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Current AffairsEx-dissident Dienstbier could face Klaus in presidential elections
Jiri Dienstbier has emerged as the latest "anti-Klaus" candidate
for next year's presidential elections. The former dissident and first
post-communist foreign minister of Czechoslovakia has just confirmed he is
willing to stand. His backers, including some leading Social Democrats,
would like to see the incumbent Vaclav Klaus replaced at all costs and
hope Mr Dienstbier, aged 70, could unite opposition. Talking over the
phone to Jiri Dienstbier, who is attending a conference in San Sebastian, I
asked him what his motivation was to run for office.
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Czech BooksFrom the Bulldozer to fiery Utopias: the literary forays of Czech politicians
There is nothing unusual about politicians writing books. Sometimes they
outline a political vision, or they might be a gesture to posterity in the
hope of putting a particular "spin" on how events are remembered,
and occasionally we come across an attempt to discredit political rivals or
former friends. In this respect the Czech Republic is no exception, with
such books available in abundance in our bookshops. But one recent
publication did cause quite a stir. It was a huge glossy picture book,
devoted entirely to photographs of the man nicknamed "The
Bulldozer" - that is the last Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, who left
office last summer and makes no secret of his ambitions to return to
power. In the Czech papers the book was greeted with humour and more than
a little ironic comment.
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Current AffairsPavel Tigrid honoured in Paris
A special plaque has been unveiled in Paris in honour of the late
journalist Pavel Tigrid - one of the most influential Czech personalities
of the twentieth century. More
Current AffairsFormer Czech dissidents meet UK supporters at London theatre, 30 years later
This week some of the key figures in Czechoslovakia's Charter 77 protest
movement are getting together in London with several of the British
intellectuals who supported them 30 years ago. Charter signatories such as
Vaclav Havel and Pavel Landovsky will be sharing a theatre stage on
Thursday night with the likes of Tom Stoppard and Roger Scruton for a
debate on the legacy of the protest movement - and more.
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