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Jan Fischer (politician)
Encyclopedia
Jan Fischer (ˈjan ˈfɪʃɛr; born 2 January 1951) was Prime Minister of the caretaker government
of Czech Republic
in 2009−2010. A lifelong statistician, he was previously the president of the Czech Statistical Office
since April 2003.
, Czechoslovakia
. His father, a researcher at the Institute of Mathematics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
specializing in mathematical and statistical applications in genetics
, selective growing and medicine
, was a Jewish Holocaust survivor. His mother was also a statistician.
Fischer graduated from the University of Economics, Prague
in 1974 in statistics
and econometrics
. He completed postgraduate studies there in 1985, earning his Candidate of Sciences degree in economic statistics
. He was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
from 1980 till the collapse of the Communist regime
in 1989.
Jan Fischer is married for the second time to his former secretary and has 3 children. His eldest son Jakub (born 1978) is an Associate Professor of statistics and vice-dean
at the Faculty of Informatics and Statistics of the University of Economics, Prague
.
. In 1990 he became its vice-chairman and held this position until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
, becoming the first vice-president of the newly established Czech Statistical Office
. Since the beginning of the 1990s he led the team tallying the elections in the Czech Republic
results. He appeared to be groomed to replace the long-time president Edvard Outrata who retired in August 1999; however the Social-Democratic government brought in an outsider Marie Bohatá from the academia. She fired Fischer in September 2000, whereupon he became Production Director of Taylor Nelson Sofres Factum. In 2001 he participated in a International Monetary Fund
mission exploring possibilities of establishing a statistical bureau in East Timor
. Since March 2002 he was a chief of research institutes at the Faculty of Informatics and Statistics of the University of Economics, Prague
. After Bohatá resigned due to a scandal with a huge error in foreign trade bilance, Fischer was appointed president of the Czech Statistical Office on 24 April 2003.
He is a member of the Czech Statistical Society, the International Statistical Institute
, the Scientific Council and Board of Trustees and a Scientific Board of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
. Since April 2011, he is also a member of the board of Bruegel (institution), the European think tank for international economics
's right-center government in March 2009, in the middle of Czech Presidency of the European Union, Fischer was proposed to be the Prime Minister in April. His government, nominated by both the Czech major parties (Topolánek's Civic Democratic Party and Czech Social Democratic Party
) was inaugurated on 8 May 2009 on the understanding that the early election
would be in October; however unexpected development in the Constitutional Court and House of Deputies postponed them to May 2010. Fischer decided to remain in the government, where he proved very popular, until then although the parties offered him a post in the European Commission.
He was a patron of the conference "Crimes of the Communist Regimes
".
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Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
of Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in 2009−2010. A lifelong statistician, he was previously the president of the Czech Statistical Office
Czech Statistical Office
The Czech Statistical Office is the main organization which collects, analyzes and disseminates statistical information for the benefit of the various parts of the local and national governments of the Czech Republic...
since April 2003.
Personal life and education
Jan Fischer was born in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. His father, a researcher at the Institute of Mathematics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
The Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences was established in 1953 to be the scientific center for Czechoslovakia. It was succeeded by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 1992.-History:...
specializing in mathematical and statistical applications in genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, selective growing and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, was a Jewish Holocaust survivor. His mother was also a statistician.
Fischer graduated from the University of Economics, Prague
University of Economics, Prague
The University of Economics, Prague, is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest university in the field of economics, business and information technologies in the Czech Republic with almost 20,000 students in its bachelor, masters and doctoral programmes.-Schools...
in 1974 in statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and econometrics
Econometrics
Econometrics has been defined as "the application of mathematics and statistical methods to economic data" and described as the branch of economics "that aims to give empirical content to economic relations." More precisely, it is "the quantitative analysis of actual economic phenomena based on...
. He completed postgraduate studies there in 1985, earning his Candidate of Sciences degree in economic statistics
Economic statistics
Economic statistics is a topic in applied statistics that concerns the collection, processing, compilation, dissemination, and analysis of economic data. It is also common to call the data themselves 'economic statistics', but for this usage see economic data. The data of concern to economic ...
. He was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
from 1980 till the collapse of the Communist regime
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 1989.
Jan Fischer is married for the second time to his former secretary and has 3 children. His eldest son Jakub (born 1978) is an Associate Professor of statistics and vice-dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
at the Faculty of Informatics and Statistics of the University of Economics, Prague
University of Economics, Prague
The University of Economics, Prague, is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest university in the field of economics, business and information technologies in the Czech Republic with almost 20,000 students in its bachelor, masters and doctoral programmes.-Schools...
.
Career
Immediately after graduation, Fischer joined the Federal Statistical OfficeFederal Statistical Office
Federal Statistical Office may refer to* Federal Statistical Office of Germany* Federal Statistical Office...
. In 1990 he became its vice-chairman and held this position until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
, becoming the first vice-president of the newly established Czech Statistical Office
Czech Statistical Office
The Czech Statistical Office is the main organization which collects, analyzes and disseminates statistical information for the benefit of the various parts of the local and national governments of the Czech Republic...
. Since the beginning of the 1990s he led the team tallying the elections in the Czech Republic
Elections in the Czech Republic
Elections in the Czech Republic gives information on election and election results in the Czech Republic.The Czech Republic elects on national level a legislature. The Parliament has two chambers...
results. He appeared to be groomed to replace the long-time president Edvard Outrata who retired in August 1999; however the Social-Democratic government brought in an outsider Marie Bohatá from the academia. She fired Fischer in September 2000, whereupon he became Production Director of Taylor Nelson Sofres Factum. In 2001 he participated in a International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
mission exploring possibilities of establishing a statistical bureau in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Since March 2002 he was a chief of research institutes at the Faculty of Informatics and Statistics of the University of Economics, Prague
University of Economics, Prague
The University of Economics, Prague, is a public university located in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest university in the field of economics, business and information technologies in the Czech Republic with almost 20,000 students in its bachelor, masters and doctoral programmes.-Schools...
. After Bohatá resigned due to a scandal with a huge error in foreign trade bilance, Fischer was appointed president of the Czech Statistical Office on 24 April 2003.
He is a member of the Czech Statistical Society, the International Statistical Institute
International Statistical Institute
The International Statistical Institute is a professional association of statisticians. The Institut International de Statistique or International Statistical Institute was founded in 1885 although there had been international congresses from 1853.. The Institute publishes a variety of books and...
, the Scientific Council and Board of Trustees and a Scientific Board of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem
Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Ústí nad Labem
Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem is a public university in the Czech Republic. The institution was established on 28 September, 1991. It bears the name of famous Czech scientist Jan Evangelista Purkyně who was born in nearby Libochovice.-History:Originally, in 1954, the...
. Since April 2011, he is also a member of the board of Bruegel (institution), the European think tank for international economics
Prime Minister
After the vote of no confidence of Mirek TopolánekMirek Topolánek
Mirek Topolánek is a former prime minister of the Czech Republic and former President of the European Council. A member of the Civic Democratic Party, he was chairman of the center-right party between November 2002 and March 2010, succeeding Václav Klaus, who was elected President in 2003.On 24...
's right-center government in March 2009, in the middle of Czech Presidency of the European Union, Fischer was proposed to be the Prime Minister in April. His government, nominated by both the Czech major parties (Topolánek's Civic Democratic Party and Czech Social Democratic Party
Czech Social Democratic Party
The Czech Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic.-History:The Social Democratic Czechoslavonic party in Austria was founded on 7 April 1878 in Austria-Hungary representing the Kingdom of Bohemia in the Austrian parliament...
) was inaugurated on 8 May 2009 on the understanding that the early election
Czech legislative election, 2010
A legislative election in the Czech Republic took place on 28–29 May 2010. The election had been expected to take place some time before the end of 2009 to elect the members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic...
would be in October; however unexpected development in the Constitutional Court and House of Deputies postponed them to May 2010. Fischer decided to remain in the government, where he proved very popular, until then although the parties offered him a post in the European Commission.
He was a patron of the conference "Crimes of the Communist Regimes
Declaration on Crimes of Communism
The Declaration on Crimes of Communism is a declaration signed on 25 February 2010 by several prominent European politicians, former political prisoners, human rights advocates and historians, which calls for the condemnation of communism...
".
External links
Official CV at government website|-