President Pavel calls for “strength and unity” in difficult times

In his New Year address to the nation President Petr Pavel underlined the need for strength and unity, saying it had been a difficult year from which he hoped to see the nation emerge stronger.

The president spoke of the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts and the senseless loss of life, which he said had caused great sadness, but urged Czechs to overcome their fear and not be intimidated by this show of unspeakable violence. “We can improve our laws, controls and measures, but we cannot give up our freedom because of fear” the president said.

Looking back on the past year, Mr. Pavel said he appreciated the government’s unity in undertaking  unpopular measures to tackle the country's debt, but criticized it for poor communication towards the public, which he said opened the door to populism.

He urged Czechs to go to the polls in this year’s European, regional and Senate elections, saying their voting right was “a great opportunity to influence the future direction of our country and the European Union”. He warned the public against populists and extremists, who offer unrealistic, simple solutions that would only exacerbate the country’s problems.

President Pavel also devoted time to the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the country’s membership in the European Union and NATO, stressing their importance for the country’s security and economic development.

The coming year should be better than the last, Mr. Pavel said. "We expect lower inflation, real wage growth for the first time in several years, and modest economic growth. I hope it will mark a turn for the better and give us all reason for greater optimism in the years to come," the president concluded.