Martin Bursík

Martin Bursík (born August 12, 1959 in Prague) is a Czech politician and the current chairman of the Czech Green Party (Strana zelených).

In the 1980s Bursík studied environmental engineering at the Charles University in Prague. In June 1989, he joined the dissident movement and signed the declaration of the anti-communist movement. During the Velvet Revolution in November of that year, he was one of the founders of the Civic Forum (OF). The Civic Movement (OH), which emerged out of the OF and would later became the Party for the Open Society, nominated him as vice-chairman and he was elected into parliament. After the breakup of the OH, Bursík switched to the Free Democrats (Svobodní Demokraté). He was Minister of the Environment under Josef Tošovský for a few months in 1998. He ran for mayor of Prague unsuccessfully and joined the Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-ČSL). Bursík left this party in 2003. He joined the Greens in June 2004 and was elected party chairman. After 2006 parliament election he became member of the Czech parliament and Minister of the Environment on January 9, 2007 in the second cabinet of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.

Climate change is a priority for the policy of minister Bursík.