Session: “Geopolitical priorities The Czech Republic in the context of 25 years of transformation”

The third day ended with a meeting of the Olympic Freedom “The Czech Republic geopolitical priorities  in the context of 25 years of transformation”  Guest of the meeting was Jiri Pehe – Czech writer and political scientist, long-term advisor and head of the political office of Vaclav Havel.

Pehe began the meeting with the approval of the Poles. In comparison with the Czech pragmatism Czechs like Polish romanticism. He admire the attitude of the Poles, which represented during World War II, mainly in the battles against the Germans.

Drew attention to the remains of pre-1989. Czechs still have two traditions: corruption and police state. In the Czech Republic operate small – as he called it Pehe – dysfunctional political parties, which is very easy to manipulate. The consequence is corruption and destruction of these parties. Czechs do not know how to create the political opposition, and more importantly – do not trust politics. More than this, Pehe drew attention to the problem of identifying the Czechs with their country who have not yet deal with the problems before 1989.

Pehe also referred to the presidency of Vaclav Havel, who in his opinion represented the country in the best possible way. He was an extraordinary person, which can not be said of Klaus, who repeats the words of Putin’s foreign policy and to discredit the “eurofobem”.

Key quotes from the meeting:

“We would never stand up to the Germans as the Poles. Poles were more courageous than the Czechs ”

“The Czechs have a problem with your state ‘

“The oligarchs have created a complicated system of corruption”

“Vaclav Klaus has no political future. It is a political zombie ”

Prepared by: Joanna Brzezińska

Photos by: Robert Zapędowski