Press release:

Even I am not an official spokeperson of Czech nation, nor Czech government and of Czech president not at all, I would like to share with the rest of Europe following statements:

1) I am not Eurooptimist in sense that I would believe in United states of Europe. But as 75% percent of Czechs (according to polls), I feel as European, I see benefits of European integration. In this capacity, I do apologize to the rest of Europe for misbehaviour of Czech President.

2) To all my journalistic and diplomatic colleagues, who were asking me very frequently: Czech constitution does not include impeachment. Yes, it is good idea to change it, but for the moment our political representation does not have will to find a date even for elections, not speaking about constitutional change. The best speaking Czech politician of the last few weeks I have experienced personally is Prime Minister Jan Fischer. He has good sense of humour and - as I heard him speaking on Forum 2000 conference evening dinner - has interesting vision what is necessary to do with this country. Unfortunately, he is not elected politician, but puppet of two political parties.

3) Czech President is elected by parliament. Vaclav Klaus was elected with help of communists and there are awful background and unpublished stories who promised what to whom during electoral marathon last year.

4) Activity of Czech President must be explained not by logical arguments, not by political ones, but strictly and only by psychological, even psychiatrical ones.

5) Czech politics has got into stalemate after the vote of non-confidence of government of Mirek Topolanek in March. Nor social democrats, nor president, who were both behind the motion, did not have plan B. Personal revenge has got us into situation which is hardly to explain to anybody outside Prague.

6) Follow the statements of President Klaus after his today’s meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Those, who had illusions about relation of acting Czech head of state to Russia, must be surprised. Those, who did not, were not. I would not be surprised if any of my at-the-moment-hypothetical grand-sons being historian would find in Russian archives in the year of 2050 the proof that idea about Sudeten-German danger raised by Klaus at very last moment against Lisbon treaty was inspired by somebody in Kremlin or Ljubljanka.

7) I feel pleased that Czech Republic is now so popular in European media, but I would prefer different source of joy or anger. In the capacity mentioned above, I apologize again.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Ehl