Bill Clinton: Havel told me, We have to trust freedom and democracy
Among those paying tribute to Václav Havel on what would have been his 90th birthday has been former US president Bill Clinton, who in an interview for Czech Radio shared memories of his political ally and long-time friend.
In an interview with Czech Radio for the 90th anniversary of Václav Havel’s birth, Bill Clinton recalled their first encounter in 1991, two years before he took office.
By then, Clinton says, Havel’s prison letters had already made a strong impression on him.
“First, I thought his writings had faithfully represented who he was. He seemed real.
"Second, we were meeting through our mutual friend Madeleine Albright [later US secretary of state under Clinton], and he was very relaxed and we had a good time.
"And my third reaction was, I want to stay in touch with this guy. I can learn a lot from him just watching him. He had a funny way of always knowing what to say and when to say it.”
The 42nd US president interacted with the most powerful people in the world during his eight years in office. But he says Czechia’s dissident playwright turned head of state was among the international leaders he felt closest to.
“I don't know that I enjoyed being with anybody in politics any more than him. He and I were friends.
"I got very close to Helmut Kohl, which was interesting, because some of our political bases were different a little bit. And I was really close to Mandela.
"But they were all people who believed in freedom. And who did not think they should stay for life. They thought they should do their time, render their service – and go on with their lives.”
Mr. Clinton, who is now 80, recalls Václav Havel as somebody who was always ready to dust himself off after political setbacks.
“I think on his 90th birthday, people should remember that Havel never claimed to have all the answers, but he knew how things should be done.
"And he was never discouraged when people made decisions he didn't agree with. He just kept plugging.”
Bill Clinton also says that the Czech democracy leader, who died in 2011, had a steadfast outlook that has stayed with him over the decades.
“My strongest memory of him always will revolve around our private conversations. Because he would say to me, over and over again, We have to trust freedom, we have to trust democracy. People will often make decisions we disagree with. Things will go backwards as well as forwards.
“But, he said, if people are free, truly free in a system which favours both majority rule and minority rights and which preserves individual liberties, things will work out in the end. We have to believe that. He believed that. And so do I.”
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Václav Havel remembered
Czech democracy leader Václav Havel was born 90 years ago this October. We speak to several people who were close to the dissident playwright-turned-president.
