[attach id=291163 size="medium" align="left"]Vaclav Havel[/attach]
A memorial honouring play-wright, politician and former president Vaclav Havel in celebration of the 20th anniversary since the peaceful dissolution of Czechozlovakia has been unveiled at Hastings Gardens, Valletta.
This split remains a perfect example to the world of peaceful conflict resolutions.
Since then, both Slovakia and the Czech Republic continued on the path of political and economic transformation after the fall of the totalitarian communist regime in 1989, on the basis of the reforms undertaken in the early 1990s in Czechoslovakia.
All this was only possible through the vision of one person, Havel – last President of Czechozlovakia and first President of the Czech Republic, and also playwright, prisoner and politician.
Known for stating that “truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred”, his name is synonymous with that of the Czech Republic in the eyes of the whole world. Havel was awarded an Honoris Causa degree by the Maltese government during a state visit in 2002.
Today, both the Czech Republic and Slovakia are fully integrated as members of the EU, Nato and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and enjoy very close and friendly relationships with each other.
Havel was the statesman who refused to rest on his laurels after leading his nation to democracy
The birth of the Czech Republic saw Havel become its first President in 1993. Havel was the one who successfully challenged the non-democratic forces of Cold War Europe by non-violent means, thus becoming an inspirational symbol of hope to the world.
Havel was an intellectual whose writings consistently celebrated the intrinsic dignity of humanity, while articulating the aspirations of a nation that yearned for freedom.
He was the determined political activist who was jailed three times for his efforts and the orator who mobilised the might of the people to defy the establishment and demand change.
Havel was the statesman who refused to rest on his laurels after leading his nation to democracy; he continued to shepherd the Czech Republic towards ever-increasing growth and progress, while contributing his positive views and thoughts to the international political arena.
Despite suffering from ill-health, he tackled immediate issues and talked of “stirring the stagnant waters of apathy that surrounded us” when dealing with the emerging concerns, increasingly relevant in today’s globalised world.
Havel laid the foundation stones of what the Czech Republic is today. “Back to Europe” – the catchphrase born during the Velvet Revolution led by Havel – accompanied the efforts of Czechoslovakia to overcome the unfortunate heritage of a Europe split by the Iron Curtain.
Membership negotiations into the EU started in March 1998 with a final decision to accede being approved by the citizens in a referendum in June 2003, where well over 70 per cent of the participating voters voted in favour.
Since then, the Czech Republic, with its tradition of a highly-industrial and export-oriented economy, is benefitting well from the EU single market.
Competitiveness, new technologies, scientific breakthroughs and their use in modern business systems play a most important role in the country’s economy and as a player in a contemporary, globalised world.
Today’s Czech Republic features a European-style quality of life with a modern, vibrant economy based on innovation and constant development, making it one of the world’s most developed countries, as confirmed by the Global Prosperity Index, where it ranked 28th out of the 142 evaluated countries.
After the Velvet Revolution, the country opened up to diverse, international and cultural influences. Artists, including Havel himself, finally had the opportunity to present their works to a foreign public.
Tonio Casapinta is the Honorary Consul General of the Czech Republic in Malta.