Zbyněk Stanjura (born 15 February 1964) is a Czechpolitician who has been serving as Minister of Finance in Petr Fiala's Cabinet since 17 December 2021. He was previously appointed to the Cabinet of Petr Nečas on 12 December 2012, serving as Minister of Transport until July 2013. He has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2010, and previously served as Mayor of Opava from 2002 to 2010.
Political career
Early political career
Stanjura was the mayor of Opava between 2002 and 2010.[1] In the 2010 parliamentary election, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies representing the Moravian-Silesian Region, from fourth place on the ODS candidate list.[2] Stanjura became leader of the ODS parliamentary group on 11 May 2011.[3] He served as Minister of Transport in the Cabinet of Petr Nečas from 2012 until 2013.[4]
Post-Nečas Premiership
In the 2013 parliamentary election, Stanjura was the lead candidate for ODS in the Moravian-Silesian Region,[5] and in November, he was again elected as leader of the ODS parliamentary group.[6]
In the 2014 municipal elections, Stanjura was included on the ODS candidate list for Opava, but was not elected.[7] For the 2017 parliamentary election, he was again lead candidate for ODS in the Moravian-Silesian Region,[8] winning 3,648 preferential votes and defending his mandate as a deputy.[9] On 24 October 2017, Stanjura was again elected leader of the ODS parliamentary group.[10]
Minister of Finance
In the 2021 parliamentary election, Stanjura was the leader of the Spolu coalition's candidate list in the Moravian-Silesian Region,[11] and was again elected as a deputy.[12] He was re-elected as the leader of the ODS parliamentary group,[13] but left the position in December and was replaced by Marek Benda.[14]
Stanjura took office as Minister of Finance after the 2021 elections. His stated aim as Finance Minister has been to implement spending cuts and bring the fiscal deficit below 3% of gross domestic product.[15]
Stanjura defended his position as first vice-chairman of ODS at the party's 30th Congress in April 2022, winning 477 votes.[16] He defended the position again at the 31st party congress in April 2024, receiving 383 votes from 527 delegates.[17]
Controversy
Stanjura claimed to have sold his join-stock company Eskon to his wife, Hana Malurová, in 2002.[18] Aktuálně.cz reported that the sale of the company to his wife was to avoid the recently approved law requiring mayors to disclose their assets.[19]
.jpg)
