ODS elects Martin Kupka as new party leader

The Czech Civic Democrats (ODS) have undergone a leadership change. At the party congress in Prague, the former deputy party leader Martin Kupka was elected as the new chairman.

The Civic Democrats (ODS) elected a new chairman on Saturday at their party congress at the Clarion Hotel in Prague. After twelve years at the head of the party, former Prime Minister Petr Fiala handed over the chairmanship to his former deputy, Martin Kupka.

Kupka prevailed in the first round of voting against his opponent Radim Ivan, Deputy Mayor of the Ostrava-Jih district. Of a total of 508 valid votes, 327 went to Kupka (61.9 %), while Ivan garnered support from 138 delegates. Kupka had been nominated in advance by eleven regional branches and had also received the support of Petr Fiala.

Foto: Martin Kupka | ODS

Immediately after his election, Kupka thanked his predecessor for his many years of service at the head of the ODS. At the same time, he outlined his political objectives: it was an honour for him to work for the party and to contribute to making the ODS once again a competent, lively, modern and self-confident right-wing force. He also thanked his defeated rival, emphasising that intra-party competition and rivalry are important elements of a functioning political movement.

Martin Kupka was born in 1975 in Jilemnice. He studied Journalism and Mass Communication at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague. In the last government under Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Kupka served as Minister of Transport for over four years. Since the 2017 elections to the Chamber of Deputies, he has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.


Občanská demokratická strana (ODS)
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