President Pavel: Czechs need more dialogue
With less than a year to go before the general elections, President Petr Pavel is calling on Czechs to listen more to one another.
Speaking to Czech Radio on the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, President Pavel shared his thoughts on the state of society, where divisions—often fueled by social media—seem to run deeper than ever.
“If we were to look at the situation in the world, in society, and in the environment, and judge it based only on what we read on social media, we could conclude that everything in Czechia is going from bad to worse. But when you go to the regions and talk to people, you find that the situation is not so bad at all. Many Czech people are satisfied with the way they live their lives. They have problems, but problems have always existed and always will. “
“It depends on whether we passively accept the things that are not going well or whether we actively do something about them. I usually meet people in those regions who are willing to tackle these problems. And when I ask them what is bothering them, they often say: 'Well, we have problems, but we solve them. We are used to solving them ourselves."
And what are the most pressing issues he’s hearing about as he travels the country? The president pointed to familiar challenges but also emphasized the need for dialogue.
"The problems are everywhere, and they are often similar. For example, the availability of medical care, schools, other social services, or transport in some regions. Another issue is the mechanism of allocating taxes—it is overly bureaucratic."
"These are completely natural challenges, but you can address them if there is a willingness to listen to each other. Lately, I feel that the willingness to listen and reach agreements is declining. Perhaps, on November 17, we should remind ourselves of the enthusiasm and ideals we had in the past. We should try to return to some of that enthusiasm and those ideals, because, as I said earlier, confrontation, exclusion, and unwillingness to listen have never led to anything good."
As for polarization, President Pavel didn’t hold back about how much it troubles him:
"I regret this situation, because I have always been someone who tries to find solutions and takes problems as challenges. Now, when I see so many problems combined with a lack of willingness to solve them, it saddens me. It feels like a missed opportunity. And missed opportunities should probably cause us more regret than things that simply cannot be done."
This has always been the basic philosophy that has guided me: do not worry about what cannot be changed, focus on what can be changed, and try to find ways to make that change happen. Now, I think it is important for us to start listening again—not rejecting everything 'the other side' says, whether it is the government or the opposition, but instead looking for rational points we can agree on and build upon. Unfortunately, this seems to be somewhat lost now, as neither side is willing to acknowledge even a glimpse of truth in the other's perspective."
Finally, reflecting on the Velvet Revolution and its historical significance, President Pavel calls for a balanced approach to remembering those events—one that avoids overly idealizing them.
"I think the best approach is balance, because anything overly idealized can have the opposite effect. Are we going to idealize Václav Havel on November 17, or any other person or event? If so, we risk provoking a rather negative reception. When we present history with all its positives and negatives, while emphasizing what good it brought us, and recognize how fortunate we were for such a moment, it resonates more authentically. It is better to acknowledge that these events brought us far more good than bad, rather than trying to paint everything in rosy hues."
