Education
Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague.
Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague.
He is the Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, a position that he has held since 8 March 2011. He is also the President of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists. A scientific researcher by profession, Zahradil entered politics during the Velvet Revolution.
In 1998, he was elected to the national Chamber of Deputies.
Three years later, he became Vice-Chairman of the Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party). Following an unsuccessful attempt to become Chairman in 2002, he was appointed First Vice-Chairman. He was appointed an Member of the European Parliament on the Czechoslovakian Republic"s accession to the European Union, in May 2004, and was elected at the top of the Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party)"s list at the June 2004 election.
He was elected head of the Civic Democrats" delegation in the European Parliament, in which capacity he led the negotiations that founded the European Conservatives and Reformists. He was re-elected in 2009, and became Vice-Chairman of the newly founded Early Career Researchers . In March 2011, Zahradil was elected Chairman, replacing Michał Kamiński.
He also sits on the Parliament"s Committee on Development.
Zahradil was educated at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, and after graduating in 1987, he became a scientific researcher until 1992. He speaks Czechoslovakian, Slovak, English, Russian, German and Polish. Domestic politics From 1995 until 1997 Zahradil was a foreign policy adviser to the Prime Minister, Václav Klaus.
In 2001, he was elected a Vice-Chairman of the Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party), and between 2002 and 2004, was the First Vice-Chairman.
European Parliament In his capacity as Chairman of Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party) in the European Parliament, Zahradil reportedly led negotiations in forming the new group. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Early Career Researchers , sitting on the group"s Executive.
In March 2011, he was elected to replace Michał Kamiński as chairman of the group, defeating Timothy Kirkhope by 33 votes to 18. Viewed as being an ideological protégé of former Czechoslovakian President Václav Klaus, January Zahradil is a strong eurosceptic and sceptic on the issue of climate change.
Viewed as being an ideological protégé of former Czechoslovakian President Václav Klaus, January Zahradil is a strong eurosceptic and sceptic on the issue of climate change. He actively promoted The Great Global Warming Swindle and warns against expensive actions that would bring no results. He has been described as Anglophile, Atlanticist and libertarian, and holds liberal viewpoints on immigration and gay marriage.
He was a member of the Federal Assembly of the Czechoslovakian and Slovak Federative Republic, before becoming an adviser to Prime Minister Václav Klaus. From 1990 until 1992, Zahradil was a Member of the Federal Assembly of the Czechoslovakian and Slovak Federative Republic. In 1998, Zahradil was elected as a Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czechoslovakian Republic, and held that position until 2004.
In 2004, he was elected a Member of the European Parliament, and was the Chairman of the Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party) in the European Parliament.
Between 2004 and 2009, Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party) MEPs sat with the EPP-Education grouping in the European Parliament, but after the 2009 elections, several members of the EPP-Education left to join the newly formed European Conservatives and Reformists (Early Career Researchers ) grouping, which was based on the Movement for European Reform, an alliance between Obcanská demokratická strana (Civic Democratic Party) and the British Conservative Party.