Vladimír Dlouhý (politician)
Vladimír Dlouhý | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 31, 1953 Czech Republic |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, politician, consultant, educator |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Known for | Minister of Economy of Czechoslovakia (1989–1992), Minister of Industry and Trade (1992–1997), President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce (2014–present) |
Vladimír Dlouhý (born 31 July 1953) is a prominent Czech economist and politician.
Dlouhý held the position of deputy chairman within the ODA political party and served as Minister of Industry and Trade from 1992 until 1997 in the administration led by Václav Klaus. Prior to that, between 1989 and 1992, he was Minister of Economy for the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (ČSFR). Currently, he operates in the private sector with a focus on consultancy and educational initiatives. In May 2014, he was appointed President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce.
Early life and education
Dlouhý completed his studies in economics at the University of Economics in Prague, graduating in 1977 with a specialization in mathematical economics. He enrolled in an MBA program at the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, during 1977–1978 but returned to Socialist Czechoslovakia prior to finishing the degree. Between 1980 and 1982, he pursued postgraduate coursework in mathematical statistics and probability at Charles University. Simultaneously, he undertook doctoral studies at the University of Economics in Prague, earning his candidate of science degree in 1983 with a dissertation titled ‘Unequal models of the socialist economy,’ which was subsequently published as a book co-written with Karel Dyba.
Career in academia
From 1977 to 1983, Dlouhý served as a lecturer at the University of Economics (VŠE). In 1984, he co-established the Prognostic Department within the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (ČSAV), which later evolved into the Prognostic Institute. There, he progressed from research assistant to department head and then deputy director.
Political career
Dlouhý became a member of the Communist Party in 1978. During the November 1989 revolution, he was among ten Communists appointed to the Czechoslovak government, taking on roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Planning Commission. He resigned from the Communist Party in December 1989.
Following democratic elections, he represented South Bohemia in the Federal Assembly and was named Federal Minister of Economy under Prime Minister Marián Čalfa. After the Civic Forum dissolved in 1991, Dlouhý joined the Civil Democratic Alliance (ODA), where he served as deputy leader and was their leading candidate for South Moravia in 1992. After the 1992 elections and Czechoslovakia’s split, he became Minister of Industry and Trade within Václav Klaus' coalition government, retaining this post following his election to the Chamber of Deputies in 1996. He stepped down from all political offices in June 1997.
Career in the private sector
Upon leaving politics in 1997, Dlouhý took on an international advisory role with Goldman Sachs, concentrating on Central and Eastern European markets. Between 1998 and 2010, he provided consultancy services to ABB Group and has been an adviser to French investment firm Meridiam Infrastructure since 2010. His experience includes membership on supervisory boards or advisory roles for entities such as Cofinec B.V., Telefónica Czech Republic, KSK Power Ventur (India), PSJ a.s., and Rolls-Royce Holdings (2013–2018). Presently, he sits on Kooperativa’s Supervisory Board.
Dlouhý returned to academia as a lecturer at Charles University’s Institute of Economic Studies starting in 2000, delivering courses on macroeconomics and economic policy. He also taught at Prague University of Economics from 2004 to 2010 and participated on its Faculty Scientific Board. Between 2000 and 2011, he was a member of Illinois Institute of Technology’s Board of International Overseers and since 2014 has been involved with boards at Czech Technical University and Brno University of Technology.
He maintains active engagement with international organizations including serving as vice-president of the European Group of the Trilateral Commission (2010–2016), participation in DER Dialog and Euro 50 Group, as well as membership on an Independent Energy Commission (2006–2008) that influenced Czech energy policy. Since 2009, Dlouhý has been part of the National Economic Council advising the Czech government, with reappointment occurring in 2020. Between 2010 and 2012, he contributed his expertise to an advisory group for the IMF Managing Director’s European team. He is a prolific author across both specialized journals and mainstream media outlets.
In 2009, he established Prague Twenty, a public benefit organization dedicated to hosting expert lectures on politics, social sciences, and culture featuring distinguished Czech and international personalities such as Václav Klaus, Zdeněk Tůma, Mario Monti, and Jacob Frenkel.
Return to politics
In June 2012, Dlouhý declared his intention to run in the 2013 presidential race. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Interior declined his application due to a shortfall in the required number of signatures.
On 22 May 2014, Dlouhý was chosen as President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce in Plzeň, receiving 128 votes compared to Zdeněk Somr's 87. He successfully secured re-election in 2017 and, in 2019, assumed the role of deputy president of Eurochambres under Christoph Leitl, eventually rising to president in March 2023.
In 2020, the Czech government put forward his candidacy for a five-year term as Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. However, by January 2021, Dlouhý stepped back from the race due to insufficient international backing.
Other activities
- Member of the European Group at the Trilateral Commission
Recognition
Alongside Václav Klaus, Dlouhý was honored with the ‘Ropák’ award in 1993. In April 2016, he received the Green Pearl award for his statement: ‘‘Interpreting such studies and results is always challenging, but this clearly indicates that the Třebíč Region and the entire southern Vysočina Region would face severe and long-lasting economic consequences if Dukovany were to be closed or not expanded.’ Despite some ambiguous data, their conclusion remains evident.’’
Personal life
Dlouhý has been divorced twice and is a father to two children, Štěpán and Markéta. His hobbies encompass music, history, and various sports including skiing, golf, cycling, and running.