Jaroslav Naď (born 21 March 1981) is a Slovak politician who served as Minister of Defence between March 2020 and May 2023, as a nominee of OĽaNO.[1] He specialises in national security issues[2] and previously worked with Globsec.[3] Naď currently serves as a deputy chairman of the Democrats.[4]
Jaroslav Naď | |
---|---|
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Minister of Defence | |
In office 21 March 2020 – 15 May 2023 | |
Prime Minister | Igor Matovič Eduard Heger |
Preceded by | Peter Gajdoš |
Succeeded by | Martin Sklenár |
Member of the National Council | |
In office 15 May 2023 – 25 October 2023 | |
Leader of the Democrats | |
Assumed office 2 December 2023 | |
Deputy | List
|
Preceded by | Eduard Heger |
Personal details | |
Born | Nitra, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) | 21 March 1981
Political party | Democrats (2023–present) |
Other political affiliations | Direction (2000–2002) Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (2018–2023) |
Spouse | Katarína Beláková (divorced) |
Children | 3 |
Education | Armed Forces Academy Matej Bel University |
Early life and education
editNaď grew up in Banská Štiavnica and settled in a village near Senec, Hrubá Borša.[5] He has a brother named René and is the brother-in-law of Anton Tretinár.[6]
Naď majored in Political Science at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica in 2007 and received further training at the European Security and Defence College in Brussels. In 2018, he obtained his PhD from the Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik.[7]
Political career
editNaď joined Direction – Social Democracy in 2000, but was expelled from the party after paying membership fees.[8]
Between 2012 and 2013, Naď worked as a diplomat, head of the defense section at the Permanent Delegation of Slovakia to NATO as well as Permanent Representation of Slovakia to the European Union. From 2014 until 2018, he worked as a manager of the company Cypher.[9]
Minister of Defence (2020-2023)
editAfter the electoral victory of OĽANO, Naď became the Minister of Defence.[1] Beginning with March 2023, he serves as a deputy chairman of the Democrats party.[4]
During the parliamentary elections in February 2020, in which Naď ran for the OĽANO movement, he won 101,819 preferential votes.[10] In April 2020, Naď announced the cancellation of the ongoing tender for the purchase of 4x4 armored vehicles for the Slovak Armed Forces and would suspend the same tender for 8x8 vehicles.[11]
In 2023, Robert Fico had claimed that Naď had requested a regional political position from Fico and partisan leadership. Following the denial, Fico alleged that Naď had left the party.[12]
Post-Minister of Defence
editBeginning with 1 November 2023, Naď works as an advisor to the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jana Černochová.[13]
Personal life
editNaď is trilingual, able to speak English and German apart from his native Slovak.[3] He plays football in his spare time.[14]
Naď is divorced with three children: two from his previous marriage with Katarína Baláková, and one from his partner, journalist Barbara Túrosová.[15] He also owns a luxury apartment in Banská Štiavnica.[16]
Controversy
editNaď was linked with accusations of nepotism when his former partner Barbara Túrosová was assigned spokeswoman of the Ministry of Interior. She denied the allegations, referring to her long-term journalism career in TA3. Naď was previously linked with nepotism back in 2014, when his brother René was appointed as the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to NATO in Brussels, while Naď was one of the officers at the Ministry of Defence. No verdicts were declared in either of the cases.[17]
References
edit- ^ a b "Nie Grendel, ministrom vnútra bude Mikulec. Matovič predstavil svoju vládu". Hospodárske noviny (in Slovak). 18 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Bublinec, Jaroslav (12 December 2018). "Slovakia Signs €1.6-bn Deal on Purchase of 14 New F-16 Fighter Jets". NewsNow. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ a b "Minister obrany SR Jaroslav Naď". Official Website of Slovakia Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Eduard Heger oznámil vznik novej strany s názvom Demokrati". Týždeň (in Slovak). Bratislava: W Press. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ Chovančáková, Katarína (1 November 2020). "Jaroslav Naď: Prvý minister obrany, na ktorého môže byť Slovensko hrdé". startitup.sk (in Slovak).
- ^ "Rodinka s kráľovským platom! V rezorte obrany sa darí príbuzným". Plus jeden deň. Bratislava: News and Media Holding. 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023.
- ^ Kovačič Hanzelová, Zuzana; Drínová, Andrea (28 April 2023). "Naď: Sme otvorení spájaniu s KDH, ale určite nepôjdeme cestou zakazovania interrupcií". Sme (in Slovak). Bratislava: Petit Press.
- ^ Šnídl, Vladimír (27 November 2018). "Analytik Naď ide k Matovičovi: S Hrnkom sme mali dohodu o neútočení, on ju porušil". Denník N (in Slovak). Bratislava: N Press. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Výpis z Obchodného registra Mestského súdu Bratislava III". Obchodný Register Na Internet (in Slovak).
- ^ "Definitívne výsledky hlasovania". volbysr.sk (in Slovak). 24 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016.
- ^ "Naď: Rezort zruší nákup armádnych vozidiel 4x4 a pozastaví projekt 8x8". teraz.sk (in Slovak). 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Robert Fico: Idem do kampane, v ktorej ma chcú zatvoriť". Štandard (in Slovak). 20 March 2023.
- ^ "Bývalý minister obrany Naď bude poradcom českej ministerky Černochovej". Teraz (in Slovak). 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Minister Naď prišiel na vládu zakrvavený! FOTO Hrôzostrašné zranenie na tvári, prvé slová, čo sa stalo". topky.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Kosečeková, Rebeka (9 April 2020). "Novou hovorkyňou ministra vnútra sa stala priateľka ministra obrany. Tu je jej reakcia". tvnoviny.sk (in Slovak). Bratislava: Markíza.
- ^ Szórád, Filip (26 May 2022). "Apartmán v paláci! Naď si zariaďuje svoje hniezdočko v národnej kultúrnej pamiatke". Plus jeden deň (in Slovak). Bratislava: News and Media Holding. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Novou hovorkyňou rezortu vnútra bude priateľka ministra obrany Jaroslava Naďa. Rodinkárstvo odmieta". Denník Slovensko (in Slovak). 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020.