About the Minister

Marek Ženíšek was born in Pilsen, where he lives. He studied at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and also at the Faculty of Philosophy, where he defended his Ph.D. At the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, he earned the title of PhDr. In his academic career, he has been affiliated with the University of West Bohemia since 2003 as an assistant and later as a lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy.

Between 2008 and 2011, he served as Deputy Minister of Justice, and from 2012 to 2013, as Deputy Minister of Health, where he was involved in the creation of the "Psychiatric Care Reform" project in the Czech Republic, for which he was later awarded the Medal for Merit in Development in the field.

From 2013 to 2017, and again since 2021, he has been a Member of Parliament. In the interim, he served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Care Studies and as Deputy Governor of the Pilsen Region for Culture.

As a Member of Parliament, he chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee for two years, where he advocated for an active, confident and pro-Western foreign policy anchored in a pro-Western orientation. During his chairmanship, the Foreign Affairs Committee played a role in approving the defense agreement with the USA and the Magnitsky Act.

Marek Ženíšek is the author and co-author of several books and scientific texts on political and electoral systems and democratization. He held the position of scientific secretary of the Czech Political Science Association. He is a founding member of the TOP 09 party, where he served as the party's vice-chairman for ten years, including two years as the first vice-chairman. He is currently the executive director of the TOPAZ political institute.

He is married and has two children.

Personal Information
PhDr. Marek Ženíšek, Ph.D., born November 26, 1978

Education
1993–1998: Církevní gymnázium, Pilsen
1998–2001: Faculty of Humanities, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen
2001–2003: Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University in Prague – Political Science (2003 – passed the rigorosum and earned the academic title of PhDr.)
2003–2006: Faculty of Philosophy, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen – Political Science (doctoral studies, defended his dissertation, and earned the title of Ph.D.)

Professional Experience
2003–2017: Faculty of Philosophy – University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, assistant/lecturer from 2006
2008–2011: Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic, Deputy Minister
2012–2013: Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, 1st Deputy Minister
2013–2017: Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Member of Parliament

•    Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Club
•    Member of the Committee on European Affairs
•    Member of the Defense Committee
•    Member of the Permanent Delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE
•    Chairman of the Czech Republic-Canada Parliamentary Group

2018–2019: Faculty of Health Care Studies, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Vice-Dean for Strategy, Development, and External Relations
2018–present: TOPAZ, z. s., political institute, Executive Director
2020–2022: Pilsen Region, Deputy Governor for Culture
2021–present: Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Member of Parliament

•    Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee (until May 2024)
•    Member of the Defense Committee (until May 2024)
•    Member of the Commission for the Oversight of the Intelligence Services (until May 2024)