Petr Nečas

Petr Nečas (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛtr̩ ˈnɛtʃas]; born 19 November 1964) is a Czech former politician who served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic and leader of the Civic Democratic Party from 2010 to 2013, and as Member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) from 1993 to 2013.

Born in Uherské Hradiště, Nečas earned a doctor of natural sciences degree in physics at Masaryk University in Brno. In 1991, he was one of the co-founders of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). Becoming an MP in 1993, he served as a member of the Foreign Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and three years later he became Chairman of the Committee on Security. In 2006, Nečas was appointed as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs under the leadership of Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek. In the Chamber of Deputies, he was given the nickname Fidel by the communist MPs due to his long filibustering speeches. The 2010 legislative election led to Nečas becoming prime minister as the head of a coalition government with TOP 09 and Public Affairs (VV) (later replaced by Liberal Democrats). His premiership was marked by the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession; these involved a large deficit in government finances that his government sought to reduce through austerity measures. The cabinet led by Nečas pushed through laws on the restitution of the properties of the Christian churches, pensionary reform and reform of the colleges; all of these were deeply unpopular and were much criticized.

Nečas resigned on 17 June 2013 due to police investigation in which his chief of staff Jana Nagyová (now Jana Nečasová), who was also his wife, was arrested. His resignation opened the way to the 2013 snap election, where his party ODS was marginalized to only 16 seats, the lowest in its history, and sent into opposition.

He has been praised for the savings made to rein in the Czech Republic's national debt. His critics often accuse him of corruption and criticise his inability to solve healthcare issues. In May 2023, Nečas was convicted of perjury and issued a fine, becoming the first Czech prime minister in history to be found guilty of a criminal offense.