Josef Tošovský

Who is Josef Tošovský?

Josef Tošovský is a Czech economist and former governor of Czech National Bank. From 16 December 1997 to 17 July 1998 he was the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic in a caretaker government.

Tošovský graduated from the University of Economics, Prague. After completing his studies in 1973, he was employed by the State Bank of Czechoslovakia, where he held a number of posts. In 1989, he was appointed Governor of the State Bank of Czechoslovakia. Following the split of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and the establishment of the Czech National Bank, he was appointed Governor of the Czech National Bank in 1993.

As Governor, Tošovský participated in drawing up the blueprint for economic reform and in implementing it in the monetary and banking areas. He took a leading part in drafting the legislative and institutional framework for the operation of the central bank in the market system, and managed the splitting of the Czechoslovak currency and central bank in connection with the break-up of the state.

In response to the political crisis in the Czech Republic at the end of 1997, President Václav Havel appointed Tošovský Prime Minister of the Czech Government.