An avid listener of classical music, Kupka organised the Winter Music Festival in Jilemnica under the banner of Musical Youth during his studies.[4] He was a presenter on Classic FM radio.[5] Kupka also acts as a media consultant, with his services being used by the mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda.[6]
Political career
Spokesperson of the Government of the Czech Republic
Kupka became a member of the Civic Democratic Party in 2008 and was elected to the council of Líbeznice with the second highest number of preferential votes among the top three on its candidate list. The party won a convincing majority of 13 out of 15 seats in the council and agreed on his nomination for the post of mayor.[7] Under Petr Nečas' government, Kupka became a spokesman for the government of the Czech Republic in 2010, but remained a member of the Líbeznice council until he was elected. Kupka was named a press spokesperson once in the category of state authorities in 2009.[1]
Mayor of Líbeznice
Kupa was elected mayor in November 2010, which went beyond the scope of the municipality[8] When the Council of the Central Bohemian Region approved the plan to expand Vodochody Airport, he betrayed the municipalities and experts.[9] Kupka also criticised the EIA report on the effects of possible expansion, saying that its author did not deal with the comments by affected municipalities.[10] However, the Central Bohemian Region Council re-assessed its position on the expansion of the airport, with the regional leadership having a negative opinion on the plan in 2013, which Kupka welcomed on behalf of the initiative.[11]
Kupka participated in the speedy completion of the Líbeznice Bypass after his election, but when the bypass was opened in July 2011,[12] he admitted that there were traffic problems where drivers continued to drive through the center of the village. He stated: "When families choose a new place to live, they play a significant role with good transport services."[13] Later, Kupka stated that he had disputes behind it with the then-head of the Civic Democratic Party, Petr Tluchoř.[14]
During the 2013 Czech parliamentary election, Kupka finished seventh place on the candidate list of the Central Bohemian Region for the Civic Democratic Party. While compiling the regional candidate list, he rejected the offers of possible regional candidates.[15]
Civic Democratic Party Congress
At the 24th Congress of the Civic Democratic Party on 18 January 2014, Kupka was elected vice chairman of the party after receiving 291 votes in the election.[16] In the 2014 Czech municipal elections, he led the Civic Democratic Candidate as representative of the municipality of Líbeznice.[17] Since the party won the municipal elections (72.48% of votes and 11 mandates), Kupka began his second term as mayor in November 2014.[18]
At the 27th Congress of the Civic Democratic Party in January 2016, Kupka defended the post of vice chairman of the party by receiving 343 votes from 463 delegates.[19] He also defended his role at the 28th Civic Democratic Party Congress in January 2018,[20] 29th Civic Democratic Congress in January 2020,[21] and 30th Congress in April 2022.[22]
2016—2018: Czech parliamentary and presidential elections
In the 2017 Czech parliamentary election, Kupka was elected the Civic Democratic Party in the Central Bohemian Region.[25] However, according to the announced results, with 4.87% votes counted and a difference of only 104 left, he was not moved from 31st place to the head of the candidate, thus leaving his potential position as a member of parliament.[26] Due to his own experience with uncounted preferential votes for this candidate, preferential votes for ODS candidates believed that some ODS candidates may be unofficially elected as deputies.[27] After recounting the votes on 19 November 2017, the court decided that Kupka became an MP instead of Petr Bendl.[28] In the Chamber of Deputies, he served as vice-chairman of the committee for public administration and regional development with Jakub Janda and Martin Baxa.[29]
In the 2018 Czech presidential election, Kupka defended the position of representative of the municipality of Líbeznice, when he led the ODS candidate.[30] Later that November, he became mayor of Líbeznice.[31]
Minister of Transport of Czech Republic
In the 2020 Czech regional elections, Kupka was the leader of the ODS candidate in the Central Bohemian Region.[32] He eventually defended the mandate of the regional representative by receiving 13,434 preferential votes.[33] The same year, on 16 November, Kupka also became the first deputy governor for road infrastructure.[34] He resigned from his position and became the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic in 2022.[35]
In the 2021 Czech parliamentary election, Kupka ran as a member of the Civic Democratic Party as the third place candidate of the Spolu coalition in the Central Bohemian Region.[36] He received 30,000 votes and defended the mandate.[37] The same year, in November, Kupka became the ODS candidate for the post of Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic in Petr Fiala's cabinet.[38] Later that December, President Miloš Zeman appointed him to this position at Lány Castle.[39]
Personal life
Kupka is married to Dana Kupková and has two children. He also spends his free time cycling and skiing.[3]
Controversy
After Pavel Kodym ended his first term as head of the office, Kupka sent the government a proposal for his reappointment, with effect from 16 February 2023.[40] This procedure was criticised by the lawyers of the anti-corruption movements Transparency International, Prague-based newspaper Oživení, and MP Martin Kolovratník, who are all referred to by the trade union that has been established in the office.[41]
Notes
^Kupka was not initially known to be MP, but after the complain to the Supreme Administrative Court, it was announced that he had become MP on 19 November 2017, replacing Petr Bendl.
