Havel begins year-long series of discussions ahead of 20th anniversary of Velvet Revolution

Former president Václav Havel has begun a year-long series of public discussions about Czech society. The first debate in the Sunrise in the Czech Republic series took place at Brno’s Divadlo Husa na provázku theatre on Saturday. The discussions are intended as a forum for critical reflection on the state of the country as the November 2009 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution draws near. Mr Havel said he enjoyed the first debate with Brno university students, who he said had not been deformed by the communist system. The playwright and former dissident also said he did not understand opposition to a planned US radar base; America has selflessly helped the Czechs many times in the past, he said.

Divadlo Husa na provázku on Friday premiered a new show entitled Cirkus Havel, which features scenes from a number of Mr Havel’s plays, including his most recent, Leaving.