Knižní Klub Publishes New Work By Czech President Vaclav Klaus

Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic, has notched up a long and impressive record in politics – and as a writer, with a string of successful publications to his name. Knižní Klub alone, the club operated by Direct Group’s Czech subsidiary Euromedia, has published ten works by Klaus. In his most recent book, published earlier this month under the title “Kde zacina zitrek” (roughly “Where Tomorrow Begins”), the President and his publisher recall the “Velvet Revolution,” which put a bloodless end to the communist regime in Czechoslovakia in November 1989.

In the book, which Vaclav Klaus and Euromedia CEO Andreas Kaulfuss presented to the public on Nov 10 in Prague, the President presents an overview of his thoughts and opinions on the fall of communism, the 1990s, the current state of Czech politics, and the European Union. He suggests that communism ended in 1989 mainly due to its internal collapse. The doctrine was had dead, had been dead for a long time, the regime’s power was growing weaker and the people no longer feared it.

Klaus says that while he began work on “Kde zacina zitrek” five years ago, the 20th anniversary of the “Velvet Revolution” motivated him to finish the book in time for the date. "This year I felt it would be nice to write something as a present to celebrate the anniversary of November 17th," he revealed.

On Nov 16, the eve of the anniversary, Klaus welcomed readers and supporters to a book signing at the Neo Luxor bookstore on Prague’s Wenzel Square. “You will not find any juicy details in my latest book,“ he warned his readers. “I am not a person who writes bad things about his political colleagues or who showcases their scandals.“ Slightly tongue-in-cheek, he encouraged guests to buy his new book as it also represented a real bargain. “As a writer I have to admit I was even somewhat offended with the price of one copy at 199 CZK (12 USD),“ the President joked. The long line of people queuing for the President's autograph in front of the bookstore long before the start of the signing suggested, however, that the economic incentive was not the prime motivator. (benet)