MEPs observe minute's silence in memory of Kundera

The European Parliament held a minute of silence in memory of the late Czech writer Milan Kundera at its plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

French liberal MEP and former journalist Bernard Guetta said Kundera was one of the greatest writers of the second half of the 20th century, who embodied the unity of Europe.

The late Czech writer is also being remembered by French media. While Le Monde describes him as a "novelist of existence", the daily Libération writes of Kundera's "infinite freedom of writing" and recalls his relationship with Prague-born Franz Kafka.