Biography:Martin Klus

Martin Klus
Nationality	Slovak
Occupation	political scientist and politician

Martin Klus is a Slovak professional political scientist and graduated political theorist. He has obtained postgraduate diploma in Theory of Politics. Prior entering Slovak politics he worked as University Lecturer and political analyst providing hundreds of political analyses to domestic media (Radio and Television of Slovakia, TA3, TV JOJ, Markíza, Radio Lumen, Hospodárske noviny, Pravda, Nový čas, aktualne.sk, actuality.sk, etc.) and foreign ones (Česká televize, Lidové noviny, Magyar Rádió, Wiener Zeitung, TRT, BBC, etc.).

In the period of years of 2013 and 2014 he has ranked among the most cited Slovak political scientists and Sociologists.

Since 1999 he has been actively engaged in non-profit sector with the aim to empower civic and student participation in public affairs, but also in educational and urban environment improving activities. He often takes part in political, professional and civic initiatives on the topic of electoral and referendum legislation.

Education

After he had finished his secondary school studies in 1998 he started master's degree at the Faculty of Humanistics, University of Trnava and finished it in 2003 at the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations of Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica. In 2004 he has gained PhDr title followed by postgraduate studies in between 2004 and 2007 attaining PhD in Theory of Politics at the same institution.

Professional life

Since 2003 Klus has been a university lecturer and researcher in the field of Political sciences, public administration, European studies, lobbying and political marketing.

Between the years 2003 and 2008 he was professional fellow and lecturer at the Department of Public Policy and Public Administration and the Department of Economy at the Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations of Matej Bel University. After habilitation in 2008 he has become an assistant professor. In 2012 he has obtained MBA at the Sales Manager Academy in Vienna. He was lecturing, as a hosting assistant professor, in Sládkovičovo, Kolín and Brno in the Czech Republic, but also in Poland at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. In 2010 he was vice-rector for international and public relations and publications, and lecturer at the Department of Social Sciences at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. He held the same position in November and December 2014, but at the Matej Bel University, and Department of Economics and Regional Development, Faculty of Economy. Since 2015 he has been assistant professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Trnava.

Political activities

In municipal elections 2010 he has achieved 1056 votes in 7th Banska Bystrica precinct and became first Substitute representative, one place ahead from Marian Kotleba. On 15 November 2014 he has achieved the highest vote in Rudlová-Sásova precinct, gaining 1734 votes and becoming the representative of City of Banská Bystrica with 7th strongest mandate overall.

He has announced official cooperation with Freedom and Solidarity political party in December 2014, acting as an expert on foreign policy and political system. Later in December of the same year he abdicated the vice-rector seat of Matej Bel University, with effect from 1 January 2015.

In 2016 he has run for parliamentary election registered under Freedom and Solidarity candidates list. The party gained 315 558 votes (12.1%) with 21 513 votes of preference for Martin Klus, which ensured him the seat of Member of the National Council of The Slovak Republic. Presently, he is Vice Chairman of the National Council European Affairs Committee and Member of the National Council Foreign Affairs Committee.

On 31 March 2017 Klus announced his campaign for the Governor of Banskobystrický region election taking place in November 2017. At the end of June 2017 he gained broad support of the opposition parties including Freedom and Solidarity, Ordinary People, New Majority, Christian Democratic Movement and Civic Conservative Party. On 3 October 2017, based on pre-election polls, he fulfilled his promise to not divide votes of candidates from democratic camp and stepped down from the campaign and in favor of Ján Lunter, who defeated, by the time incumbent, Marian Kotleba, leader of extremist Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia, by a large margin.