Rudolf Chmel

RUDOLF Chmel is the new Vice-Prime Minister for National Minorities. He was born on February 11, 1939 in Plzen, the Czech Republic. His family then returned to Slovakia in 1941. He graduated in Slovak language and literature from Comenius University in Bratislava and then worked as a researcher for the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Beginning in 1982 he served as the secretary of the Association of Czechoslovak Writers. From June 1990 until 1992 he was Czechoslovakia’s ambassador to Hungary.

From 1993 until 2000 Chmel was the president of the Open Society Foundation. He also lectured at Comenius University in Bratislava and Charles University in Prague.

Chmel was selected in 2009 to be the first Slovak to receive the award of the foreign ministers of Slovakia and Hungary for understanding and good neighbourliness.

Chmel was a previously a member of the Alliance of New Citizens (ANO) and was elected MP from that party in 2002 and was tapped to become culture minister. He resigned from that post in May 2005 and returned to parliament where he was a member of the human rights committee.

In July 2009 Chmel was elected a deputy chairman of Most-Hid party and in 2010 elected as an MP from Most-Hid. In his post as vice-prime minister for national minorities he serves as a member of the government cabinet.

Rudolf Chmel is married with four children.

Source: SITA