Tomáš Taraba
{{Short description|Slovak politician (born 1980)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tomáš Taraba
| office = Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia
| term_start1 = 25 October 2023
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Milan Chrenko
| term_start2 = 4 April 2012
| term_end2 = 22 March 2018
| predecessor2 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|2|13|df=y}}{{cite web|title=Kto je náhrada za Huliaka? Pozrite, čo robil Tomáš Taraba v minulosti|url=https://www.cas.sk/clanok/2859149/kto-je-nahrada-za-huliaka-pozrite-co-robil-tomas-taraba-v-minulosti/|date=24 October 2023|website=Nový čas|language=sk}}
| birth_place = Modra, Czechoslovakia
(now Slovakia)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Independent
| alma_mater = Comenius University (Mgr.)
University of Economics in Bratislava (Ing.)
University of Regensburg
| primeminister1 = Robert Fico
| primeminister = Robert Fico
| alongside = Robert Kaliňák, Peter Kmec, and Denisa Saková
| term_start = 25 October 2023
| office1 = Minister of Environment
| office2 = Member of the National Council
| termstart2 = 20 March 2020
| termend2 = 25 October 2023
| spouse = Denisa
| children = 5
| otherparty = Life (2019–2023)
}}
Tomáš Taraba (born 13 February 1980) is a Slovak politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia and Minister of Environment in the Fourth cabinet of Robert Fico since 25 October 2023.
With a previous business background, Taraba was elected to the National Council in 2020 on the list of Kotlebists – People's Party Our Slovakia. Notably, he was never a formal member of the People's Party, neither before nor after his election. From 2019 to 2023, he served as chairman of Life – National Party. Taraba suspended his party membership to run on the list of the Slovak National Party, on which he was elected in the 2023 parliamentary election. Taraba is among the three most popular ministers in the Slovak government, boasting a total approval rating of 43% as of April 2024.{{Cite web|title=Exkluzívny prieskum dôveryhodnosti členov Ficovho kabinetu: Taraba si polepšil najviac zo všetkých ministrov|url=https://tvnoviny.sk/domace/clanok/890242-exkluzivny-prieskum-doveryhodnosti-clenov-ficovho-kabinetu-taraba-si-polepsil-najviac-zo-vsetkych-ministrov|date=21 April 2024|access-date=6 May 2024|website=tvnoviny.sk|language=sk}}
Early life and education
Taraba was educated at Pezinok Grammar School.{{Cite web|title=Vlastenec s americkou firmou a domom v Kanade: Poslanec Taraba má manželku podobnú Matovičovej|url=https://plus7dni.pluska.sk/domov/vlastenec-americkou-firmou-domom-kanade-poslanec-taraba-ma-manzelku-podobnu-matovicovej|date=6 May 2021|access-date=11 September 2023|website=plus7dni.pluska.sk|language=sk}} Afterwards, he studied political science at the Comenius University, graduating in 2003.{{Cite web|title=List of alumni of the Comenius University |url=https://absolventi.uniba.sk/en/|website=Comenius University|access-date=30 October 2023}} Taraba also studied business management at the University of Regensburg.{{Cite news|title=Novým ministrom životného prostredia je Tomáš Taraba |url=https://www.minzp.sk/spravy/oktober/novym-ministrom-zivotneho-prostredia-je-tomas-taraba.html|publisher=Minister of Health of Slovakia|access-date=30 October 2023|language=sk}} Upon graduation, Taraba worked as in the private sector and in the SARIO government agency.
Political career
Taraba acted as an advisor to the chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement, Ján Figeľ, which both of them denied.{{Cite news|first=Monika|last=Tódová|title=Krajniak napísal Bandu zlodejov, špeciálny prokurátor vidí fikciu, politici nezmysly|url=https://dennikn.sk/278866/krajniak-napisal-bandu-zlodejov-specialny-prokurator-vidi-fikciu-politici-nezmysly/|website=Denník N|date=26 October 2015|language=sk}} He worked at SARIO in the foreign direct investment section in 2006.{{Cite news|first=Martin|last=Turček|title=Poslanec Taraba podniká s obvineným Koščom aj kontroverzným Trajterom|url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/875837/sef-kuffovcov-taraba-firma-s-exsiskarom-milionovy-majetok-pozemky-s-kontroverznym-trajterom/|website=Aktuality.sk|publisher=Ringier Axel Springier Slovakia|date=26 March 2021|language=sk}}
Taraba joined Life – National Party in 2019 and became its chairman at the same time. In the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, he was among the Life members elected on the ballot of the far right People's Party Our Slovakia.{{Cite news|title=Nezaradený poslanec Tomáš Taraba už nie je predsedom svojej strany Život-NS|url=https://www.trend.sk/spravy/nezaradeny-poslanec-tomas-taraba-nie-je-predsedom-svojej-strany-zivot-ns|website=trend.sk|language=sk}} Taraba left the parliamentary group of the People's Party shortly after the February election due to political disagreements with Milan Mazurek at the end of May 2020.{{Cite news|title=Taraba a Kuffovci odchádzajú z klubu ĽSNS|url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/552745-taraba-a-kuffovci-odchadzaju-z-klubu-lsns/|website=Pravda|date=27 May 2020|language=sk}}
In March 2021 interviews during the coalition crisis, Taraba expressed possible support for the minority government after the potential departure of SaS and For the People.{{Cite news|title=Všetko hádžu na Matoviča – vyslovenie nedôvery nepodporíme|url=https://www.postoj.sk/75081/vsetko-hadzu-na-matovica-vyslovenie-nedovery-nepodporime|website=Denník Postoj|date=23 March 2021|language=sk}}
Taraba gave up his position as chairman of Life and ran as an independent candidate on the SNS candidate list in the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election.{{Cite news|title=Taraba už nie je predsedom svojej strany Život|url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/23198614/taraba-uz-nie-je-predsedom-svojej-strany-zivot-ns.html|website=Sme|date=27 July 2023|language=sk}} He became Minister of Environment on 25 October 2023.{{Cite news|title=Ministri novovymenovanej vlády si prevzali agendu na svojich úradoch. Zamierili aj na prvú schôdzu|url=https://spravy.rtvs.sk/2023/10/ministri-novovymenovanej-vlady-si-prevzali-agendu-na-svojich-uradoch-zamierili-aj-na-prvu-schodzu/|website=RTVS|date=25 October 2023|language=sk}}
Personal life
Taraba is multilingual, able to speak Slovak, French, German, and English.{{Cite news|title=Kto je Tomáš Taraba? Do parlamentu sa dostal vďaka Kotlebovi. Nový šéf envirorezortu má podnikateľskú minulosť|url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/686085-kto-je-tomas-taraba-do-parlamentu-sa-dostal-vdaka-kotlebovi-novy-sef-envirorezortu-ma-podnikatelsku-minulost/|date=24 October 2023|access-date=31 October 2023|website=Pravda|language=sk}} He is Roman Catholic, is married to his wife Denisa with five children.{{cite web|first=Alena|last=Kvasnicová|title=Najplodnejší v parlamente: Títo politici majú štyri a viac detí. Pozrite na ich veľké rodiny!|url=https://plus7dni.pluska.sk/ludia/najplodnejsi-parlamente-tito-politici-maju-styri-viac-deti-pozrite-ich-velke-rodiny|website=plus7dni.pluska.sk|date=30 June 2022 |language=sk}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci/poslanec&PoslanecID=1072&CisObdobia= Tomáš Taraba] on National Council of Slovakia official website {{In lang|sk}}
{{Slovak Cabinet}}
{{Government of Slovakia 2023-2027}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taraba, Tomáš}}
Category:Deputy prime ministers of Slovakia
Category:Environment ministers of Slovakia
Category:Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 2020–2023
Category:Politicians from Bratislava
Category:Comenius University alumni
Category:University of Regensburg alumni