Emma Smetana

À propos de Emma Smetana

Born in Prague on February 11, 1988, Emma Smetana is a multifaceted Czech artist with a resume boasting acting, singing, modeling, musicianship, journalism, news anchoring, and political science. She holds dual Czech and French citizenship, adopting the uninflected "Smetana" for documents abroad and the inflected "Smetanová" in Czech records, a linguistic choice reflecting her extensive time in France, Belgium, and Germany.

Smetana's early years were split between Prague and Paris. After two years in her birthplace, she moved with her mother, Monika Pajerová, to Paris to join her father, Jiří Smetana, who managed the rock club "Gibus." She resided in Paris until age six, then spent four years in Strasbourg. Upon returning to Prague, she completed her education at the French Lycée. Her academic pursuits then led her to the prestigious Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). She began her studies at a branch campus in Dijon, which focused on post-communist Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union. Her master's degree in political science was earned in Paris, followed by a second master's in Political Science-European Affairs-International Relations from the Free University of Berlin, an experience she described as refreshingly diverse with classmates ranging from punks to nursing mothers. Smetana is proficient in French, English, and German, with additional knowledge of Spanish and some Hebrew.

Her personal life is shared with actor and musician Jordan Haj, of Israeli Palestinian-Czech heritage. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Lennon Marlene Haj Hossein Smetana, on December 16, 2016, who holds French, Israeli, and Czech citizenship. In November 2020, Smetana announced her second pregnancy via Instagram, and their second daughter, Ariel Ava Haj Smetana, was born on April 12, 2021.

Smetana's media career began during her university studies, contributing cultural news pieces to the French daily Libération. She transitioned to television in August 2012, anchoring morning news on TV Nova and later hosting midday and afternoon broadcasts until 2016. In March 2017, she joined the presenter team for DVTV, an online television channel associated with the Aktuálně.cz portal, conducting interviews in Czech, English, French, and German. Her tenure with DVTV concluded at the end of 2020 due to burnout, with Daniela Písařovicová taking over her role.

Politically, Smetana served as an assistant in the media team for Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek at the Government Office from 2008 to 2009. Following the change in government, she interned for several months with the Czech Social