| Jaroslav Bašta | |
| Minister without Portfolio | |
| Term Start: | 22 July 1998 |
| Term End: | 23 March 2000 |
| Primeminister: | Miloš Zeman |
| Predecessor: | Vladimír Mlynář |
| Successor: | Karel Březina |
| Ambassador From1: | Czech Republic |
| Country1: | Russia |
| Term Start1: | 19 September 2000 |
| Term End1: | 2005 |
| Predecessor1: | Luboš Dobrovský |
| Successor1: | Miroslav Kostelka |
| President1: | Václav Havel Václav Klaus |
| Ambassador From2: | Czech Republic |
| Country2: | Ukraine |
| Term Start2: | December 2007 |
| Term End2: | March 2010 |
| Predecessor2: | Karel Štindl |
| Successor2: | Ivan Počuch |
| President2: | Václav Klaus |
| Office3: | Member of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Term Start3: | 9 October 2021 |
| Term End3: | 7 April 2024 |
| Term Start4: | 1 June 1996 |
| Term End4: | 14 September 2000 |
| Birth Date: | 1948 5, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Plzeň, Czechoslovakia |
| Party: | Freedom and Direct Democracy (2021–2024) |
| Otherparty: | ČSSD (1994–2019) |
| Spouse: | Dara Baštová |
| Children: | 1 |
| Alma Mater: | Charles University |
| Signature: | Jaroslav Bašta – signature 1976.jpg |
Jaroslav Bašta (15 May 1948 – 7 April 2024) was a Czech politician and diplomat. He was a signatory of Charter 77.[1] Between 1998 and 2000 he served in the cabinet of Miloš Zeman as Minister without portfolio.[1] Bašta became the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Russia in September 2000.[2] He served for five years in Russia, later becoming Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, where he worked for three years until stepping down for health reasons in 2010.[3]
In 2021, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).
On 10 September 2022, SPD announced it would nominate Bašta for the 2023 Czech presidential election.[4] He was also endorsed by the Tricolour Citizens' Movement[5] and the Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS).[6] He finished fifth of eight candidates in the first round on 14 January 2023, with 4.45% of the vote.[7]
Bašta died after a long illness on 7 April 2024, aged 75.[8] [9]