Czech totalitarian studies institute quits European association
The long and bitter dispute between the Czech Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and the European association of similar agencies came to a head on Wednesday when the Czechs announced they were leaving the Europe-wide network. Both sides quote several reasons behind the rift but ideological as well as personal animosities seem to be at the core of the squabble.
The official reason given by the institute director, Pavla Foglová, is that the network, dubbed Platform of European Memory and Conscience, refused to back down on its January decision to suspend the Czech institute’s membership over its alleged infiltration by former Communists. Michal Uhl is a member of the institute’s supervisory body.
“They used the term ‘infiltration by Communists” which is very strange rhetoric that I find difficult to accept. They suspended our membership, which was in breach of their own statutes, using false and deceiving arguments. We consider the whole matter a form of political pressure.”
Czech MPs elected Michal Uhl along with three other people to the institute’s council body in 2012 as an attempt to reform the agency and shift its focus.
Michal Uhl says that the European network’s managing director, Neela Winkelmann, did not approve of the change in focus while she worked for the institute in the past, which is one of the main reasons behind the row.
“The institute should not be an ideological tool for the interpretation of history; instead, it should bring various interpretations of the past. And I believe the origin of the conflict is that Ms Winkelmann did not agree with the institute’s transformation and with the changes that came when we joined the council.”
The platform’s managing director, Neela Winkelmann expressed regret over the institute’s decision to quit the network, and said she hoped the Czech agency would reconsider the move.
But she also says the institute’s attempt to shift away from its main role was politically motivated, and is not something that will go down well with the new Czech government.
“The leadership of the institute hails from the left side of the political spectrum. However, the parliamentary elections turned out differently and we now have a reasonably centrist coalition in power.
The institute is now in the process of choosing a new director to replace Pavla Foglová which, Ms Winkelmann believes, could bring about a change of course. Five candidates have applied for the post, and the winner should be announced by the end of April.
