Czech Defense Minister
JUDr. Miloslav Vyborny
Introduction:
Family member JUDr. Miloslav Vyborny has been an
influential member of the Czech government since shortly
after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. He served as
Defense
Minister of the Czech Republic during the critical events
that led to the entry of the Czech Republic, Poland and
Hungary into NATO. As such, he is an important historical
figure. Former Minister Vyborny continues to serve in the
Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic and has
recently been elected Mayor of Hermanuv Mestec.
Text:
Miloslav Vyborny was born in Chrudim, East Bohemia, Czech Republic. He graduated from the oldest Central European Prague Caroline University Law Faculty in 1975. Two years later he passed the Doctor of Law examination in civil law at the same faculty and he began the practice of law. In 1976 he entered obligatory military service. Due to his religious background and different political views, he was not eligible for promotion to high officer grade in the army that, at that time, was heavily dominated by the communist ideology. In 1977 he joined the Czech Bar Association and started working as an attorney at law. Law was one of the few professions in which practitioners could express their opinions relatively freely at the time when the totalitarian regime subsumed law to the communist ideology.
Following the 1989 Velvet Revolution Miloslav Vyborny entered politics. As a revolutionary leader he established Civic Forum in his home town of Hermanuv Mestec in order to initiate democratic changes there. Shortly afterward the Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak Popular Party (KDU - CSL), one of the nation's influential political parties, nominated him for the post of Member of the Czech National Council (Parliament) for which he was elected in the very first free elections in the former Czechoslovakia held in June 1990 following 40 years of the totalitarian rule. In 1990 he was elected Vice Chairman of the Constitutional Law Committee of the Czech National Council to become one of the leading Czech constitutional experts. In January 1992 he was elected Chairman of the constitutional committee.
In the 1992 elections, Miloslav Vyborny was re-elected to the Czech National Council and, consequently, was re-elected Chairman of the Constitutional Committee at the crucial time of the ”Velvet Split" of former Czechoslovakia. Following the decision to sever the Czechoslovak Federation, Miloslav Vyborny took an active part in the preparation of the Constitutional Act of the new state - The Constitution of the Czech Republic - not only as Chairman of the Constitutional Committee but also as a member of the Government Committee for the Preparation of the Constitution at a time when the Czech National Council was being transformed to the Chamber of Deputies of the new independent Czech Parliament.
At this crucial time of socio-economic and legal transformation and of the process of building democratic institutions in the Czech Republic, Miloslav Vyborny continued chairing the Constitutional Law Committee. At the same time, he chaired the KDU-CSL MP Club and from 1993 he has been a Vice Chairman of the KDU-CSL, elected by an overwhelming majority of votes.
Following the 1996 May elections, President Havel appointed Miloslav Vyborny as the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic on 4 July 1996 at the time of the final negotiations on the Czech entry to NATO. Under his guidance the Czech Defense Ministry and Czech military made important progress in preparing for NATO membership. From the very beginning Miloslav Vyborny was aware that security did not mean only sharing benefits of collective defense but also to shoulder an appropriate share of burdens and responsibilities. Therefore, in September 1996 the Czech Government adopted, on the initiative of Mr. Vyborny, a Government Resolution on the progressive increase of the GDP share of military expenditure by 0.1% annually so as to attain the target of 2% of the GDP by the year 2000. Subsequent Czech governments have respected the policy outlined in this Government Resolution. Despite the immense and difficult tasks required in the process of the preparation of the Czech army for Czech NATO membership, the final result was successful. In July 1997 the Czech Republic was invited together with Poland and Hungary to become a member of NATO. The Spring 1999 NATO session formally declared the Czech Republic a regular NATO member.
On January 2, 1998, President Havel appointed Miloslav Vyborny as the Minister in Charge of Legislation and the Chairman of the Government Legislative Council at the time of beginning EU - Czech negotiations on the Czech Republic's entry to the European Union. As one of the most important conditions for the entry to the EU is to harmonize all Czech legislation with the EU rules and standards, Mr. Vyborny again occupied one of the most strategic posts in the Czech government. Following his re-election in the June 1998 early elections, Miloslav Vyborny left the ruling government, joined the opposition, and was elected the Chairman of the Mandate and Immunity Committee of the Chamber of Deputies on July 24, 1998.
Photo of Hermanuv Mestec.
(click to enlarge the
picture)
During this whole period, Miloslav Vyborny did not abandon his home town interests. Since 1990 he has been a member of the Hermanuv Mestec Local Council.
The seal of the town of
Hermanuv Mestec.
Following
the 1998 November municipal elections, Miloslav Vyborny
was elected Mayor of
Hermanuv Mestec
with a total of 19 out of 20 votes.
JUDr.Vyborny is married to Vaclava Vyborna, also an attorney. They have three sons. Marek (24) is studying theology and philosophy at the Olomouc Palackeho University. Ondrej (20) took up his finals in 1999. Stepan (14) is a high school student since 1997.
Contact:
cv@vyborny.com
