Colonel Foltýn: The state must not retreat, even if part of society rejects it

Colonel Otakar Foltýn, who has resigned as the Czech government’s coordinator for strategic communication, warned in his letter to Prime Minister Petr Fiala that the state must uphold its fundamental principles “even if they are rejected by a radicalized, but still minority part of society.” The letter, obtained by Czech Radio’s news server iROZHLAS.cz, also stresses that Czechia should have dealt with strategic communication decades ago. Foltýn, who served in the post for more than a year, is leaving following last weekend’s parliamentary elections, after frequent criticism from members of the parties that are now set to form the new majority government. He said he considered his task fulfilled, having helped lay the foundations for a unified communication approach across ministries. In closing, he paraphrased Václav Havel’s famous words, writing that “truth and love must prevail over artificially privileged lies and selfishly exploited hatred.” Foltýn has now returned to the Military Office of the President.