Ex-presidents Gasparovic and Zeman Stress Non-violent Fall of Communism

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', November 16) Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues) about the importance and message of the events from 35 years ago, the former presidents of the Slovak and Czech Republics, Ivan Gasparovič and Milos Zeman (respectively) highlighted the non-violent course of the Velvet Revolution and the fact that the events of November '89 were the culmination of the gradual weakening of the communist power in the former Czechoslovakia. Gasparovic spoke about the struggle for freedom in connection with the Velvet Revolution. He views decency as the message of the November events. "People should respect each other, cooperate, be decent and build their home, their state," he said. He pointed to the benefits that the Velvet Revolution brought to young people, viewing freedom as the greatest one. However, he fears that young people are easily influenceable. Gasparovic stressed that freedom has its limits. "Especially young people within liberal politics are convinced that they can do anything," he added. According to Gasparovic, the Velvet Revolution didn't happen overnight. He pointed to the demonstrations that preceded it, the conflicts between the party functionaries and the fall of the communist regime in other countries. Meanwhile, Zeman absolutely rejects the opinion that a kind of regulated takeover of power took place in the former Czechoslovakia 35 years ago. He emphasised the fact that the change of the regime took place without bloody clashes, as was the case, for example, in Romania. He said that some radical supporters of the then government proposed steps that would have led to violence in the streets. He views the rejection of the request for help that then General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party Milos Jakes addressed to Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev as the main reason why the communist power collapsed without resistance. "Since he refused [to provide it] and the communists remained alone, they handed over the power out of fear of becoming victims of violence themselves," stressed Zeman. Zeman sees the problem of illegal migration and the harmful effects of unrealistic visions of the Green Deal to be fundamental challenges faced by the two countries, as well as by the whole of Europe. He told the young generation not to let itself be manipulated. ko