Karel, 12th and 7th Prince of Schwarzenberg was a Czech politician, diplomat and statesman who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic from 2007 to 2009 and then again between 2010 and 2013. Schwarzenberg was leader and co-founder of the TOP 09 party and its candidate for president of the Czech Republic in the 2013 election. He served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies (MP) from 2010 to 2021 and in the Senate from 2004 until 2010.

The Government of the Czech Republic since January 9, 2007 was formed by a coalition of the victorious Civic Democratic Party with the small Christian and Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party and the Green Party. It had 18 members; initially four of the appointed ministers were women but two subsequently resigned and were replaced with men. On 24 March 2009, during the Czech presidency of the European Union, Topolánek's second cabinet suffered defeat in a parliamentary vote of no confidence, 101–96, in the 200-seat lower house. Prime minister Topolánek stated that he would resign. It happened in May, 2009.