Albright says Roma not respected in Czech Republic and elsewhere

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, speaking at a conference of the Prague branch of the American think-tank the Aspen Institute, expressed her views on the strengthening of extremist parties in Europe as confirmed by the recent elections to the European Parliament, as well as on the position of Romani people in Europe. A native of Prague, Albright said she is following with great distress the lack of respect enjoyed by Romani people in the Czech Republic and elsewhere. 

"I believe we will never have a good system of public affairs management anywhere until human rights are recognized for all. Romani people must have the opportunity to integrate into society in all countries," she said. 

Albright said she is greatly concerned by the growing popularity of extremist opinions among the citizens of the Czech Republic. She said she believes people must realize that such posturing only worsens the situation.

The former Secretary of State made her remarks in an exclusive interview with public broadcaster Czech Television. "People must understand that democracy requires constant work. It’s not just the president or the prime minister who must work on democracy, but every citizen. This is work for everyone," she said.

"It’s hard to read about it, I have to say it makes me very sad," she said of the atmosphere in the Czech Republic, in which right-wing radicals continue to increase in popularity and voter preferences are also growing for the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia. Nevertheless, Albright said she has faith in her erstwhile fellow-citizens.

"I always say I’m an optimist, but there is always something to be afraid of. However, I have faith that people will wake up and realize that extremism leads nowhere, that it just makes things worse for people," she said.

Albright also talked about her late friend, the former Czech President Václav Havel. "I have only one criticism of President Havel, which I told him face-to-face, and that is that he didn’t want to establish a political party," Albright said. 

"I believe the moral power that he had has become dispersed in a certain way, because there is no political party in existence that was once his," said the woman who served as Secretary of State in the Clinton administration. Michael Žantovský, who now heads the Prague branch of the Aspen Institute and who was once Czech Ambassador in London and Havel’s former spokesperson, also recalled the "fiery" debates about Havel establishing a party.  

"Some of us did our best to convince him to go for it. A large number of his supporters wanted to be organized somehow, while others didn’t," Žantovský said.

In addition to Albright and Žantovský, the conference featured Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš, and the former Hungarian Foreign Minister and EU Commissioner Péter Balázs. Today the Czech Senate will be addressed by Joe Lieberman, a former candidate for US Vice President, former Slovak PM Iveta Radičová, and the Mayor of Prague, Tomáš Hudeček.