Freedom and Direct Democracy MP Jaroslav Bašta dies at age of 75

Jaroslav Bašta, an MP for the Freedom and Direct Democracy party and a candidate for the 2023 Czech presidency, has died at the age of 75 after a long illness. The politician and Charter 77 signatory had excused himself from parliamentary sessions for health reasons since about mid-May last year and had been in a serious condition in hospital since at least the end of May.

Mr. Bašta had been a member of Freedom and Direct Democracy since 2021. Between 2000 and 2005 he was the Czech ambassador to Russia and later became the Czech ambassador to Ukraine, where he served for three years. He finished fifth of eight candidates in the first round of the presidential elections on 14 January 2023, with 4.45% of the vote.

Marcel Dlask, the administrative director of the Chvaletice power plant, is slated to take over his seat in parliament.