{{Short description|Czech politician and diplomat}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Martin Stropnický | honorific_suffix = | image = Stropnicky (cropped).jpg | office = Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic | prime_minister = Andrej Babiš | term_start = 13 December 2017 | term_end = 27 June 2018 | predecessor = Pavel Bělobrádek | successor = Jan Hamáček | office1 = Minister of Foreign Affairs | prime_minister1 = Andrej Babiš | term_start1 = 13 December 2017 | term_end1 = 27 June 2018 | predecessor1 = Lubomír Zaorálek | successor1 = Jan Hamáček (acting) | office2 = Minister of Defence | prime_minister2 = Bohuslav Sobotka | term_start2 = 29 January 2014 | term_end2 = 13 December 2017 | predecessor2 = Vlastimil Picek | successor2 = Karla Šlechtová | office3 = Minister of Culture | prime_minister3 = Josef Tošovský | term_start3 = 2 January 1998 | term_end3 = 22 July 1998 | predecessor3 = Jaromír Talíř | successor3 = Pavel Dostál | office4 = Czech Republic Ambassador <br>to the State of Israel | term_start4 = 9 November 2018 | term_end4 = 31 July 2023 | president4 = Miloš Zeman | predecessor4 = Ivo Schwarz | successor4 = Veronika Kuchyňová Šmigolová | office5 = Member of the Chamber of Deputies | term_start5 = 26 October 2013 | term_end5 = 1 October 2018 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|12|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Prague, Czechoslovakia<br />{{small|(now Czech Republic)}} | death_date = | death_place = | party = ANO 2011 (2013–2023)<ref name=left /> | spouse = {{ill|Lucie Stropnická|cs}} (div.)<br /> {{ubl|{{marriage|Veronika Stropnická|2008|2023}}|}} | children = 5 | alma_mater = Academy of Performing Arts in Prague }} '''Martin Stropnický''' (born 19 December 1956) is a Czech politician and diplomat who served as the minister of Foreign Affairs from December 2017 to June 2018, and was previously minister of Defence from 2014 to 2017. From 2 January 1998 to 22 July 1998 he also served as the minister of Culture.<ref name="stropbio">{{cite web|url=http://www.vlada.cz/en/clenove-vlady/martin-stropnicky-115453/|title=Government of the Czech Republic profile|publisher=Government of the Czech Republic|accessdate=15 April 2018}}</ref> Before entering politics, he was an actor, songwriter, author and director.
==Career== Stropnický graduated from the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU) in 1980, and worked in different theatres in Prague over the next decade including the Prague Municipal Theatre and the Vinohrady Theatre.<ref name="stropbio"/>
In 1990 he began working at the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which became the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs two years later). He graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna in 1991,<ref name="stropbio"/> and subsequently served as the Czech Ambassador to Portugal (1993–94) and then Italy (1994-97).<ref name="stropbio"/>
For a six-month period from January to July 1998, Stropnický was appointed Czech Minister of Culture in the caretaker government of Josef Tošovský.<ref name="stropbio"/> He subsequently returned to the diplomatic service, serving as Czech Ambassador to the Vatican from 1999 to 2003, before returning to the Vinohrady Theatre as artistic director.<ref name="stropbio"/>
He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2013 and served as Minister of Defence in Bohuslav Sobotka's Cabinet.<ref name="stropbio"/> Following the 2017 legislative election, which saw Andrej Babiš taking over as prime minister, Stropnický became Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well as deputy prime minister, assuming both positions on 13 December 2017.<ref name="stropbio"/> However, Babiš' government lost a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies, and Stropnický was succeeded on 27 June 2018 by Jan Hamáček.
On 1 October 2018, Stropnický resigned from Parliament to return to the diplomatic service as Czech Ambassador to Israel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/domaci/2610143-stropnicky-skoncil-ve-snemovne-i-ve-vedeni-hnuti-ano-od-listopadu-miri-do-izraele|title=Stropnický skončil ve sněmovně i ve vedení hnutí ANO. Od listopadu míří do Izraele|publisher=Česká televize|website=ČT24|access-date=2018-10-01|language=cs|date=2018-10-01|agency=Czech News Agency}}</ref> After the end of his mission in Israel, Stropnický left ANO 2011.<ref name=left>{{Cite web|last=Stropnický|first=Martin|url=https://www.novinky.cz/clanek/podcasty-politalk-martin-stropnicky-v-hnuti-ano-uz-nejsem-z-dvou-set-poslancu-jsem-byl-nejhorsi-herec-40491599|title=Martin Stropnický: V hnutí ANO už nejsem. Z dvou set poslanců jsem byl nejhorší herec|publisher=Borgis|website=Novinky.cz|date=4 October 2024|access-date=4 October 2024|language=cs|interviewer=Eva Mikulecká}}</ref>
==Personal life== Stropnický was married. In addition to Czech, he speaks English, French, and Italian, with a passive knowledge of Portuguese, Russian, and German.<ref name="stropbio"/> Stropnický is the father of former Green Party councillor Matěj Stropnický{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Commons category-inline}}
{{s-start}} {{s-gov}} {{s-bef|before=Vlastimil Picek}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Defence|years=2014–2017}} {{s-aft|after=Karla Šlechtová}} |- {{s-bef|before=Pavel Bělobrádek}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic|alongside=Richard Brabec|years=2017–2018}} {{s-aft|after=Jan Hamáček}} |- {{s-bef|before=Lubomír Zaorálek}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister of Foreign Affairs|years=2017–2018}} {{s-aft|after=Tomáš Petříček}} {{s-end}}
{{CZ-FA-ministers}} {{CZ-D-ministers}} {{CZ-CU-ministers}} {{Babiš Cabinet}} {{Sobotka Cabinet}} {{Tošovský Cabinet}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stropnicky, Martin}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni Category:Czech male stage actors Category:Politicians from Prague Category:ANO 2011 government ministers Category:ANO 2011 MPs Category:Defence ministers of the Czech Republic Category:Culture ministers of the Czech Republic Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic Category:Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to the Holy See Category:Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to Israel Category:Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to Italy Category:Ambassadors of the Czech Republic to Portugal Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (2013–2017) Category:Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (2017–2021) Category:Recipients of the Thalia Award Category:Czech male voice actors Category:Czech male film actors