Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau a Sobotka i Telnice engari kaore i roa ka neke atu ia me tona whanau ki Slavkov u Brna. I ako ia i te ture i te Whare Wānanga o Masaryk i Brno, a, i whiwhi tohu magister i te tau 1995. I muri i te
i te hinganga o te communism i awhina ia ki te hanga ano i te Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) ka noho hei mema. Ko Sobotka ano hoki te kaiwhakaara o nga Young Social Democrats, te parirau taiohi o te ČSSD. I pootihia ia mo te wa tuatahi ki te Whare Kaunihera i te pooti ture 1996.