Liberec Region Governor Martin Půta was elected to the Czech Senate Tuesday in a secret ballot, marking a notable change for the Česká Lípa district .Půta,who secured 42 votes,will resign his long-held position as governor and now intends to focus on advocating for smaller towns and municipalities within the region. The election comes as Půta faces ongoing legal challenges, including charges related to alleged bribery and a recent conviction – which he is appealing – for abuse of power .
Martin Půta, the current governor of the Liberec Region, has been elected to the Czech Senate. The election took place Tuesday, November 18, in a secret ballot, where Půta secured 42 votes.
The outcome marks a significant shift in the political landscape of the Česká Lípa senatorial district, as Půta will be stepping down from his long-held position as governor.
“I would like to thank all the members of the SLK movement for their trust,” Půta said following his election.
Půta’s victory comes after a closely watched race against incumbent Senator Jiří Vosecký, who received 9 votes.
As a senator, Půta intends to prioritize support for smaller towns and municipalities within the Česká Lípa region. He emphasized the need to address issues that require intervention from the national government.
“There are many talented and active people living in Česká Lípa who have significantly improved the region over the past thirty-five years,” Půta stated. “However, there are also problems that can only be solved in Prague, with the government and other central institutions. As a senator, I want to focus on supporting the people who live in small towns and villages in Česká Lípa, earn less than the average salary, and often have limited access to public services.”
Půta has served as the governor of the Liberec Region since 2012, having first been elected on November 27, 2012, and subsequently re-elected in 2016, 2020, and 2024. He announced he will resign from the governorship upon taking office as senator.
“After thirteen years, I know that the job of governor cannot be done halfway. I simply cannot imagine being both governor and senator at the same time,” he added.
A long-time resident of Hrádek nad Nisou, within the Česká Lípa senatorial district, Půta previously served as the town’s mayor for ten years.
Půta’s political career also includes a brief stint as a member of Parliament in 2017, when voters moved him from the last position on the STAN party’s list in the Liberec Region to the top, securing him a seat. He quickly resigned that position, however, to focus on regional politics.
The election of Půta comes amid ongoing legal challenges. He is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to report a bribery attempt, and was found guilty of abuse of power and accepting a bribe in a separate case involving a church in Liberec earlier this year. He has appealed that conviction, as reported by Novinky.cz.
