Articles on Czech politics which have appeared in past issues of CER.
21 May 2001
They Have a Dream
Eva Sobotka
How the Roma and the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs see the concept of a non-territorial Roma nation.
5 February 2001
Mythmaking and Czech Politics
Jan Čulík
It's not what you do; it's the way that you spin it.
27 November 2000
Moving Forward
Tiffany G Petros
The issue of Roma rights in the Czech Republic continues to be contentious despite some progress.
20 November 2000
Anti-Communism and
Emotional Substitutes
Jan Čulík
The sources of political legitimacy in the Czech Republic in the 1990s.
13 November 2000
Czech Republic's Progress
Kazi Stastna and Andreas Beckmann
A summary of the EC's 2000 Progress Report on the Czech Republic.
16 October 2000
Nuking the Neighbours
Magali Perrault
As Czechs and Austrians cross swords over the Temelín nuclear power plant, a long-term dialogue between leaders is needed more than ever.
25 September 2000
Global Front, Local Depression
Jan Čulík
Czechs are unhappy about the new economic order, but the reasons
are mostly local, not global.
18 September 2000
Old Friends
Tiffany G Petros
The IMF and Czech politicians are largely in accordance, and this September's meeting will only seal what has been a friendly relationship all along.
18 September 2000
A Bubble Burst
Andreas Beckmann
While once hosting the IMF meeting was a source of pride, Czechs are now wishing for it all to be over before it has even begun.
22 May 2000
The Politics of Smear
Jan Čulík
By embracing smear tactics, maybe the Czech Republic has entered the mainstream of Western democratic politics.
22 May 2000
Interview: Václav Bělohradský
Philosopher Václav Bělohradský talks to CER about Czech political culture, capitalism, globalisation and Central Europe's place in the post-modern world.
25 April 2000
The Profits of Privatisation
Jan Čulík
Privatisation bribes paid to the Czech Civic Democrats have returned to haunt the Party.
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20 March 2000
The Great Gold Chase
Martin D Brown
Hitler stole them, and the Western powers held on to them for decades, but just a few years after Czechoslovakia's gold reserves were returned to their rightful owner, Prague sold them all off.
13 March 2000
President Albright?
Jan Čulík
More Western media speculation that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright may make a bid for the Czech presidency.
6 March 2000
Vivat Academia:
On pre-November students in a disrespectful tone
Jiří Peňas
Debunking some of the popular myths of Czechoslovakia's "student revolution."
6 March 2000
Interview with Martin Mejstřík
Kazi Stastna
One of the student leaders of the 1989 revolution speaks about the recent mass civic protest he helped launch.
31 January 2000
Click Icon
Andrew Stroehlein
The "Czech Bill Gates," Ivo Lukačovič, on the Czech Internet, media and politics.
13 December 1999
Rising Discontent
Jan Čulík
With the economy bordering on crisis and politicians incapable of fixing the country's problems, the Czech public became increasingly discontent throughout 1999.
13 December 1999
Pulp Faction
Kieran Williams
Kieran Williams answers his critics and continues to wait for answers.
6 December 1999
If the Dinosaurs Leave
Andrew Stroehlein
Czech politicians generally ignore petitions, and they are likely to do the same with this latest one, even though tens of thousands of people took to the streets in support of it.
6 December 1999
"Youth Biedermeier" It Ain't
Kazi Stastna
Sappy, romantic and pitifully nationalistic, these "former student" leaders refuse to take the political reins the public are offering them.
6 December 1999
A Repeat of November 1989?
Jan Čulík
Czech Protest: The problem is that the current student protest is quite vague.
6 December 1999
Too Clever by Half
John Keane
Professor Keane replies to Kieran Williams's extensive critique of his new book on Vaclav Havel.
29 November 1999
Apologists Rejoice!
Kieran Williams
It's no secret that Prague Castle has been on the offensive to discredit John Keane's new critical biography of Vaclav Havel. Unfortunately, Keane seems to have shot himself in the foot before the battle's even begun.
22 November 1999
Evaluating a Decade
Jan Čulík
While the majority of Hungarians and Poles are generally pleased with their post-Communist lot, Czechs are divided equally on the issue of transition. Some are now blaming the West for this.
15 November 1999
PRAGUE: Dysfunctional Decision-making
Andreas Beckmann
The 9 September adoption of a master plan that will guide development, has done little to resolve fundamental differences and will simply usher in the next series of battles for the city's future.
8 November 1999
Profound Disillusionment
Jan Čulík
A recent survey has shown that Czechs are deeply disillusioned with
their politicians and their political parties.
1 November 1999
Completing the Circle?
Jan Čulík
Communists take the lead in the opinion polls a mere ten years after
the fall of Communism.
1 November 1999
A Scorecard for Czech Lustration
Kieran Williams
What has the controversial Czech lustration law achieved exactly?
18 October 1999
Reminiscing Revolutionaries
Jan Čulík
Last week's historians' conference in Prague dedicated to the tenth
anniversary of the Velvet Revolution seems to have been little more than a
celebratory feast run by victors.
18 October July 1999
Masochistic Murmur
Kazi Stastna
The Czech Republic and the EC's progress report.
4 October 1999
Pricking Havel's Bottom
Jan Čulík
Interview with John Keane, author of an unauthorised biography of Vaclav Havel.
20 September 1999
Mixed Czech Nuts
Jan Čulík
After the news from the Czech Republic over the past few weeks, it
seems hardly surprising that an increasing number of people are turning off
their televisions, hiding their money in mattresses and voting for the
Communists.
13 September 1999
The Czech Republic 1992 to
1999:
From unintentional political birth to prolonged political
crisis
Andrew Stroehlein
with Jan Čulík, Steven Saxonberg and Kazi
This is an extensive account of the first years of the young Czech
Republic.
30 August 1999
Nothing but Nation
Pavel Tychtl
Czech polititians seem to be curiously unwilling to work constructively towards EU accession.
2 August 1999
I Undertake to Be Your Loyal Enemy
Tomas Pecina
Czech concepts of democracy remain only a slightly modified version of Marxist teachings on the class struggle.
26 July 1999
Arranged Marriage with Aborted Honeymoon?
Tomas Pecina
Why is the Czech Republic considered the weakest link in NATO?
19 July 1999
Confessions of a Scum
Andrew Stroehlein
Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman's recent comments about the media.
12 July 1999
The Land Where Heroes Wear Dunce Caps
Tomas Pecina
Politics and privilege in the Czech Republic.
12 July 1999
A Year Away From Prague
Catherine Miller
One year ago, the Czech Social Democratic government took power.
5 July 1999
The Big Question
Vaclav Pinkava
Why do young Czechs want to join the Communist Party?
28 June 1999
Ten Years after Communism: The great Czech malaise
Jan Čulík
The Czech Republic is politically rudderless.
21 June 1999
Let Sleeping Euro-dogs Lie
Andrew Stroehlein
It is well-known that the Czech Republic is behind in its efforts to join the European Union.
7 June 1999
A Grand Coalition of Politics and the Media
Andrew Stroehlein
Miroslav Macek's suggestion sparks a typical media frenzy.
17 May 1999
When West Isn’t Best
Sean Hanley
The Kosovo crisis provides some illuminating insights into the Czech Republic.
3 May 1999
A Nuclear Umbrella for a Fair-weather Ally?
Andrew Stroehlein
Czech whinging over the Republic's NATO obligations has continued during the past two weeks.
26 April 1999
Clear Land Corridor Brings Clearer Roles
Andrew Stroehlein
A clear overland path now exists from Western Europe to Yugoslavia - through the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
19 April 1999
Czechs Seek Yet Another Model
Sean Hanely
There is an enduring illusion among some Czechs that the solution to their country's political and economic problems lies in copying someone else.
6 April 1999
"Pathetic Cowards"?
Sean Hanley
Since the onset of NATO air strikes against Kosovo, the Czech Republic has been undergoing its own peculiar drole de guerre.
8 March 1999
NATO-ing the Line?
Sean Hanley
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO - but for what?
1 March 1999
Promising Paradise
Andrew Stroehlein
As the Czech Republic is about to enter NATO, the most astounding things are being said about the alliance on the Czech political scene.
8 February 1999
A Touch of Evil?
Sean Hanley
Is the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia "evil"?
8 February 1999
The Second Possibility
Andrew Stroehlein
Czechs are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the political situation in the country. Will an anti-centrist movement take hold in the countryside?
1 February 1999
The Public Turns against Havel
Andrew Stroehlein
Public confidence in President Václav Havel has dropped to 46% - his lowest ranking ever.
1 February 1999
Radical Right Revival
Andrew Stroehlein
The Czech Republican leader Miroslav Sladek is down and probably out of politics.
26 January 1999
The "Radical" Mayor
Andrew Stroehlein
Not so radical ideas from the mayor of Ceske Vsi na Jesenicku.
26 January 1999
Undemocratic Elites
Andrew Stroehlein
Elections are not all that bad, are they?
11 January 1999
The Czech Senate Finds Its Purpose
Andrew Stroehlein
Since its birth two years ago, the Czech Senate has been a legislative body looking for a purpose.
30 November 1998
Klaus, One Year after the Fall
Andrew Stroehlein
One year after the failed party coup within the ODS, Vaclav Klaus is still riding high - to the detriment of his country.
30 November 1998
Battle of the Vaclavs
Andrew Stroehlein
What was clear one year ago is even clearer now: Vaclav Havel should not have run again for President last January.
23 November 1998
Democracy Is When Complaining Works
Andrew Stroehlein
Last Wednesday's anti-monopoly protest is a small but essential break in the political development of the Czech Republic.
9 November 1998
A Testimony of Failure
Jan Čulík
A book by a former deputy minister speaks volumes not only about Czech politics but also about today's Czech culture and society.
12 October 1998
Klaus's Lectures
Andrew Stroehlein
Vaclav Klaus's activities on the American lecture circuit should be examined more closely.
12 October 1998
Making the Same Mistakes
Andrew Stroehlein
The new Czech government seems to be making the same mistake as the old one: it is treating EU accession lightly.
Moving on:
