Ex-director: crisis at Václav Havel Library was visible long before today's turmoil
The future of the Václav Havel Library has become uncertain amid disputes over its leadership, governance and the use of Václav Havel's name. Former director Milan Babík, who led the institution for less than a year, says many of today's problems were already apparent during his tenure. In an interview with Radio Prague International, he reflects on his brief experience and on what he believes the library should represent.
The Václav Havel Library, one of the Czech Republic's leading institutions dedicated to preserving the legacy of the country's first post-communist president, is facing the deepest crisis in its history. Recent months have seen the departure of Dagmar Havlová from the institution she co-founded, disputes over the composition of its governing bodies, the withdrawal of its principal donor, questions over the future use of Václav Havel's name and uncertainty about the library's future direction.
For Milan Babík, however, the current turmoil did not come as a surprise. The Czech-born academic left a successful career in the United States to become director of the library in June 2024, succeeding longtime director Michael Žantovský. His tenure lasted less than a year, but he now says the warning signs appeared almost immediately.
Leaving an academic career for what seemed a dream job
Babík says becoming director of the Václav Havel Library was never part of a long-term career plan. He was approached after long time of promoting Havel's legacy in the United States through conferences, exhibitions and public events. Although some people warned him about internal tensions, he decided to relocate with his family to the Czech Republic.
"I was approached by the board after my predecessor, Michael Žantovský, left following many years of distinguished service. The process lasted six or seven months and involved numerous interviews. I had spent quite a bit of time spreading Václav Havel's legacy in the United States through conferences, theatre projects and museum exhibitions, and I suppose that's what attracted the board. Many people discouraged me from taking the job because of what they described as toxic tendencies within the institution, but I ultimately decided to end my academic career in the United States and move my family to the Czech Republic."
Despite the optimism with which he accepted the position, Babík says his expectations quickly collided with reality.
"I literally do not know to this day why it didn't last longer. Looking back, though, I think I detected some deep problems within the institution almost immediately. I can admit now that I started looking for another job only three months into my tenure. The problems that are troubling the institution today were already quite apparent to me back then."
His remarks come as the library continues to grapple with disputes over its governance and future, while negotiations continue over the use of Václav Havel's name and intellectual legacy.
"I was naive"
Perhaps Babík's strongest words concern what he says he discovered about the institution's internal culture. Asked why people who all profess respect for Václav Havel's legacy have been unable to work together, he challenges the assumption itself.
"I'd have to respectfully disagree with that assumption. My expectation was that respect for Václav Havel's legacy was the overarching goal that united everyone. Unfortunately, that was not what I found when I worked there. I realised that I myself had been quite naive in thinking that's what we were all supposed to be doing. For me, it was a deeply sobering, sad and professionally humiliating experience."
Without naming anyone, Babík stresses that these are his personal conclusions based on his own experience rather than an attempt to explain every aspect of the current dispute. Still, he says he is pessimistic about the institution's future if it continues under the influence of people whom he believes contributed to its problems.
More than an archive
Despite his disappointment, Babík remains convinced that Václav Havel's original vision for the library deserves to survive. In his view, Havel never intended it to function merely as an archive preserving documents from his presidency and dissident years. Instead, it should serve as a living institution connecting his ideas with contemporary public debate.
"For Václav Havel, the really important characteristic was that it would be a living place — a meeting place, a vibrant hub of civil society where people could discuss issues relevant not only to his presidency or his plays, but also to the future, always in pursuit of freedom and democracy."
Milan Babík adds that Havel himself does not necessarily need a dedicated library to remain an important historical figure. Nevertheless, he believes some of the institution's activities have played an invaluable role in Czech public life.
"I don't think Václav Havel needs a library to be celebrated and studied. But some of the programmes the library has run have been extremely valuable, especially its public discussions. They created a place where people could meet, exchange ideas and debate openly. Anything that promotes that kind of civil discussion is profoundly important, and the Václav Havel Library did exactly that."
Whether the institution can continue fulfilling that role remains uncertain. But Babík says the current crisis should not obscure what he considers Havel's enduring message: that democratic society depends not only on political institutions, but also on civil society, places where citizens can freely exchange ideas, disagree respectfully and keep the public conversation alive.
