Czech president describes EU as "foreign empire"

Czech President Vaclav Klaus says he considers the European Union a foreign power, and likened it to various empires that oppressed his country for centuries.

Izvor: Tanjug

Wednesday, 24.08.2011.

19:11

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Czech President Vaclav Klaus says he considers the European Union a foreign power, and likened it to various empires that oppressed his country for centuries. "First, Vienna ruled over us for three centuries, and then Berlin did for a few years. Then the four decades of Moscow followed, and then ten years of freedom. Now we have Brussels," Klaus told the European Forum held in Alpbach, Austria. Czech president describes EU as "foreign empire" The president was answering a question about whether he regretted the fact his country had joined the EU. "After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, there were graffiti on the walls reading, "Back to Europe", and in that situation, it went without saying that we belonged to Europe. That was before Maastricht, that was the time of the European Community," he explained. According to him, Europeans should cooperate and live together, but that should be taking place through bilateral cooperation between governments, rather than through "supernationalism". Klaus was addressing the forum's mostly young, pro-EU audience, which, reports said, was "astonished by his stance". Klaus also noted that he was in favor of civil, rather than human rights, and that the Green parties nurtured a collectivist ideology, which "scares him". The Czech president asserted that the global economic crisis was not caused by unregulated markets, but by the influence exerted by governments. The Czechs did not spend four decades under Communism to now start regulating markets, said Klaus. Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek, who presides over the forum, described Klaus as a politician of great intellect - "who are few and far between in Europe" - and that it was "important to face" his position regarding these issues. Vaclav Klaus (right) at the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) (Tanjug, file)

Czech president describes EU as "foreign empire"

The president was answering a question about whether he regretted the fact his country had joined the EU.

"After the Velvet Revolution of 1989, there were graffiti on the walls reading, "Back to Europe", and in that situation, it went without saying that we belonged to Europe. That was before Maastricht, that was the time of the European Community," he explained.

According to him, Europeans should cooperate and live together, but that should be taking place through bilateral cooperation between governments, rather than through "supernationalism".

Klaus was addressing the forum's mostly young, pro-EU audience, which, reports said, was "astonished by his stance".

Klaus also noted that he was in favor of civil, rather than human rights, and that the Green parties nurtured a collectivist ideology, which "scares him".

The Czech president asserted that the global economic crisis was not caused by unregulated markets, but by the influence exerted by governments.

The Czechs did not spend four decades under Communism to now start regulating markets, said Klaus.

Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Erhard Busek, who presides over the forum, described Klaus as a politician of great intellect - "who are few and far between in Europe" - and that it was "important to face" his position regarding these issues.

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