhovoru-s-cinskym-ministrem-zminil-i-lidska-pra/r~4cfadbdce10711e8b728ac1f6b220ee8/|website=Aktualně.cz|date=5 November 2018|language=cs}} During the meeting with Chinese officials, Petříček did not want to elaborate on the issue of labor camps in Xinjiang, in which the Chinese government interned more than a million minority Uyghurs.{{Cite news|title=Petříček se Zemanem jedou do Číny. Na ochranu lidských práv se podle ministra nedostane|url=https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/petricek-se-zemanem-jedou-do-ciny-na-ochranu-lidskych-prav-se-podle-ministra-nedostane-59637|website=Seznam.cz|date=2 November 2018|language=cs}} In January 2020, he stated that "we need to talk with China and are interested in developing economic relations".{{Cite news|title=Petříček: Vztahy s totalitní Čínou mají být pragmatické a realistické. Očekávání se zatím nenaplnila|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domaci/petricek-vztahy-s-totalitni-cinou-maji-byt-pragmaticke-a-realisticke-ocekavani-se-zatim-nenaplnila-54064|website=ČT24|date=19 January 2020|language=cs}}
=Middle East=
Petříček criticised the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, wanting a stronger EU stance on the event at the Council of Foreign Ministers. He supported the Iran nuclear deal.{{Cite news|title=Petříček: EU by měla Saúdům připomenout význam ochrany médií|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/petricek-eu-by-mela-saudum-pripomenout-vyznam-ochrany-medii/1688940|url-status=dead|date=19 November 2018|website=České noviny|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222041754/https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/petricek-eu-by-mela-saudum-pripomenout-vyznam-ochrany-medii/1688940|archive-date=22 February 2019}}
In November 2018, Petříček went on a two-day visit to Israel and spread criticism regarding the Israeli annexation on East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claimed as the capital of the State of Palestine.{{Cite news|title=Petříček se v Izraeli s Netanjahuem nesetkal. Jeho návštěvu Zdi nářků kritizují Palestinci|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/svet/petricek-se-v-izraeli-s-netanjahuem-nesetkal-jeho-navstevu-zdi-narku-kritizuji-palestinci-73177|website=ČT24|publisher=Czech Television|date=14 November 2018|access-date=|language=cs}}
During a visit to Palestine in July 2019, Petříček assured the Palestinians that the Czech Republic would not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.{{Cite news|title=Česko ambasádu do Jeruzaléma nepřesune, ujistil Palestince Petříček navzdory Zemanovi|url=https://zpravy.aktualne.cz/zahranici/cesko-ambasadu-do-jeruzalema-nepresune-ujistil-palestince-pe/r~1ab151c6a19911e9bb450cc47ab5f122/|website=Aktualně.cz|date=8 July 2018|language=cs}}
Personal life
Apart from his native Czech, Petříček speaks English, French, and Spanish. Petříček has a daughter and son with his wife, Iva, whom he met during his studies.{{Cite news|first=Renáta|last=Bohuslavová|title=Petříčková: Ne vždy volím ČSSD. Bojím se, že se mi kvůli politice rozpadne rodina|url=https://cnn.iprima.cz/petrickova-ne-vzdy-volim-cssd-bojim-se-ze-se-mi-kvuli-politice-rozpadne-rodina-8131|website=CNN Prima News|date=24 August 2020|access-date=4 May 2021|language=cs}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
{{Babiš Cabinet}}
{{CZ-FA-ministers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petricek, Tomas}}
Category:Charles University alumni