Speech by Mirek Topolánek at the National Theatre in Prague on 7 January 2009
I am honoured to have this opportunity to officially launch the Czech Presidency of the European Union on home ground. This is a fleeting instant for a prime minister, but a major historical moment for the Czech Republic.
Perhaps no nation has invested more effort, time and space than the Czechs in pondering the issues underlying its identity and the purpose of its existence. This debate, which has engrossed prominent figures from Czech science, culture and politics, has been waged ever since our modern nation started forming.
What can a nation that constantly questions its true identity offer Europe? What can the Czech Republic, as it holds the presidency, offer a European Union which itself has such difficulty finding a common identity?
I believe we are in a position to offer our experience of dealing with the ‘Czech question’, which doubles as the ‘European question’. Everything Europe is asking today, we Czechs have been asking ourselves for two centuries. In that time, we have discovered what is truly important, what genuinely matters.
We have learnt to exploit our strengths. We have learnt to make the most of very little, we have learnt how to be good listeners, we have learnt how to be flexible and resourceful, and we have learnt how to work assiduously and hard on the small, everyday issues. This stood us in good stead as we became a successful, prosperous and proud European nation even at a time we now call, with a rather exaggerated dose of pessimism and defeatism, the age of darkness.
This magnificent building, the National Theatre, is one of the milestones of Czech emancipation. It is a clear reminder that there is no need for a small nation in a multinational community to suffer from an inferiority complex. Not in the 19th century, and even less so in the 21st century. It is a clear reminder that the success of a community hinges not on lofty debates about identity, but on the concrete results generated by the unrestricted activity of millions of people.
Yes, freedom is our core value. Freedom is our reply to all questions of identity. Whether Czech or European. Freedom is the comparative advantage held by a small nation among its larger counterparts, and by a small continent among more populated and wealthier continents. Freedom is the cornerstone of our Czechhood and our Europeanness.
Here I will borrow words penned more than 70 years ago by the critic and philosopher František Václav Krejčí, because I could not put it better myself: ‘Let’s put the name of Europeanness to a clear consciousness of belonging not only to a nation, but, beyond that, to a shared cultural and moral unit which, as opposed to other continents, is represented by Europe, even though the notion of this spiritual and cultural solidarity does not overlap the geographical concept of Europe.’
Truly, Europeanness has no geographical boundaries. While our values are specifically European, they are also universal values that can be upheld by anyone endowed with free will.
The two original propositions of the Coal and Steel Community – peace and prosperity – are also universal values that remain valid today. How urgently we recall them as we enter 2009!
These topical issues, which we need to address from the very start of our presidency, overlap with the policy priorities, our ‘Three E’s’ – Economy, Energy and Europe and the World. These priorities, affecting all Member States, reveal the added value of European cooperation and, subsequently, the need to pursue solutions at a global level.
The global crisis has shown us again how relative terms such as the wealth or size of a country can be. The laws of Economics apply to everyone – large and small, rich and poor. And in an era of global markets no one can find refuge from the repercussions of past mistakes. This means that a joint, prudent approach that will rescue us from making new mistakes is all the more compelling in the search for a solution.
Energy is a pan-European and global topic. It would be hard to find a better example of a European-wide interest in need of a common foreign and security policy. The urgency of this priority has been underlined from the outset of our presidency.
Finally, there is Europe and the world. The French Presidency had to address the crisis in Georgia. The start of the Czech Presidency has witnessed a fresh escalation of tension in the Middle East. This merely confirms what we have said before – the European Union must play a much more active role in the Middle East conflict.
I repeat that Europeanness has no geographical boundaries. Besides dealing with conflicts, this also means fostering a sound neighbourhood policy and, in particular, admitting new members. We must make headway in our civilising mission and expand the common area of security, stability and prosperity.
I am convinced that, as we resolve these challenges and pursue our priorities, and as we moderate the current discussions, manage the everyday agenda and respond to any unexpected turns of event, we will be able to draw on our specific Czech experience.
Having spelled out the three priorities of our presidency, those three policy E’s, I also observe that the Czech Republic’s formal approach could be summed up as another three E’s. As we stand at the helm of the EU, we are keen to be efficient, empathetic and eclectic.
As I have mentioned, our past experience has taught us not to dwell too long on problems but to start tackling them early. Not rashly, but soberly. We have learnt that we cannot make a song and dance of it, but that we must strive to exploit our virtues and opportunities in a down-to-earth manner. History has taught us to proceed as Efficiently as possible.
We have also learnt to listen to others attentively and patiently. We have learnt to be sensitive to a number of problems that sometimes escape larger countries with a less agitated history. We are sure to need this Empathy inside and outside the EU.
Finally, a typical quality of the Czechs is that they do not adhere resolutely to any single prominent ideology, but make use of various approaches and solutions that have shown to be useful and effective. This genetic Eclecticism will certainly come in useful for the EU Presidency in today’s global, post-modern age.
These ‘three Czech E’s’ perhaps give us a certain grounding in the management of a community of 27 states and half a billion people, in which the role of the presidency is not to govern and decide, but to moderate and inspire.
I have mentioned that the value uniting our Czechhood and our Europeanness is freedom. We will be leading the European Community in a year in which we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our accession and 20 years since the fall of the totalitarian regime. Both these experiences give us the same message. They tell us that, rather than size or momentary wealth, or an institutional set-up, we should rely on freedom, on the power of thought.
The path to our Europeanness and, from it, to a global outlook, stems from our Czechness. We see Europe as a community united by the same core values and as an open area of freedom emanating both inwards and outwards. That is how I view the Czech Presidency’s motto – A Europe without Barriers.
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:54
