Klaus says his life would have been simpler without amnesty

The Czech president, Václav Klaus, says his life would have been simpler if he had not declared an amnesty on January 1. Mr. Klaus, who steps down on Thursday, made the comment in an interview in the newspaper Právo. The president’s poll ratings fell in the wake of the amnesty, the most controversial plank of which halted cases – several involving alleged massive corruption – running for eight years or more and carrying sentences of at least a decade. Mr. Klaus told Právo that while his life would “obviously have been simpler” without the amnesty, he would not take a different approach today. The head of state said he had personally authored it, adding that questions about who had drafted it represented a “stupid media or political game”.

Author: Ian Willoughby