Czech & Slovak Leaders 02/2020

Czech & Slovak Leaders II/2020

JUNE/SEPTEMBER 2020

Ladislav Dráb, Entrepreneur and Philantrophist

Life has taught me

HUMILITY and RESPECT

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P UBLISHER ’ S

NOTE

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CONTENTS

DEAR READERS,

events  page 8

We are living in strange times indeed during this Covid-19 pandemic and it seems to go on and on. Right now, there are record numbers of those who have been affected by the Coronavirus around the world.

However, I think we must be positive and optimistic and continue with whatever we are doing in life. Remaining positive and optimistic, not losing hope even when life gets difficult is a key achievement. Also, another piece of advice, look at each other, smile more and care for and value each other more even while keeping distant. We never know what will happen next.

We are working hard to create and maintain our unique magazine, mixing high-quality exciting interviews with coverage of top-level events in the field of business, politics, culture, and the diplomatic sphere. This wouldn’t be possible without my wonderful and extremely effective team – Lenka, Linda, Šárka, Martina, Petra, and Radka. I am blessed to work with such a group.

Autumn is fast approaching with its fantastic colors, enjoy our beautiful nature and when you have time, read our new Magazine with approximately 20 new great interviews with outstanding people in various occupations and, despite the Corona pandemic, some high class events.

President Miloš Zeman receiving the government of the Czech Republic

8 12 14 18 26 28 30 56 68

President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman representing the Czech Republic The Senate welcomed the US Minister of Foreign Affairs, Michael R. Pompeo Summer at the Senate Visit of the President of the Senate to Taiwan Round Table of Comenius Discussion Dinner with Mr. Adam Vojtěch Round Table of Comenius Discussion Dinner with Mr. Jiří Rusnok International Energy Club 2020 Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador ČSÚZ

In this issue we have some very interesting and in-depth interviews such as our Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, the charismatic businessman Mr. Ladislav Dráb, General Petr Pavel, Mr. Radoslaw Kedzia, VP CEE Nordic Region Huawei, Ambassadors of Thailand, Slovenia, Ghana, and Greece, Mr. Sotiris Foutiris, Head of University of New York, Mr. Jiří Šedivý, EDA, Mr. Petr Kazík, President CMA, Mr. Roland Leisztner, Property Developer, Prof. Radek Ptáček, MUDr. Pavel Říman, Orthopedist, Mr. Josef Středula, Jan Řežáb, JRD, or Jan Sklenička, CZU.

 page 18

Our coverage of important events such as presidential visits by President Zeman, Senate and their travel to Taiwan, the Greece Ambassador´s farewell party, ASEAN, Round Table with Adam Vojtěch and Jiří Rusnok, IEC in Ostrava, Vienna Conference, CSUZ, American Barber event, PragArtworks, Lions, and, from my team, Linda’s Travelling Diary in Covid times.

Dear Readers, I wish you all a very pleasant autumn.

Benke Aikell benke.aikell@czechleaders.com be www.czechleaders.com

The Senate President gives a speech at a Taiwan university

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C ONTENTS

interviews  page 5

Ladislav Dráb with Bill Clinton

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Interview with Ladislav Dráb Life has taught me humility and respect Interview with Andrej Babiš Business is in many respects much simpler than politics Interview with Efthymios Efthymiades Deep roots between Greece and the Czech Republic Interview with Petr Pavel The state of our society has been a pleasant surprise Interview with Ureerat Chareontoh We are opening new areas for cooperation between the Czech Republic and Thailand Interview with Tanja Strniša My role is to promote positive exchange among nations Interview with Madam Virginia Hesse I knew of Praha and Bratislava before coming here Interview with Sotiris Foutsis I am very confident about UNYP students and graduates Interview with Jiří Šedivý EU is the best ship to navigate us through the stormy weather Interview with Radoslaw Kedzia Struggles make you stronger Interview with Daniel Meron Global food security in the shadow of Covid-19

70 Interview with Roland Leisztner Nobody wants a crisis, but we’ve got to deal with one 72 Interview with Radek Ptáček If you need to, then seek professional help 76 Interview with Petr Smejkal Evidence-based medicine 78 Interview with Pavel Říman Live, play sports and eat sensibly, so you have no need of an orthopaedic surgeon 82 Interview with Josef Středula We need respect for different professions 84 Interview with Jan Řežáb I want to leave a positive mark on society 90 Interview with Petr Kazík Make time for projects you can put your heart into 94 Interview with Petr Sklenička Our Smart Landscape project is attracting attention around the world 100 Interview with Sara Polak Students, changemakers and the rise of Czech creative solutions during the pandemic and the first online university hackathon 103 Interview with Nora Fridrichová On women, children, missing computers and long shopping lists 108 Interview with Dominik Furgler Crises happen unexpectedly

culture events 23 Cathedral and Mosque interfaith dialogue 88 American Barber event 98 PragArtworks Art during the time of coronavirus 106 Galerie MIRO  page 88

 page 35

From left: Herwig Eelen, Almar Orn, and Dan Bradford

diplomatic events 20 32 38 80

Greece farewell party ASEAN community in the Czech Republic Diplomatic Academy Vienna Diplomatic Spouses Association International Christmas Festival

Petr Pavel

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CONTENTS

contributors 49 Tereza Urbánková Some thoughts on the world after the pandemic 52 Cristina Muntean Hybrid Leadership – welcome to the new normal 62 Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná Technologies and fast-changing world 64 Linda Štucbartová Of travelling across Europe in summer 2020 74 Iva Drebitko Quo Vadis Domine? – the paradox of humanity’s arbitrary “self-destruction” 87 Kraig Casebier Living the American dream in the Czech Republic 92 James A. Cusumano Universal Truth. Dialogue III: Consciousness Part 1

Linda Štucbartová

 page 64

Publisher: Benke Aikell Head of Editorial: Lenka Helena Koenigsmark Office Assistant: Tatiana Fominykh Webmaster: Petra Kubernátová DTP: Šárka Čičková EU Matters: CEBRE Czech Business Representation, CESES, Europlatform Contributors: James A. Cusumano, Martina Hošková, Lenka Helena Koenigsmark, Jan Mühlfeit, Kateřina Novotná, Linda Štucbartová, Tereza Urbánková, Kraig Casebier, Cristina Muntean, Emanuel Šíp, Iva and Joseph Drebitko Photographers: Hana Brožková, Michal Krumphanzl, Alex Cruz, Jitka Tomečková, Tereza Šlápotová Subscription: Czech & Slovak Leaders, Rumunská 1, 120 00 Praha 2 We appreciate your opinions of Czech & Slovak Leaders.

Of travelling across Europe in summer 2020 – Switzerland

EU matters 97 EU matters business 110 Interview with Tomáš Prouza We have had too many Le Pens and no Macron 112 EU matters business

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Interview with

Ladislav Drรกb

Entrepreneur and Philantrophist

Life has taught me HUMILITY and RESPECT

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Interview with Ladislav Dráb Do you need to sell or buy commodities in large quantities? And not only commodities, but also large industrial units or expensive machines such as aircraft and locomotives? Then BETONDIS is here for you. A company whose mission is the democratisation of the commodities market.

How does it happen that you start selling individual products in volumes of thousands of metric cents? How can you build a company whose team includes two former Czech Prime Ministers, a former Canadian Minister and former Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic in one, and several former Deputy Ministers, alongside large global investors and a London physicist? And parallel with the business you devote yourself to a foundation which collaborates with the Clinton Foundation?

The claim that life itself writes the most beautiful stories is not a cliché. Ladislav Dráb's life story could be published as a novel. However, Ladislav Dráb doesn't care much for flowery words; he's more attracted to concrete actions and most importantly results. Meeting Ladislav, and listening to his concept of building a business, was very stimulating in today's hectic time of startups which don't even survive one year of the company's existence. At a time when investments are decided on by PowerPoint presentations with a so-called sketched hockey stick, Ladislav Dráb only launches an established international company on the market after three years' operation. And the fact that the event will involve a former US President and several individuals who are at the top of the list of the richest people on the planet certainly heralds one of the highlights of next year.

We spoke about the commodities trade, an ambitious plan to help small and mediumsized companies, the foundation's mission and friendships with celebrities, not in some opulent hotel or trendy restaurant, but in a co-working centre in Karlín. With Ladislav Dráb, you cannot help but notice that content always takes priority over cheap external effects.

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How do you build an international company which trades virtually, and one transaction starts at a minimal value of 300,000 USD? Every company has its own development and history. The present-day BETONDIS stands on solid foundations of more than 30 years of business activity, which began while I was working in Canada. We gradually came to the conclusion that today we have far more opportunities to trade virtually than physically. Therefore, we wanted to create a platform which will help business. We focus on not only commodities, but also large investment projects.

Given the fact that the platform was launched in September 2018, it looks like the current wave of the Covid-19 pandemic found BETONDIS prepared.

Yes, that's the case. We're proving that a travel ban doesn't have to mean the end of fundamental, large-volume transactions. With us, you can still trade fully. The platform is completely original.

There are platforms for individual commodities, but our scope really is wide. Our offers and request brokering options are truly complex, and go across continents, sectors, markets, etc. I can't use the comparison “from a screw to a locomotive“, because even the screws would have to be of a volume worth 300,000 USD. We currently offer not only flour, but also the option of building a mill processing plant. Please, let us not confuse platforms with e-shops. In our company, we've set a very high initial level of investment, so that we can provide both sides with a maximum guarantee of the successful realisation of the entire sales cycle. The BETONDIS team is composed of high-quality experts, and every one of them brings unique experience and expertise in the given sector to the project. By the way, in relation to your comments in the introduction on the composition of the team – with the growth of BETONDIS, the team will also expand to include at least 12 more people in the near future.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

What's your approach to building companies? Do you pursue a strong vision or mission, or do you gradually build the company from the ground up?

Life has taught me humility and respect. We've no ambition to be number one or number two.

We want the users of the platform to be sure not only that they will conclude the transaction, but also that both sides will fulfil their obligations.

In September 2021, we'll celebrate three years' operation in the market. We'll officially launch the company on the market. We're looking forward to the arrival of one of former US presidents, and we also invited persons who are at the top of the list of the wealthiest people on the planet.

From the future, let's go to the past. The story of your career began in Canada?

In the year 1987, I left socialist Czechoslovakia and went to Canada. Just like many other people, the beginning of my story revolves around the decision to go to a foreign country without savings or a knowledge of the language which is spoken there, and with the idea that I may never return to my old homeland. And then I just kept going.

I believe that each one of us has a certain life story.

In Canada, I belonged to the so-called Cuban generation of immigrants, and before us there were the August and February generations from the year 1948. My first work in Canada was sealing leatherette seats in orange school buses with a soldering iron. The schoolchildren damaged and tore the seats out of boredom. It was customary around the world to get your wages every Friday.

More experienced fellow workers advised us that if we don't get paid on Friday, we shouldn't come in on Monday. I didn't believe them, so I went back to work. After I didn't receive my wages for the second time, I understood. It is these experiences that are formative. If someone asked me whether I'd do it all again, I'd answer yes. What I value the most is meeting the interesting people whom I came to know while doing business. And I'm happy that

I'm still in contact with most of the people today.

For example, I know Otto Jelinek, former Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Canadian Minister for Sport, from Canada.

But you came back from Canada. What was the return like? Many people expect a shock when leaving, but they don't always prepare to return.

I returned to the Czech Republic in the year 2000, so that the children could go to a Czech school.

I wanted to enable the children to speak Czech, spend time with their grandparents and experience a childhood similar to mine. However, after five years, the children wanted to try the Canadian school system again. Canada has one major advantage. You have winter from November to May. Note my positive attitude; I intentionally didn't mention it as a disadvantage. Montreal, Toronto and other big cities are well prepared for winter.

Life takes place indoors or underground. In the end, we chose the USA instead of Canada.

As for the return, everything went without problems. I started doing business again. I don't want to offend anyone, but I don't really understand individuals who can't speak Czech properly after two years, and intersperse sentences with badly pronounced English words. Since the year 2008, we've been living alternately in Prague and the USA, and if it wasn't for the current restrictions I'd still alternate our regimen between Prague and abroad.

Thanks to living in the United States of America, I got to know Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods and Carlos Bremer, right-hand man of Carlos Slim Helú, who was the richest man in the world for several years and even overtook Bill Gates on the list.

You mention Tiger Woods and Bill Clinton, with whom you became friends during his trip to Prague in the year 2012. Was it he who inspired you to set up the Foundation?

I really admire Tiger Woods as a personality. His energy is unique. He can draw attention to himself without speaking. I played golf with him several times. I'm sure that when he's wearing a cap and glasses, people won't immediately recognise who he is, but they'll always note his presence in some way and start watching him. Bill Clinton's voice is very interestingly set, thanks to which he can speak to people really well. He has an incredible ability to unite people rather than polarise them and pit them against each other. I really appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to discover Africa by his side. Over six days, we travelled through seven African countries, from Malawi to South Africa.

Africa had a huge effect on me. Never before did I see so much beauty and poverty at the same time. I think that every European should try to live a day in the difficult local conditions, so that we appreciate what we have. For example water and its availability. I got involved in the “Water for Africa“ project. However, I discovered that in the case of non-profit projects, relatively large sums very often stay in the foundations themselves. That's why I decided to set up my own foundation, where 99% of its income will truly serve its purpose. At the same time, I realised that I can't help everyone.

The Drab Foundation, which you set up, helps in three main respects: it provides lunches to children, and focuses on the health service and education. However, people who don't fall into any of those categories can also turn to you. Which story is etched in your memory the most?

Yes, if we think we can help, we organise a public collection whose entire proceeds are donated to the specific form of assistance. We started the Lunches for Children project in the year 2014. I remember the story of two schoolchildren whose parents died in a car accident. They were put into the care of their aunt, who however wasn't prepared for this new role. She was one of the first applicants. What bothers me even more is the fact that, in our country in the year 2020, we simply aren't able to ensure that children in need have basics such as a school lunch. Children aren't responsible for their parents. And it really bothers me that the state is failing in this regard.

We'll stay on the topic of education. What mentoring advice would you give to your younger self?

This isn't a difficult question, but it is an interesting one. It can be answered from many angles. If I have to summarize it in one sentence, it would be about the ability to stop. It seems to me that the young generation has lost its humility towards other generations, and I see a tendency to push everything forward. I want them to not just hear, but also listen. And perceive the world around them...

We've reached the traditional end of the interview. From what I've learned about you, I suspect that it will involve a specific new project rather than lofty quotations.

We've prepared an offer of assistance for small and medium-sized companies, not only in the Czech Republic but around the world. I think that the pandemic has only begun, and its impacts will be very far-reaching and deep. On our platform, we now offer the category “Restart Your Business With Us“, for the purpose of starting a business and increasing its visibility. Every country has the option of 15 vacancies, and others can participate for a symbolic fee of €1/day. I hope that entrepreneurs will avail themselves of this opportunity, and address a group which they haven't considered until now. We currently collaborate with more than 1,000 personal contacts around the world. And this network creates other networks and potential contacts. I've already stated that relationships are key for me. And in conjunction with the platform, they can mean great potential and opportunity for other people who are interested. BETONDIS was created from the phrase “I bet on this“, and I stand behind the new project and our motto.

I am confident in declaring that our executive and senior advisory boards of the BETONDIS, which are represented in significant and internationally recognized personalities and representatives of business, diplomacy, financial area and politics, are a guarantee of seriousness and success, for all our partners. I am sure that all of them

would confirm it. Let us name some of them.

Miloš Hala, my founding partner and the former Deputy Minister of Transport and a successful businessman, Mr. Jan Fischer, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mrs. Eva Anderová, former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Carlos Bremer, successful financier, and I could continue with other significant BETONDIS partners and representatives.

Eva Anderová I am fond of being the partner and the member of the team of the outstanding personalities of the BETONDIS and its unique trading platform, which enables a realization of business across all continents, the North and the South Poles excluded. Even more so, saving significant economic costs, to all our partners. Literally, those of logistic and other costs connected with business realization.

Carlos Bremer Gutierrez BETONDIS trading platform brings global connection of various activities without the need to travel. Mostly small and medium-sized companies may acquire business partners that they do not know about today.

Jan Fischer BETONDIS´ great benefit is that through transactions it connects people and creates a platform for their effective communication.

Miloslav Hala World changed and significant changes are influencing more and more everything what we do in our jobs as well as in our everyday life.

Electronic communication has impact in many respects on business behavior of clients and procedures in global scale. It became quite normal to purchase consumer goods from US or Europe in China, we are convinced that in near future it should not be any problem to conclude bigger transactions from any country in the world by using our unique business platform “BETONDIS”.

Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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P RESIDENTIAL

P HOTO : H ANKA B ROŽKOVÁ

AND

KPR

PRESIDENT MILOŠ ZEMAN

President Miloš Zeman receiving the government of the Czech Republic

From left: H.E. Stephen King, Ambassador of the USA and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

Village of the Year contest

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Pavel Šámal, Judge of the Constitutional Court and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

P RESIDENTIAL

From left: Jan Hamáček, Minister of the Interior and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Jan Hamáček, Minister of the Interior and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic and Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister

Village of the Year contest

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P RESIDENTIAL

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

Zlatý Ámos contest – best teachers in the Czech Republic

From left: Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

From left: Cardinal Dominik Duka and Miloš Zeman, President of the Czech Republic

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Easter during corona times

WWII Rememberance Ceremony at Vítkov hill

Louise Beer, founder of PragArtworks, Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer, Kateřina Koželská, founder of Hormed, Marcela Janíčková, founder of Visual Coach, Eva Anderová, Vice President UNYP and Honorary Consul of Zambia

Looking for a special place for your birthday or networking event?

Consider PragArtworks Gallery as being an inspirational place.

Louise Beer, the founder of PragArtworks Gallery, hosted a birthday party for Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer of Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine.

Linda mentioned that being born in July is not very fortunate for someone who loves people and events. “However, this year, I decided not to postpone my birthday event to a more suitable time but instead to celebrate it on the very day. And why ladies only? The pandemic showed me that women respond to stress differently than men. Our response is not “fight or flight” but more “tend and care”. It was a great opportunity to catch up with my friends and to get their support after such a challenging period when some of us lost our business,

Louise Beer, founder of PragArtworks and H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh - Ambassador of Thailand

some of us could not see our families and we all faced difficult turbulent times.”

Linda met Louise during their interviews for the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine in 2018.

Since then, they became good friends and they have inspired one another.

Louise opened the gallery last October. Her purpose is to demystify art for the younger generation and also to promote Czech art. To everyone interested in art, pay attention. Czech artists are still not very well known abroad, and you can get excellent art for an affordable price, compared to European and Chinese art.

A group of 20 ladies enjoyed prosecco, a gallery tour, and networking.

Kateřina Bursíková-Jacques (co-owner of Sněmovní 7), Katarina Emma Schapiro (Continuum Partners), Kateřina Koželská, founder of Hormed, and Marcela Janíčková, founder of Visual Coach

Jitka Tomečková, Czech and Slovak Leaders photographer, is the author of the pictures.

Cocktail food was kindly made by René Beauchamp, Louise’s husband. It is great to see that after many years of supporting his career, now he is supporting hers. Actually, it is thanks to René that Louise arrived to Prague in 2002.

Visit René‘s blog, Rise & Spice, if you want to know how to make Parmesan Grissini, black olive bread rolls, and super tasty chocolate mini-cupcakes.

The art themed invitation was made by Marcela Janíčková from Visual Coach.

Happy summer and enjoy your networking!

Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer, Eva Anderová, Vice President UNYP and Honorary Consul of Zambia

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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S ENATE

The Senate welcomed the US Minister of Foreign Affairs, Michael R. Pompeo (12/08/2020)

President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil welcomes the head of US diplomacy, Michael Pompeo

12th August 2020, Prague. President of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, and the US Minister of Foreign Affairs, Michael R. Pompeo, unanimously referred to the values of freedom, democracy and independence in their speeches during a meeting in the premises of the Upper Chamber of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. In his speech, the head of US diplomacy also publicly supported the planned Senate trip to Taiwan.

Minister Pompeo signs the visitors' book

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In the introduction, President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil noted that Europe historically managed to strengthen its free spirit thanks to support and help from democratic countries, in particular the United States. He also pointed out that this visit by a top US diplomat to the Czech Republic is taking place 30 years after former President Václav Havel's speech in the US Congress. “I regard it as symbolic that this is happening at a time when Europe's free spirit is weakening. I am convinced that we should make use of this meeting. We should use it to ensure that the Czech Republic, European countries and Europe as a whole begin to place a greater emphasis on defending their values and democratic principles, and to pay more heed to their sovereignty, independence and distinctiveness.”

References to Václav Havel were also heard several times in the speech by the US Minister of Foreign Affairs, Michael R. Pompeo.

He warned, referring among others to the Russian Federation and the Communist Party of China, that authoritarianism did not end in 1989 or 1991. “Despite that great period, it is evident that a number of geopolitical aspects which we pushed out at the time have not disappeared. The things we believed have turned out to be different.

And maybe, maybe we are only recognising trends now that we should have recognised long ago.”

In his speech, Minister Pompeo also expressed his support for the President of the Senate's upcoming trip to Taiwan, and emphasised that the United States supports the Czech Republic, just like it always supports allies who fight for freedom.

Senators Tomáš Jirsa and Jiří Dienstbier, Vice-President of the Senate Jan Horník and Renáta Chmelová took part in the subsequent discussion, moderated by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, Pavel Fischer.

To conclude, President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil gave the key to the Senate of the Czech Republic, the most free and democratic institution in the country, to the Minister as a sign of trust and friendship.

S ENATE

The Czech and American anthems were played at the beginning

Minister Pompeo addressed senators and distinguished guests

Minister Pompeo answered questions at the plenary

Minister Pompeo received the key to the Senate of the Czech Republic from President of the Senate MiloĹĄ VystrÄ?il

Minister Pompeo's speech received an applause in the Senate

Applauding senators

Minister Pompeo took part in a discussion with senators

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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Preview of the exhibition about the famous Czech writer, Karel Čapek, in Wallenstein Garden

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President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil talks about his trip to Taiwan

S ENATE Taiwan meeting – President of the Senate meets with business leaders before his trip to Taiwan

President of the Senate M. Vystrčil, 1st Vice-President of the Senate J. Růžička, Vice-President of the Senate M. Horská and Chairman of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, P. Fischer took part in a commemorative act of reverence to honour the fallen of the 1968 occupation

President of the Senate Miloš Vystrčil talks about his trip to Taiwan

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

A NDREJ B ABIŠ , P RIME M INISTER

P HOTO : A RCHIVE

Hello, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for the interview, timing has been very challenging these days, so we are grateful for your time spent with us. So let us start with a question about the Czech Republic and its position on the international scene.

We play an active role. Unlike the previous Prime Minister, I can speak without an interpreter so I don't just sit in the corner. We can promote important issues in European politics. Whether it's reverse charge, which may be the first time the Czech Republic managed to push through something throughout the EU, a completely fundamental rejection of nonsensical migration quotes, or negotiations about a rescue package.

European politics as a whole are very much about negotiation.You have to be able to do that.You won't learn it when you get there. Everyone is pursuing their interests hard, and if you want something you must have allies. And that's an area that we definitely haven't gotten lost in. When negotiating about the European rescue package, we ended up with better conditions than most other countries. It's not just about the total amount which we were to receive.

The original proposal provided for the inclusion of unemployment before the pandemic, which would have damaged us, while the new calculation is much more favourable. We can also use a larger part of the funds for investments in infrastructure, which is a clear priority for us. In the EU, we're the rational voice that wants the EU built on the four fundamental freedoms.

But it's not only politicians and diplomats that are responsible for the Czech Republic's image abroad. It's also our companies and entrepreneurs.

Personally, I'm proud of our soldiers. Unfortunately it's a fact that terrorism must be fought from the very beginning, especially in places where terrorists have a free sphere of action. Whether it's Afghanistan, Iraq or Mali. Our professionals, the Army of the Czech

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OF THE

C ZECH R EPUBLIC

BUSINESS is in many respects much SIMPLER than POLITICS Republic, are in all these places, assisting locals in the fight against terrorists and bandits. I'm proud of our boys. The Czechs now command the international alliance in Mali. A beautiful country, but politically and especially religiously extremely complex.

Maybe this is not something which is very visible in domestic media, but you'll receive great recognition for it on the international scene. We have excellent chemists and field hospitals. And then there are our firefighters. A huge disaster in Lebanon, and our guys are among the first ones there, saving lives when houses are falling down around them. These are actions which promote the Czech Republic abroad in the best possible light.

What do you see as a critical threat in regards to coronavirus?

The coronavirus gives rise to many threats – mainly to the economy and employment. It has been shown that global supply chains are very fragile. In the future, I expect that preference will be given to production in a reachable vicinity, and price will no longer be the only argument. That's an opportunity for Europe – for its production capacities. The Czech Republic, as one of the most industrialised countries on the continent, can only be strengthened by it.

On the other hand, due to the economic slowdown, highly indebted EU countries can easily fall into difficulties, which will subsequently affect the entire eurozone. Fortunately, the Czech Republic has some of the healthiest public finances in the EU, so we can afford a large stimulus package which will support investment. We'll pump money into the economy.

How do you think that Post-Covid-19 business environment will look like?

The epidemic affected almost all sectors of the economy, some of which even ceased to function overnight. Nothing of that sort happened even during the global economic crisis. It's a new

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

situation. It was services that were most affected of all – restaurants, bars, and tanning and hair salons. They had to close overnight, and it was a really complicated period for them. That's why we released funds which enabled them to wait out the quarantine. Similarly, we helped companies which lost orders due to the disruption of customersupplier chains. That's why we introduced kurzarbeit [reduced hours], so that companies wouldn't have to lay off employees, and we also provided financial assistance to self-employed persons and contractors.

It's important that there are no more across-theboard measures such as the closing of restaurants.

It's mainly about citizens' discipline, and about them being aware that the virus is still a threat, even though it didn't look like that over the summer. On the other hand, the quarantine showed us that some things must be done differently. That delivery services and e-commerce will play an even greater role in the coming years. That many employees really do not have to sit in an office, and lots of things can be handled via a home office. The coronavirus forced both the private sector and the state to think completely differently. Now, it is important for the state that there is an economic recovery, so that investment doesn't stop and people don't start saving in leaps and bounds.

It is clear that current crisis accross the world is opening scissors in between the population for example seniors and single mothers. How do you plan to tackle this issue?

Social policy must go hand-in-hand with the economy. When there's an economic boom, it's necessary to put more money into the social system – increase pensions, which under previous governments didn't grow as fast as the cost of living.

We owed that to seniors, which is why we increased pensions across-the-board every year. There is also

Mike Pompeo, US Minister for Foreign Affairs and Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

a problem with low pensions, mostly collected by women who took care of their loved ones all their life, resulting in an unfavourable pension calculation.

That's an injustice we want to eliminate. The state should reward people for selfless care for loved ones, not punish them with a low pension and poverty in one's old age. We'll also support working pensioners. The economy doesn't have enough workers, so we'll continue to support those who would like to keep working, for example in the form of tax relief.

Single mothers clearly need assistance. Our government is introducing new rules for part-time work, which are meant to help all women with children. Another problem for the Czech Republic is the lack of places in kindergartens and crèches. We're resolving this by investment, and state assistance for municipalities so that they can set up more kindergartens and children's groups. We're now also working on a childcare project. Lots of parents need emergency childcare rather than all-day care in the form of a kindergarten, and if you don't have grandparents or they live far away, the situation is mostly unsolvable. The childcare on offer is limited, and mostly also unaffordable. That's why we're working on a state-supported childcare project.

Reaching out beyond the borders of the Czech Republic - what will be the key topics for EU Presidency in your opinion?

For the Czech Republic, it's mainly business matters which are important. Removal of barriers, fair access to other member states' markets, and free movement of the labour force within the EU. It isn't something that's talked about very much, but there are still obstacles for our companies when they want to apply for contracts in all EU countries.

For example, France and Germany also introduced a minimum wage for all truck drivers, which in its own way is a restriction of competition. A levelling

of the competitive environment, and fair conditions – these are some of the priorities.

The second big issue is the expansion of the EU to include other members in the Balkans. We want to accelerate the commencement of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, and prepare the integration of Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. And, as I've also been saying for a long time, we need to move forward with the Schengen Area so that it forms a seamless and easily defendable space.

And the third issue will be the security of the continent. Europe has still not resolved the problem of illegal migration. It's clear that we must simply invest more in operations to guard the maritime boundary. We must use resources to build a smart maritime boundary, using drones, motion sensors and satellites. It will cost money, but even more importantly it requires political will. Nothing, not even the safety of the inhabitants of Europe, comes free.

And what about the Czech Republic's allies outside the EU (Israel and the USA)? Even as a small country, we can still play an important role in the world.

The Czech Republic has excellent relationships with both countries. Over the last year and a half, I held talks with both President Trump and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mike Pompeo. We have the same opinion on the global security situation. We're together in NATO, and the American side is pushing its European allies to fulfil their obligation of spending 2 % of GDP on defence. We're moving in this direction, and I understand why the US administration is unhappy that Europe doesn't spend more on defence. For us, it's one of our priorities. The USA is also concerned with levelling the international market environment, where China is abusing its position, subsidising its economy, and trying to illegally acquire know-how in neighbouring countries. That's also something

we must fight against. Relations with Israel could probably hardly be at a better level. Benjamin Netanyahu even said that Israel “has no better friend in the Eastern Hemisphere than the Czech Republic“.

Our support for the successful democracy in the Middle East is one of the things we can be proud of. Our voice also balances the pro-Palestinian lobby, which is strong in most EU countries. We collaborate in many areas, with science and research, as well as collaboration in the defence industry and new technologies, being promising.

How would you assess your last years in politics after being a successful businessman?

I never thought I'd say this, but business is in many respects much simpler than politics. Let's use one example to illustrate everything. The Czech state's problem is that when someone isn't doing what they should, you can't fire them and put an expert in their place. I know that the Civil Service Act was passed in good faith, but the current legislation is simply a catastrophe. The officials have more powers than the minister who bears responsibility for it all. If they're not working, you can't just fire them as normal; you have to put them in a “pool” of officials that nobody wants, and pay them 80 % of their salary. That's crazy. If the state really functioned like a company, then I believe it would need onequarter of the workers and one-tenth of the money to operate.

Other than that, I managed to find a team of people who are able to keep pace with me. I'm not saying it's not demanding, but they've probably gotten used to it by now.

Thank you for your time.

By CL české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Visit of the President of the Senate

to Taiwan

P HOTO : ČTK M ICHAL K RUMPHANZL

From left: Spouse of Mr. Vystrčil, Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, and Joseph Wu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan

Amid the great interest of local and international media, the Czech senate delegation led by President Miloš Vystrčil touched down in Taiwan.

Senate President Miloš Vystrčil gave a number of speeches in Taiwan, some of the most significant including his speech at the National Chengchi University and his speech at Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. Vystrčil’s words, “I am Taiwanese” in reference to a speech by American President John Fitzgerald Kennedy resonated amongst the world media.

The Czech delegation, including 36 Czech companies and representatives of science and culture, received a warm welcome, and in spite of the many epidemiological measures in place, a number of working meetings were held.

Senate President Miloš Vystrčil also accepted the Order of Propitious Clouds awarded in memoriam to his predecessor Jaroslav Kubera from the hands of President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen.

Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate gices a speach at a Taiwan university

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The senate delegation on a tour of local sights

S ENATE

Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate makes his “I am Taiwanese” speech

Lai Ching-te, Vice President, Taiwan and Miloš Vystrčil, President of the Senate

The Senate President gives a speech at a Taiwan university

Miloš vystrčil, President of the Senate accepts a medal awarded to Jaroslav Kubera in memoriam from H.E. Cchaj Jing-wen, President of Taiwan

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D IPLOMATIC

P HOTO : J ITKA T OMEČKOVÁ EVENT

Farewell party The Ambassador of Greece Mr. Efthymios Efthymiades will be leaving Prague upon completion of his mission. He invited distinguished guests to his farewell reception

on Thursday, 27 August. The afternoon party was a joyful event full of famous Greek hospitality.

From left: Petr Koláč, Ambassador, SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS and H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece

From left: H.E. Ilirian Kuka, Ambassador of Albania with his wife Nevila Kuka and H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece

Mr. Veselin Vackov with his wife and H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece

Thank you to our sponsors:

www.greekagora.cz 20

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D IPLOMATIC

From left: H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece and Mr. Alexandr Onishenko with his wife

H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece and H.E. Virginia Hesse, Ambassador of Ghana

H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece with H. E. Leonora Rueda, Ambasador of Mexico

From left: Farzad Keshvargar, husband of H.E. Sundus Albayraqdar, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and H.E. Sundus Albayraqdar, Ambassador of Iraq

From left Michael Stimson, Vice President, Prague society, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, Benke Aikell, your Publisher, and Thorsten Kalinowski, partner of H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades

Spouse of H.E. Gerard Philipps, Ambassador of Luxembourg and Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, spouse of the host

EVENT

From left: H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria with his spouse, Mr. Karl Heinz Schumacher, Mrs. Sylvie Schumacher, Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, Mrs. Ludie Weseloh, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand

From left: H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece and Adam Henryk Budak

From left: Michael Stimson, Vice President, Prague society, H.E. Virginia Hesse, Ambassador of Ghana, wife of H.E. Gerard Philipps, and H.E. Gerard Philipps, Ambassador of Luxembourg

From left: Ambassador of Argentina, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and Mr. Guillaume Basset

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D IPLOMATIC

EVENT

From left: Václav Pavlas, ZOO Praha, Mr. Adam Henryk Budak, and Meshulam Zisso, TV producer and photographer

From left: Kim Cowan, Counsellor, Embassy of Canada, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and H.E. Ayesha Patricia Rekhi, Ambassador of Canada

From left: wife of H.E. Daniel Meron, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and H.E. Daniel Meron Ambassador of Israel

From left: H.E. Alexander Grubmayr, Ambassador of Austria, H.E. Leonora Rueda, Ambassador of Mexico, and Mr. Stephanos Germenis

From left: General Petr Pavel, Prof. Marc Ellenbogen, President of the Prague Society, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and Aleš Chmelař, Deputy Minister, MFA

From left: H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, Jitka Tomečková, Photographer and Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, spouse of the host

From left: H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, H. E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, and Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, spouse of the host

From left: H.E. Nearchos Palas, Ambassador of Cyprus, Mr. Martin Weseloh, Mrs. Sylvie Schumacher, Mr. Karl Heinz Schumacher, Mrs. Ludie Weseloh, and H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece

From left: H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece and Martin Košatka, Junior Deputy Minister and Director of the South and South East European Deptt., MFA

From left: Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece, and Mrs. Sylvana Morfoniou

From left: Rostislav Jirkal, CEO, Statutory, Linda Štucbartová, Chief Interviewer, Czech Leaders Magazine, and H. E. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand

www.greekagora.cz

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CULTURAL EVENT

P HOTO : K LÁRA G ALLE

Cathedral and Mosque INTERFAITH DIALOGUE

From left: H.E. E. Saïd Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic, Martina Viktorie Kopecká, Pastor of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and David Macek, Sociologist

In the future capital of Egypt, on the outskirts of old Cairo, a huge Coptic cathedral was opened last year. And on the same day also near the largest mosque in the Middle East.

An unusual expression of a desire for reconciliation.

How do Egypt, Israel and the Czech Republic support the coexistence of different religions?

Discusssion with H.E. E. Saïd Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic, H. E. Daniel Meron, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Czech Republic, and Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic led by Martina Viktorie Kopecká, Pastor of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and David Macek, Sociologist.

From left: H.E. E. Saïd Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic, David Macek, Sociologist, and Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Martina Viktorie Kopecká, Pastor of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and H.E. E. Saïd Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic

From left: H. E. Daniel Meron, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Czech Republic, Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, H.E. E. Saïd Hindam, Ambassador of Egypt to the Czech Republic, Martina Viktorie Kopecká, Pastor of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church and David Macek, Sociologist

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PHOTO: JITKA TOMEČKOVÁ

DEEP ROOTS between GREECE and the CZECH REPUBLIC

Interview with H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, Ambassador of Greece to the Czech Republic When it comes to interviewing ambassadors, there are usually two approaches: either meet them shortly after they arrive to ask them about their first impressions, visions and strategic plans or to interview them towards the end of their posting, review their accomplished agenda and to share their learnings and observations that can serve to further deepen mutual understanding between two respective nations, their cultures and common bonds.

The interview with H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades, the Ambassador of Greece, was the latter. I interviewed him prior to his leaving to serve in another country. Despite all the packing and organizational arrangements linked to any departure, the interview took place at the very relaxed atmosphere of the Greek residence, located at the street historically called “Spanish” in Prague Vinohrady, however symbolically bordering “Hellenic” street. Overlooking the Prague skyline with Prague castle, H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades reviewed his four years of posting. Mr. Ambassador considers himself an “Europhile”, he has spent most of his career dealing with European Union issues. The first time he came to Prague was in 1994 and he fell in love with the city that was still a bit dark at the time. He enjoys the beauty of Prague and the possibility of a walking city. As a diplomat responsible for the EU enlargement of CEE countries, he got to know the Czech Republic prior to his arrival. Thus, being appointed Ambassador to the Czech Republic was not only closing a circle but also a reward.

We talked about current affairs but also history. When it comes to the roots, how far back in history would you date Czech-Greek relations? What makes the Greek community in the Czech Republic so special and unique? Why we should look beyond the figures when evaluating the common economic cooperation? In what aspects are Czechs and Greek like-minded?

And what seemed the toughest question for H.E. Efthymios Efthymiades to answer?

Mr. Ambassador and Mr. Thorsten Kalinowski, wishing you the best of luck in your next destination, Riga, Latvia.

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Mr. Ambassador, you are to leave Prague soon. Looking back at your four year posting, what is your overall impression? And I hope that the Covid-19 pandemic has not left any negative impressions on your time here.

My last four years were very fulfilling, both on the professional as well as on the personal level. Over these four years, with the course of events, I was able to witness how deep the roots are between the peoples and the countries, Greece and the Czech Republic, and how much like-minded our two nations are. Although in the past we had different opinions about certain issues, in times of crisis we came together and worked in the same spirit.

In February and March this year, when Greece had to defend not only its own, but also European borders, against the illegal flow of migrants, we got an enormous wave of support of many Czech citizens, expressing it in a variety of ways.

When it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic, we felt perfectly safe in the Czech Republic. Also, Greece achieved really excellent results when it comes to the pandemic, which made Czechs feeling safe when travelling there. Greece is open to Czech tourists. The only requirement is to fill in the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) up to the day before entering the country. By the way, this applies to all travelers, including Greeks. We all need to get used to the fact that traveling now has more bureaucratic aspects than before.

Your upcoming departure has been mentioned with many regrets in the circle of both my Czech friends and also foreigners, as they all appreciated various activities and events you organized.

I am pleased to confirm that during the last four years all doors were open and I was glad to connect not only to the top government representatives, but also to many business partners, being Czech, Greek or international. It was a great pleasure that I have been able to spend three out of four years with my partner, Thorsten, who joined me from Germany. Together, we were able to project the spirit of openness and Greek hospitality to all our partners and friends. Such values are not merely a tool of diplomacy, openness is an essential part of European culture and heritage. Even during the sensitive Covid-19 times, we take the right precautions but we continue to keep our culture and values to get back to normalcy as soon as possible.

Thank you for your general broad overview. When it comes to some specific accomplishments, what are you personally most proud of?

I will present you several examples of the so-called signature actions and events that reflect the upgraded presence I have already spoken about.

First of all, I need to mention the almost total refurbishment of both buildings we have in Prague. The two historical buildings, the Residence and the Embassy, are owned by the Greek government. I managed to also secure the sponsorship of the major Greek businessman, Sotiris Zavalianis, who will now undertake the complete refurbishment of the façade of the residence, and whom I want to thank publicly. Thanks to him and his sponsoring of Greek National Day Receptions, we were also able to

the redistribution EU tools. I believe that the EU fund designed to help economies recovering from the pandemic will bring further possibilities for cooperation.

upgrade our public presence. Michalis Stephanidis is another very important Greek businessman whom I would like to thank for standing by the Embassy in many occasions, and who offered his vital support in creating and establishing the Greek Film Days in Prague, which, if it hadn’t been for Covid-19, would be in its third edition in 2020. Our aim for this festival is to become an institution that will constitute a powerful step in the communication between Greeks and Czechs, “two peoples with deep historical links and existing multiple channels of communication within the European family”. We also organized many artistic events and my personal thanks go to Stephanos Germenis, the owner of Zámek Blatná, who has been a great partner in the area of culture.

As to the political ties, we accomplished an agreement between the Czech Ministry of Interior and the Greek Ministry of Citizens’ Protection that upgrades the bilateral co-operation in terms of border protection and migration management. Several bilateral visits took place, the Greek Foreign Minister and the Minister of European Affairs visited Prague and there were also several visits of Czech officials to Athens.

To sum up, it has been four busy years for a good cause, and we have managed to rediscover the friendly roots of our relations.

Speaking of roots and commonalities, there is a significant Greek community not only in Prague, but all over the Czech Republic. In fact, recently I have just interviewed Mr. Sotiris Foutsis, General Manager of the University of New York in Prague.

I would say that the Greek community in the Czech Republic is truly precious. These are people who are very successful at their professions and they love both the Czech Republic and Greece. They are true Europeans and they combine both heritages in a productive way

of making partnerships. As I have mentioned before, they provided a lot of support for Embassy activities. Next to Mr. Sotiris Foutsis, there is also Mr. Christos Providas, another successful Greek businessman, and Panagiotis Drosos who represents Greece in the culinary sphere. And of course, the famous singers and performers Martha Elefteriadu and Sofia Mavrogenidu from Brno which shows that the community is all over the country.

Economic diplomacy is nowadays one of the most important pillars in bilateral relations. You mentioned some influential businessmen active in the Czech Republic.

Apart from tourism, do you see any potential in increasing economic exchange which places Greece on the 43rd place in bilateral economic relations?

I believe that within the European Union, the picture of mutual economic exchange, calculating trade and investment, can be somewhat blurred. If you take the existing rules, the ranking seems low. Let us have a look on the quality nature. Sotiris Zavalianis is one of the major health providers in the Czech Republic. The Czech company Kofola is owned by Jannis Samaras. On the other hand, the lottery in Greece is owned by a Czech company. One of the major companies active in the construction and development, AKTOR, is also present here. So always look underneath the surface. By the way, due to the recession, many of the statistics will have to be adjusted and perhaps new metrics will be designed.

When I look at the targeted investments, I see growing interest on both sides to explore new avenues for cooperation. I also want to underline that Greece and the Czech Republic have been like-minded partners in the European Union when it comes to redistribution policies and cohesion policy. Both countries support

My favorite question to ambassadors is about the known-unknown. What Czechs do not know about Greeks and they should and vice versa?

I like this question very much. I think all is connected to mentality. Greeks gear up and tend to have everything done at the last minute, while Czechs are more focused on preparation and detail. However, these are not opposing characters, these are different ways of doing things, as both nations focus on getting things done. Having lived in Prague, I can confirm that we are like-minded European people who, at the same time, like to keep our own identity in getting things accomplished. We are pursuing the same values within our own histories and identities. Do you know that our contact goes back deep in history? The brothers Cyril and Methodius were sent by the Byzantine Emperor which makes it one of the longest relations. In the 9th century, the Byzantine Emperor in Constantinople realized the importance of ties with the emerging Great Moravian Empire.

Since then, we have maintained the contacts.

Many contacts happen thanks to tourism. In 2019, over 400 000 Czech tourists visited Greece which shows how important, well-known and loved Greece is. The visitors create the ties and maintain the connection. It is no news that the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš went to Crete in Greece this year, and that the island of Rhodes was in the past a favorite destination for former President Klaus and President Zeman.

Mr. Ambassador, now with wishing you the best of luck in another posting to Riga, Latvia, there is time for your closing words to the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers…

First of all, I would like to thank your Magazine and its publisher, Mr. Benke Aikell, for being such a great supporter and partner to many of our events. Additionally, I would like to make an appeal to readers to try Greek wine as we produce many excellent wines. I have tried to promote it in the many wine tastings we have organized.

I also enjoyed cooking Greek food, for tour operators or at some smaller events I was hosting.

I cannot resist asking you about your favorite Greek dish…

This is the toughest question from all that you have asked. I think my favorite is the Greek dessert “galaktoboureko”, a Greek custard pie. This one I am going to serve at my farewell event… as a sweet closing to this chapter of CzechGreek relations!

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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D ISCUSSION

EVENT

Round Table of Comenius Discussion Dinner with Mr. Adam Vojtěch, Minister of Health Care DOX+, June 9th, 2020

From left: Marek Vocel, CEO, MVP Events, Rostislav Dvořák, Chairman, Svaz českých a moravských výrobních družstev, Minister Adam Vojtěch, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Petr Kužel, Senior Partner, Naxon and Ladislav Dráb, Member of the Board, Rock&Land Invest

On June 9th about 80 high level business women and men (and not only from health sector) gathered to participate in the Round Table of Comenius – discussion dinner with the Minister of Health Care of the Czech Republic. The event took place in DOX+ conference room under special “NOCOVID” rules prepared to maximally protect all participants against infection.

The traditionally dynamic debate focused only on one topic but from various angles.

The discussion was launched by Ministers´ 10 minutes welcome address and traditionally concluded by the President of Comenius Karel Muzikář, who expressed his gratitude to all guests for a fulfilling debate and the Minister for his time and willingness to attend the discussion.

From left: Ladislav Dráb, Member of the Board, Rock&Land Invest, Petr Kužel, Senior Partner, Naxon, Petr Hotovec, Director, Zenova Services, Mrs. Zita Muzikářová and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

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From left: David Bříza, CEO, Gama Group, Minister Adam Vojtěch, prof. Lenka Špinarová, Head of Clinic, Faculty Hospital „U sv. Anny“, and prof. Josef Veselka, Head of Clinic, FN Motol

D ISCUSSION From left: Roman Cabálek, Managing Director, Better Decision Making Group and David Šmehlík, Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna

From left: Pavel Švagr, Chairman, Správa státních hmotných rezerv, Tünde Bartha, Head of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister, and Leoš Válka, Founder DOX

From left: René Vlasák, Director, Prevence 2000, Klára Mášová Knoflíčková, Žilní klinika, and Otto Schütz, Head of the Clinic, Žilní klinika

EVENT

From left: Oldřich Šubrt, Owner, Program Health Plus and René Vlasák, Director, Prevence 2000

From left: Miloš Lokajíček, Advisory Board, Prague Startup Centre, Radek Hlaváček, CEO, Unique Therapeutics, Jan Zahálka, Member of the Supervisory Board, Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna, and Daniel Barč, CEO, Ette Capital

From left: Ariel Steiner, Director, Steiner, Tomáš Jelínek, Executive Director, Donath Business & Media, David Steiner, Managing Director, Steiner

Overall view of the Round Table

Participants of the Round Table

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EVENT

Round Table of Comenius Discussion Dinner with Jiří Rusnok, Governor of the Czech National Bank September 7th, 2020, TOP HOTEL Praha

Tomáš Spurný, CEO, Moneta Money Bank with his speech

The traditional event “Round Table of Comenius” took place in the TOP HOTEL Praha with the guest of honor, Mr. Jiří Rusnok, who serves as the governor of the Czech National Bank. The event was mainly focused on current topics. Over 60 prominent figures of business and political backgrounds joined to create this very successful discussion evening.

From left: Rostislav Dvořák, President, Union of Czech and Moravian Production Cooperatives, Zuzana Filipová, Communication & CSR Director, Moneta Money Bank, Jan Wiesner, President, Konfederace zaměstnavatelských a podnikatelských svazů, Jiří Rusnok, Governor, Czech National Bank, Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius, Miroslav Toman, President, Agrotrade, and Josef Kotrba, President, Deloitte

From left: Martin Lukš, CEO, MyTalkey, Miloslava Procházková, Co-Owner, Avanti Floors, Jana Nováková, Owner, Trustav, Radek Dohnal, General Director, TOP HOTEL Praha, and Jiří Vacek, Co-Owner, Avanti Floors

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From left: Josef Diessl, General Director, Vojenská zdravotní pojišťovna ČR and Pavel Sobotka, CEO, Frentech Aerospace

D ISCUSSION From left: Ondřej Kocián, Sales Director, Dell Technologies, Antonín Fryč, Owner, Warex and Roman Cabálek, General Director, Dell Technologies

From left: Miloš Lokajíček, Prague Startup Center and Irena Pekarová, Executive Director, Delor

From left: Pavel Švarc, Chairman, State Reserves Administration, Tom Čáp, Executive Vice President, Comenius, and Petr Kužel, Partner, Naxon

Josef Kotrba, President, Deloitte with his speech

EVENT

From left: Antonín Machala, Managing Director, Altech and Luis Sergio Castro, General Director, Laufen CZ

From left: Jan Wiesner, President, Konfederace zaměstnavatelských a podnikatelských svazů, Jiří Rusnok, Governor, Czech National Bank, and Karel Muzikář, President, Comenius

From left: Zuzana Filipová, Communication & CSR Director, Moneta Money Bank and Jana Marco, Managing Partner, Pan Solutions

From left: Petr Franc, Managing Director, IQ Structures, Radek Dohnal, General Director, TOP HOTEL Praha, Roman Cabálek, General Director, Dell Technologies, and Petr Herian, Owner, Newton Media

Luis Sergio Castro, General Director, Laufen CZ with his speech

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EXPERT DISCUSSION ON HOW COVID-19 WILL CHANGE THE EUROPEAN AND CZECH ENERGY SECTOR

First expert discussion on substantive new Energy Bill takes place in Ostrava

Welcoming guests and opening remarks by Martin Herrmann, International Energy Club Honorary President and Michal Dolana, Managing Partner, DDeM Consultancy

In boxing terms, Europe has taken a knockout coronavirus blow. What advice will it take from its coach during the break so that it doesn’t throw its towel into the ring in the next round?

This was one subject of discussion for participants at the 11th annual International Energy Club (IEC) conference, held as per tradition in Ostrava, on the subject of Energy vs. Covid-19.

The discussion was opened by Evžen Tošenovský, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). He said that up to 750 billion Euros will be available from the fund for restoring economies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Following on from his words were Michael Wunnerlich, Executive Director of the Ger-

The opening ceremony of the 11th IEC meeting

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man Association of Energy and Water Industries’ representation to the EU, and Jiří Feist, Member of the Board of Directors of EP POWER EUROPE. He warned that the coronavirus has completely derailed established mechanisms, and estimated that the Czech Republic will have to secure energy security by itself, as nobody else will help it.

Tomáš Varcop, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of innogy Česká republika and CEO of innogy Energie, explained that the pandemic was giving new impetus to the process of digitalisation, and it would be a good idea to put into new legislation what has been learnt from the course of the crisis. This is being prepared by René Neděla, Deputy Minister for Energy at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who introduced

From left: Jakub Unucka, Deputy Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region and Pavel Drobil, Chair of the Board of Directors, ANACOT CAPITAL a.s.

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the substantive new Energy Bill. Martin Durčák, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČEPS, Martina Krčová, Member of the Energy Regulatory Office Board and Lenka Kovašovská, Executive Director of the Czech Gas Association discussed the changes which will be required to work on in preparation for the final wording of the bill.

In the context of the EU’s climate objectives and the Green Deal for Europe, Martin Záklasník, Chief Executive Officer at E.ON in the Czech Republic, Tomáš Hüner, Director of Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Jaromír Vorel, CEO at SKO-ENERGO, and Jan Světlík, Chief Executive Officer of CYLINDERS HOLDING, discussed the new business and investment opportunities this will entail. The event was organized by DDeM Consultancy.

From left: Pavel Zámyslický, Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Protection, Ministry of the Environment and René Neděla, Deputy Minister for Energy, Ministry of Industry and Trade

View of the hall in GONG, Dolní Vítkovice area

From left: Martin Hájek, Director, Association for District Heating of the Czech Republic and Jiří Feist, Member of the Board, EP POWER EUROPE

From left: Jan Světlík, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Advisory Board of CYLINDERS HOLDING, President of the Czech Machinery Cluster, and Tomáš Varcop, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of innogy Česká republika and CEO of innogy Energie

René Neděla, Deputy Minister for Energy, Ministry of Industry and Trade

From left: Pavel Drobil, Chair of the Board of Directors, ANACOT CAPITAL a.s., Evžen Tošenovský, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, and Tomáš Hüner, Director of Siemens Smart Infrastructure

Lenka Kovačovská, Executive Director of the Czech Gas Association and Michal Slabý, Head of Strategy, NET4GAS, s.r.o.

Martina Krčová, Member of the ERO Board, Energy Regulatory Office and Martin Slabý, Chair of the Board, Pražská plynárenská Distribuce, a.s., member of Pražská plynárenská, a.s. concern

From left: Jaromír Vorel, CEO, ŠKO-ENERGO s.r.o. and Jan Fousek, CEO, Czech Association for Energy Storage

From left: Svatopluk Vnouček, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, ČEPS, a.s. and Martin Durčák, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ČEPS, a.s.

The tour at the CYLINDERS HOLDING, the largest assembly hall for pressure cylinder applications in the Central Europe

Evžen Tošenovský, Member of the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy,and Tomáš Hüner, Director of Siemens Smart Infrastructure

The tour at the CYLINDERS HOLDING, the largest assembly hall for pressure cylinder applications in the Central Europe

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DIPLOMATIC EVENT

ASEAN Community in the Czech Republic

The ASEAN Flag The ASEAN Emblem represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN. Blue represents peace and stability.

Red depicts courage and dynamism.

White shows purity and yellow symbolises prosperity.

The ten stalks of paddy (rice) represent the ten Southeast Asian countries bound together in friendship and solidarity.

The circle symbolizes the unity of ASEAN.

The 17th ACP Meeting of H.E. Mr. Ombra Jainal, H.E. Ms. Zanariah Zainal Abidin, H.E. Mrs. Kenssy D. Ekaningsih, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, H.E. Mrs. Kay Thi Soe, and Mrs. Tran Thanh Huong H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, chaired the ASEAN Committee Meeting in Prague (ACP)

The ACP Working Group, namely, Mr. Dwi Wisnu, Mrs. Indhira Banares, Mrs. Prairie, Ms. Kakanang Amranand, Mrs. Norfarina Azmee, and Mr. Phone Kyaing

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN is an intergovernmental organisation, established in Bangkok, Thailand, on 8 August 1967, aimed primarily at promoting economic growth and regional stability among its ten members which includes, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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Currently, in the Czech Republic, there are six embassies, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Phillipines, Thailand, and Vietnam, representing the ASEAN Committee in Prague.

The purposes of the ASEAN Committee in Prague are not only to raise awareness about ASEAN and its member countries but also to promote relationship between ASEAN and the Czech public in all sectors including

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The 18th ACP Meeting of Mrs. Indhira Banares, H.E. Ms. Zanariah Zainal Abidin, H.E. Mr. Thai Xuan Dung, H.E. Mrs. Kenssy D. Ekaningsih, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, and H.E. Mrs. Kay Thi Soe

governmental, private, academic, and local media. The ASEAN Committee in Prague meets twice a year and organises several acitivities within and beyond the community through out the year, including, ASEAN Family Day, ASEAN Day celebration, ASEAN Bowling with the Czech Ministry of Foreign Aairs, ASEAN reachout project. Photos are the highlight of the activities of the ASEAN community in the Czech Republic.

DIPLOMATIC EVENT

ASEAN Day

ASEAN Day Reception at the Thai Residence

H.E. Mrs. Kay Thi Soe, H.E. Mr. Ombra Jainal, H.E. Ho Minh Tuan, H.E. Ms. Zanariah Zainal Abidin, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, and H.E. Mrs. Kenssy D. Ekaningsih

ASEAN Day is the day ASEAN was formed.

It started on 8 August 1967 when the five founding members of ASEAN, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillipines, Singapore and Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration or Bangkok Declaration, the founding document of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Bangkok, Thailand. The

Mr. Dwi Wisnu, Mr. Phone Kyaing, Ms. Kakanang Amranand, Mrs. Norfarina Azmee, Mrs. Indhira Banares, and Mr. Pham Hoang

document states the basic principles of ASEAN: co-operation, amity, and non-interference. As a regional organisation in Southeast Asia, ASEAN is crucial in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond.

ASEAN Day celebration takes place on 8 August annually. Guided by the theme of ASEAN under

Vietnam´s chairmanship this year, A Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN, this 53rd Anniversary of ASEAN reflects the spirit of “Thinking as a Community, Acting for Community” in response to current and future challenges and opportunities as stipulated in the ASEAN Charter.

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DIPLOMATIC EVENT

Ambassador of Thailand and the Counsellor of the Royal Thai Embassy organised the ASEAN lecture at the schools in Mikulov

ASEAN ambassadors at the ASEAN Family Day hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Prague

Thailand participated in the ASEAN Lecture at the University of Economics Prague

The ASEAN Anthem "The ASEAN Way" is the official anthem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The lyrics were written by Payom Valaiphatchra, the music composed by Kittikhun Sodprasert and Sampow Triudom, the winning entry out of 99 finalists from all ten ASEAN countries.

Lyrics Raise our flag high, sky high Embrace the pride in our heart ASEAN we are bonded as one Look-in out to the world.

For peace, our goal from the very start And prosperity to last.

We dare to dream we care to share.

Together for ASEAN We dare to dream, We care to share for it’s the way of ASEAN. From left: Kittikhun Sodprasert, Payom Valaiphatchra, and Sampow Triudom

A few minutes with Ms. Payom Valaiphatchra, the lyricist of ASEAN Anthem: The ASEAN Way I am often asked in interviews and by people in general how I came up with the lyrics of The Asean Way. It´s actually quite challenging to find a way to unite 10 different nations of very diverse characteristics and qualities with one song. It was even more difficult when such song had to be no more than 60 seconds long.

There were many questions then. How many words can fit into the song? How to capture the ASEAN spirit into these few lines in the lyrics?

How to communicate with all the 600 million plus people in region through this English song while English is not our mother tongue? How to say who we are, what we aspire, etc, etc. How to

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express in one voice that we are one community with one vision and one common identity?

Fortunately, I was formerly an exchange student under the auspices of American Field Service Scholarship -- now known as AFS Intercultural Programs -- and the intercultural learning gained really helps bridge all kinds of cultural gap. Besides, I was for 21 years a journalist who had been interested in our neighbouring countries. I think that helps me understand all our ASEAN friends quite well.

In writing the lyrics, I was first telling myself that each word had to be meaningful yet easily understood since the majority of our population does not speak English. In the creative process, I was asking myself what I would love to see after our integration into one common community – the ideal way of the ASEAN. Then a few key words came to my mind… words like pride, bond, care, share, peace, prosperity, together – which are all very important elements in building a sustainable society. And to lace them

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up together in a song, I was thinking of the symbol of our common identity which is none other than the ASEAN flag. And there you go…

The ASEAN Way. My favorite lines in the song are: “We dare to dream. We care to share…together for ASEAN.” I think this is the very heart of it. If we wish to prosper as one, we should not be shy to dream –even the impossible dream -- and then work together for the good of our region, without forgetting to care for, and share with, our brothers and sisters in the ASEAN. to dream. We care to share…together for ASEAN.” I think this is the very heart of it. If we wish to prosper as one, we should not be shy to dream –even the impossible dream -- and then work together for the good of our region, without forgetting to care for, and share with, our brothers and sisters in the ASEAN. Payom Valaiphatchra Executive Vice President Syllable Company Limited Sanskrit Company Limited (www.sanskritbook.com)

I NTERVIEW

WITH

G ENERAL P ETR P AVEL

THE STATE OF OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN A PLEASANT SURPRISE General Petr Pavel

is a soldier by profession, who gradually worked his way up to become Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. He subsequently became Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, as the very first representative of a country in the former Warsaw Pact to reach the highest military role within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. During this pandemic, he has set up the “Spolu silnější” (Stronger Together) initiative, which raises funds for those helping on the front line. His name is also currently being discussed in regard to a possible candidacy for President of the Czech Republic in 2023.

My interview with the General took place at a time of still restricted contact, at home in my garden. One of my first questions to him was about his possible candidacy for the presidency. This was followed by questions about the role of the army during the pandemic, and our interview went on to look at strategic geopolitical areas: the relationship between the Czech Republic and NATO, and the EU and defence. We finally moved on to leadership, but there was again a parallel with global politics. What mistake has General Pavel openly admitted to? And what has most pleased him? More in the following interview, which I consider to be one of the most comprehensive and informative that I have done in recent times.

P HOTO :

ARCHIVE

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

G ENERAL P ETR P AVEL

General, my first question will be somewhat unorthodox. With whom am I currently doing this interview? I know you are a former general, current leader of the Spolu silnější initiative, and perhaps you are a future candidate for President of the Czech Republic.

I am currently a pensioner. I’ll leave open your question regarding candidacy. A few conditions need to be met before I feel motivated to run. My health and family situation are the most important. A lot will depend on political developments here. If the leading candidates in the presidential election are mainly decent people whom I myself would vote for, then there will be no reason for me to get involved.

But if that is not the situation and those with a good chance of election are people I would not like to see heading this office, then I will do all that I can. On the one hand because of my own conscience, but also because many people have encouraged me to take this step.

Have you got a specific date by which you will make your decision? I don’t expect you to announce your decision right here in my garden, although as a journalist it would be a dream come true. Two candidates from previous elections and two entrepreneurs have already announced their decision to run. Political scientists are also calling on potential candidates to place their cards on the table so the public can keep an eye on future candidates and weigh them up.

I follow what political scientists say, and I do respect them because as experts they know what they’re talking about. But my objective isn’t to run in the presidential election at any cost. So I don’t feel any pressure to announce my candidacy. I do what makes sense to me, and that includes acting within public consciousness. Once I feel I have reached a crossroads and I need to choose my path, I will do so. Once this coronavirus crisis is over, I’m looking forward to going back to giving talks on security, integrating the Czech Republic into NATO and the European Union, and international relations, because that’s something I enjoy and which fulfils me.

Moving on to your current Spolu silnější initiative, which helps people on what’s termed “the front line”. What have you found out about Czech society during this pandemic?

The state of Czech society has been a pleasant surprise to me during this pandemic. Many of us had been somewhat sceptical. Even at public discussions I had held, there were often expressions of frustration at the state of Czech society. According to one public opinion survey done by Czech Radio for the 30th anniversary of November 1989, some of the traits of Czech society did not sound very positive. However, we can see that when we are put under pressure,

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and it affects us all similarly because the virus does not differentiate between political allegiances, then we can come together, we can help each other, we can disregard what divides us and we can be inventive. In any case, we’ve always been inventive and we should work on developing that skill, as well as our creativity and flexibility. As always, a few negative traits have also expressed themselves, but there have been more positive traits, and it would be good if we could build on these and not let them slip away.

How did you come up with the idea of setting up the Spolu silnější initiative?

The impetus came from a number of sources.

From the beginning of the crisis, I’d felt certain withdrawal symptoms from not doing anything, because I’ve always been used to being active in crises and focusing my efforts on particular goals and problemsolving. Suddenly there was a crisis and I was sitting at home because I couldn’t travel anywhere, not even to my public discussions.

I came up with many different activities I could do, but I wanted my contribution to have the greatest possible impact. After donating to the production of face-masks and to charities, I thought I needed to help those who are already providing help now. I gathered people around me who may not have been skilful enough to produce respirators, or who may not have had the professional skills to provide quality social care, but who were able to secure the resources needed so that the professionals could perform their essential activities for as long as they could, without having to worry about funds.

Last autumn, I set up Spolek pro bezpečnou budoucnost (the Society for a Secure Future), so I, my colleagues from this society and others founded the Spolu silnější initiative. We’ve been operating for two months, and I can feel that our initiative is going in the right direction.

I must confess that the opportunity to see the activities of non-governmental organisations and charities up close has been a great lesson for me. Until now, I had little awareness of all the things they do, and how much personal effort and courage they put into their work. (Author’s note: As of the end of May, 624 people had supported the Spolu silnější collection, raising a total of almost 1.4 million CZK, divided up amongst 38 projects).

Speaking of resources, let’s look at one resource which seems to me to be little used during this crisis, specifically the army of yours, and its deployment or nondeployment during this pandemic.

Let me just correct you a little: it’s actually our army. Deployment of the army is about division of roles. The army’s role is primarily to secure external security. Therefore any actions of the army within the state must be clearly defined by laws and rules. Under the previous regime,

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there was a risk the army would be used against its own people, so army deployment has always been a sensitive issue and has been strictly defined. Within the emergency services system which was gradually built up, the roles of key responders to a crisis were assigned and the army was defined as providing support. It has considerable capacity, but will only be deployed when internal security components no longer suffice. During the floods, the fire services were operating at almost full capacity, since the large area impacted meant fire-fighters were everywhere, while the army sat in garrisons waiting. When I was Chief of the General Staff, mayors of villages where there were garrisons based and ready to help turned to me. It was hard at that time to explain to people that I was unable to give the order for deployment, because the Central Crisis Staff had not given the instruction for army deployment. I learnt from the situation, and the decision was made that deployment would depend on the specific options available at specific times and specific places. This pandemic is seen as a health and internal crisis. Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Interior components have been activated, and the army has taken on a support role, deployed in resolving logistics tasks, transporting materials and unloading aircraft. So the army has been deployed, it’s just that not much has been said about it. Soldiers using military equipment have transported the same amount of material as the fire services have. They have used hundreds of vehicles and pieces of transportation equipment, and not just in loading but also in transporting and unloading. So I personally do not perceive the army’s deployment during this pandemic as being merely supplementary. Remember that special chemical and biological teams have also been deployed in specific cases.

Now let us look at international issues.

During this pandemic, we haven’t had the opportunity to properly celebrate the anniversaries of our joining NATO (12 March 1999) or the European Union (1 May 2004). And since most news reports have focused on statistics around the Covid-19 disease, these important milestones have not been widely publicised.

I think they were noted, and it is good that we aren’t holding any grandiose events; we don’t need to arrange massive parades or rallies. It’s true that I would have expected both these events to be spoken of by our leaders as clear positives.

I would also have expected brief statements on the anniversaries from the President or Prime Minister. Although this crisis has overshadowed these events, many people have talked of how beneficial membership of both these organisations is for the Czech Republic. Even in terms of the current crisis. If we hadn’t been members of the European Union, the government would certainly not have had the

funds available to it to support entrepreneurs which the European Union has released.

Newspapers are currently full of information on fighting this invisible virus, but you are referring to the broader geopolitical context and the need to secure internal and external security, including appropriate expenditures on our army.

During this pandemic, the need for security has not diminished, and the coronavirus has not reduced the security risks that exist in the world.

The government should continue to ensure modernisation of the army in order to complete the tasks arising from our involvement in securing our collective defence. It is important to realise that there are no borders between us and NATO, or us and the EU. We still haven’t got used to the fact that we are NATO, and we are the EU. Safeguarding our security within a system of collective security is the cheapest and most effective method available to us. We don’t have to invest that much in security, but we do have to play our part. If we don’t do that, and other states behave similarly, then we cannot expect our collective defence to be effective, because it will be underfunded. In this regard, we should be extremely cautious about cuts in army budgets. Investments in modernising the army are not investments in “toys for soldiers”, but rather investments in the security of us all.

Confidence in the army is high in the Czech Republic, and it has been one of the most trusted institutions here for many years.

But mere trust and popularity are not enough.

Confidence not just in the army, but also in the police, is higher here than in other NATO and EU countries. On the other hand, if you ask people how many of them would take an active part in defending the state personally, the percentage falls to about a third to a quarter, because defence is seen as a matter for the army. Yet security is a matter for all of us. We’ve entrusted safeguarding security to soldiers. But we should all be providing material support, resources and moral support. Many people enjoy taking part in army outreach events, such as NATO Days, Cihelna and Tank Days in Lešany, and open days at various garrisons. Tens of thousands of people visit these events. But if NATO asks us whether we’re allocating sufficient funds, all you need is a single populist declaration from a top politician, and suddenly we’re willing to get rid of the army altogether, or let it get by with 40-year-old technology. And if that army with its old technology is deployed somewhere and a failure occurs, who is responsible? The army and its command. If we are to be proud of our army, it must be capable of defending us, and it will only be able to do so if it has the resources it needs in order to be modern, effective, well-trained and ready.

This interview is for Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine. What is your concept of leadership?

Leadership is a very popular topic today; just look at the number of links the Google search engine will find. And my colleagues who have left top positions in NATO or in the American army are also setting up various think-tanks focused on modern or strategic leadership.

I don’t think you need to make too much of how to lead people. Leadership is about integrity, clarity and transparency. And to those characteristics I would add civility, that is to say a human, ordinary approach. If a leader is not just to lead, but also to be followed, then they must be understandable and credible in order to persuade others. Consistency of opinions does not exclude development of opinions, but you cannot turn about-face in a matter of days. Leadership doesn’t require detailed specialist knowledge; a successful leader is able to delegate. When someone pretends to understand everything, this is mere pretence and lies. When a leader tries to do everything him or herself, tries micromanagement and is always seen and heard, then they aren’t giving others space or initiative. And initiative offers great potential which it is good to make use of.

Leadership also involves making mistakes and being able to admit to them. What is the greatest mistake you admit to?

I have made many mistakes. With hindsight, I’ve come to realise that I could have done some things better. Talking about a mistake which I perceive as a failure, then that would be joining the Communist Party under the last regime.

I was too young to see things as they were, and I joined with the hope that the party could be changed for the better. I still feel bad about doing

so today. Many people at the time had a similar lack of knowledge and objective cognisance.

I myself was the product of a military education from the age of 14, and my opinions then had been shaped and controlled. Basically I had had no access to alternative ideas.

Being open and fair in admitting to mistakes is what takes us forwards. In my leadership roles at many levels, I have seen that it isn’t just giving space to the people I am leading that works, but also admitting that something has failed because I gave a bad assessment of the situation. The ability to acknowledge a mistake and take a constructive approach to ensure it does not happen again is an expression not of weakness, but rather of strength. We should not fear it. We do not have to achieve declared success in everything merely in order not to display weakness. In the end, this approach can be exploited by critics of the West, specifically Russia and China, who use it in their disinformation campaigns. One of the ways we can defend ourselves against these campaigns is to be more open and fair in regard to ourselves.

If we sometimes admit to making a mistake, not only are we taking the wind out of the sails of those carrying out the disinformation campaign, because they won’t have the space to come up with speculation, but we are also showing our own people that we are able to admit mistakes and learn from them. Unfortunately, we don’t always do this. And there have been a large number of examples of times when we didn’t want to back down and admit we had made a mistake. Such as Libya.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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CONFERENCE

FROM VICTORY DAY TO CORONA DISARRAY: 75 YEARS OF EUROPE'S COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM IFIMES Director Dr. Becirovic and the IACA Dean Amb. Stelzer

Diplomatic Academy Vienna

Marking the 75th anniversary (1 July 2020) On the 1 July 2020, the Modern Diplomacy, International Institute IFIMES along with the world’s eldest diplomatic school (that of the Diplomatic Academy Vienna) and two other partners (Culture for Peace and Academic Journal European Perspectives) organised a conference with over 20 speakers from all around the globe. The event under the name FROM VICTORY DAY TO CORONA DISARRAY: 75 YEARS OF EUROPE'S COLLECTIVE SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM, highly anticipated and successful gathering, was probably one of the very few real events in Europe, past the lockdown.

Among 20-some speakers were: former Austrian President and current co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon center, Dr. Heinz Fischer; the European Commission Vice-President, Margaritis Schinas; former Secretary-General of the OECD and Canadian Economy Minister (under PM Trudeau), Donald J. Johnston; former EU Commissioner and Alpbach Forum President, Dr. Franz Fischler; former OSCE Secretary General and current OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorites, Lamberto Zannier; Austria’s most known human rights expert, prof. Manfred Nowak; Editor-at-Large of the Washington-based the Hill, Steve Clemons; Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel; Dean of the International Anti-corruption Academy Amb. Thomas Stelzer; the longest serving Defence Minister of Austria and current President of the AIES Institute, Dr. Werner Fasslabend; founder and CEO of the largest university sports platform in Europe, Lawrence Gimeno; urban futurist, Ian Banerjee; Director of the WIIW Economic Institute, Dr. Mario Holzner, and many more thinkers and practitioners from the UK, Germany, Italy and Austria as well as the leading international organisations from Vienna and beyond.

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Amb. Emil Brix - opening the conference

Panel I - while listening to the guest from Washington via Zoom

CONFERENCE

Media partners were diplomatic magazines of several countries, and the academic partners included over 25 universities from all 5 continents, numerous institutes and 2 international organisations. A day-long event was also live-

streamed, that enabled (digital) audiences from Chile to Far East and from Canada to Australia to be engaged with panellists and attendees in the plenary and via zoom.

The conference was arranged with the culinary

journey through dishes and drinks of central Europe and closed with the mini concert by the world’s best hurdy-gurdy performer, Matthias Loibner and accompanying vocalist, professor of the Music University Vienna, Natasa Mirkovic.

Grand Plenary Hall of the historic Diplomatic Academy Vienna (FestSaal)

Wishing to make the gathering more meaningful, the four implementing partners along with many participants have decided to turn this event into a lasting process. It is tentatively named "Vienna Process: Common Future – One Europe".

This initiative was largely welcomed as the right foundational step towards a longer-term projection that seeks to establish a permanent forum of periodic gatherings as a space for

Panel I - audience in the Plenary

reflection on the common future by guarding To this end, the partners have already the fundamentals of our European past. announced the follow up conference in Geneva for early October, to honour the As stated in the closing statement: “Past the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Summit.

Brexit the EU Europe becomes smaller and Similar call for a conference comes from more fragile, while the non-EU Europe grows Barcelona, Spain which was a birthplace of the more detached and disenfranchised”. A clear EU’s Barcelona Process on the strategic Eurointent of the organisers and participants is to MED dialogue. reverse that trend.

Audience arriving after lunch to Academy

Organisers and participants together - IFIMES Director and Culture for Peace Director with Speakers

Panel III, Apbach Forum President Dr. Fischer addressing the audience

From left: Ms. Lemberg (speaker); Dr. Becirovic, IFIMES Director and Dr. Bajrektarevic, Culture for Peace Director-General

Special coverage of female ambassadors to the Czech Republic

PHOTO: JITKA TOMEČKOVÁ

INTERVIEW WITH H.E. UREERAT CHAREONTOH

We are opening new areas for cooperation between the Czech Republic and Thailand When it comes to Thailand, people are typically divided into two categories: those who have been there and keep returning and those who have Thailand on the bucket list so they can join the first group later. As soon as I set my foot over the doorstep of the residence of the Thai Ambassador in Prague, I experienced the concept of “Thainess” myself. The traditional Thai greeting “wai”, display of fresh flowers and lush greenery surrounding the recently reconstructed garden of the Thai Residence in Prague, felt like an oasis and escape from the rush of the busy city. The Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine is deeply grateful to H. E. Ureerat Chareontoh for becoming the first female ambassador to launch our new regular series of interviews with women leaders in diplomacy and business.

H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh has a long outstanding career in diplomatic service and Prague is her first posting in two aspects, in Europe and at the highest diplomatic rank. Mrs. Ambassador still recalls the moment when she received her accreditation form His Majesty the King of Thailand as one of her highlights, both as citizen and as a civil servant. Serving the Thai government is a family tradition, as the mother to Mrs. Ambassador was also a high-ranking civil servant herself. As soon as one enters the private residence, you can feel the deep gratitude and respect for the Czech Republic, as H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh has displayed her photographs with the three Czech highest-ranking state representatives. We continued discussing women and their role in trade, government, and diplomacy. In Thailand, there are also women present in the highest ranks of the Army. We also reflected on the role of diplomats and diplomacy. From the Cold War and closed residences, Ambassadors are now more and more open to the public. As cooking is a passion of H.E., she has toured the country while presenting Thai cooking in various towns and cities, from high-school students to most recently volunteers and firefighters who worked hard to fight the pandemic, as she joined the initiative of the Mayor of Prague 1. In 2019, she opened the residence to the public and organized presentations of the Thai business community together with cooking classes. This event will be hopefully repeated in 2021. But remember, there is much more to Thailand than Thainess. Explore also other opportunities for cooperation, as H.E. Ureerat Chareontoh has set a purpose to redefine mutual relations beyond the tourism.

Your Excellency, my first question is quite obvious. What is the current situation in Thailand with regards to the pandemic?

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is a direct and pressing challenge to all countries, notwithstanding Thailand and the Czech Republic. It is more than just a global public health state of emergency, it is an unprecedented challenge facing humanity and human security. Many countries in Europe are experiencing high infection rates, which have come with tens of thousands of

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fatalities. Fortunately, both of our countries responded to the situation quite quickly and effectively.

Thailand’s economy, like many others that are deeply integrated into the global economy and supply chain, has been affected by the disruption of global economic activities due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The latest estimation of the country’s GDP growth rate of the year 2020 is 1.5-2.5%. At the moment, the Royal Thai Government is focusing on two key areas of work. The first concern is the health issue, meaning the Government

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is employing all means to reduce and contain the spread of the COVID-19 and enhance the capacity to treat the infected patients.

The second concern is the provision of assistance to all Thai citizens, to support their livings. In response to the effect of COVID-19 on the country’s economy, the Government has approved an economic stimulus package amounted to CZK 1.23 trillion, corresponding to approximately 10% of GDP. Thailand has been a very popular tourist destination also for many Czech

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travelers. When can the Czechs look forward to coming back?

Our tourism industry accounts for around one-fifth of Thailand’s economy. In normal circumstances, April is considered the peak holiday season in Thailand, with the Songkran Water Festival as the magnet event to attract tourists from around the world. Unfortunately, this year the Royal Thai Government had to cancel the celebration of the Songkran Water Festival to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The Government has declared a state of emergency from 26 March to 30 April 2020, which later extended to 30 June 2020, to combat the spread of the virus effectively and efficiently. However, once travel resumes, Thailand looks forward to welcoming foreign visitors, especially Czech friends.

I was pleased to hear that many Czechs are planning a visit to Thailand as soon as it is possible - as soon as the European Union opens the borders. At present, the situation of the spread of COVID-19 in Thailand is get-

ting better, the Government has started to implement lockdown relaxation, and people are allowed to resume their daily life activities under the “new normal” and “social distancing”. The low infection rate of COVID-19 in Thailand has clearly reflected Thailand’s strength and capacity in the medical and healthcare sector.

Thai people and their culture are known for the concept of Thainess. I admit that my country lags in the areas of service and fresh food. Have you found any means or places that at least slightly commemorate Thainess?

I think that Thainess is all about Thai hospitality, which is a unique characteristic of Thais and cannot be duplicated elsewhere. It is what makes people want to come back and visit Thailand again and again. What I miss the most is Thai food, especially street food in Bangkok, or fresh seafood, cooked by the seaside in any beach town in Thailand. It is

not only the food itself but also the ambiance. But here in Prague, I love the farmers’ markets, both in Prague 6 and Náplavka, that I go almost every Saturday if the weather is nice. I love the ambiance there. It is so lively and relaxing plus the food there is also good and fresh.

Let us talk about the new tomorrow. You have been working on extending the areas of cooperation between the two countries beyond tourism, which seems to be obvious.

Indeed, there are many other possibilities for future cooperation, such as defense and security industry, health or research and development (R&D), to name a few.

In terms of R&D, especially in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), I believe that the COVID-19 situation will help accelerate the momentum of bilateral cooperation in this field as STI is vital in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic and the “new normal”

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Special coverage of female ambassadors to the Czech Republic of social distancing will also accelerate digitization as the key to bringing about global progress and development. The Czech Republic is renowned for being very advanced and having rapid developments in STI, thus, sharing and exchanging knowledge and best practices in STI between our two countries is one of the key cooperation that should be further promoted in the post-COVID era.

For defense and security cooperation, since Prime Minister Andrej Babiš visited Thailand on the occasion of the state official visit in January 2019, there have been many follow up high-level visits between the two sides, which led to the establishment of the Coordinating Committee (Working Group) for Cooperation in Defense Industry in order to work on the potential projects and details of cooperation, especially in aerospace, military vehicles, weapons and ammunition, disaster relief, and cyber and information technology.

Thailand has also extended its invitation to the Czech private sectors to consider investing in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in which many companies from the Czech sides have shown interests.

Regarding the health sector, the two countries place importance on health security and aim to promote more on this aspect.

A few Czech companies, such as Linet, are doing business in Thailand but currently, with the pandemic and the growing capacity of the Czech business in the health industry, the Embassy will encourage more cooperation and more Czech companies to consider investing further in Thailand in this field, as well as in medical and pharmaceutical sciences. In addition, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University of Thailand, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI), situated in Prague, to promote cooperation in the use of cannabis extracts for the treatment and development of cannabis and cannabis extract research projects. It is the first collaboration between ICCI and a country in East Asia and South East Asia as well as an important step for the ICCI’s international cooperation with countries outside Europe.

On another related note, there are also approximately 30 Thai students currently pursuing medical studies in the Czech Republic, mostly at Charles University. At the same time, around 10 Czech medical students participate in internship programs at several hospitals in Thailand each year.

Finally, technical cooperation in third-world countries, to promote human security and empower the underprivileged, women and children is also a potential endeavor that Thailand and the Czech Republic could expedite in the near future.

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We are launching the new series of women ambassadors and thank you very much for being the patron and the first leader to be featured. What is your message to women professionals?

First of all, I would like to thank the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine for this initiative. Right now, there are approximately 20 of us, women ambassadors in the Czech Republic, covering all continents and I hope that the number will increase. We now have a “WhatsApp” group of “Prague Women Ambassadors” thanks to my dear friend, the Ambassador of Canada, who created it. Recently, we participated in a project raising awareness about World Bee Day, initiated by the Ambassador of Slovenia. I admire each and every one of the women ambassadors, and actually all women professionals, for doing their job the best way, while balancing it with their personal lives. Just do your best and have no regret for the outcome.

How do you manage to maintain a worklife balance? What are your passions and hobbies?

As a working woman, I learned how to balance my work and my personal life a long time ago. But I also had been helped by my family, my parents, and my brother. In the past, when work demanded and I had to work during the weekend, I chose to bring work home and did it together with my children while they were doing their homework.

Three of us were in front of our laptops at the dining table. Some of my colleagues prefer to go to the office finalizing their report over the weekend, while I prefer bringing work to my home. At least I could be with my kids.

I could say that once you are doing things you love and have passion with, I mean both work and family, it is easy to balance it.

As a woman and as a mother, I was always happy to cook for my children from when they were very young. I love to explore recipes, learning new ones from friends and colleagues, or try some new recipes from YouTube. It was fun and my children loved it. Now as they are all grown up and we do not live with each other, I still enjoy cooking, especially during the weekend.

I also like to travel. I think it is the best way to learn about the country you are living and working in. Since I arrived in the Czech Republic a year and a half ago, I have visited many cities here, Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Telč, Liberec, Znojmo, Mikulov, even Ještěd, to name a few. And I will continue to do so during my term here.

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What is your final message to Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Visit and experience Thailand yourself and not only the major and well-known cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket. There are many other provinces in Thailand to be explored and we are looking forward to welcoming you all. Also, think of Thailand as a perfect destination for investment and business with regards to many future-oriented sectors. Thailand and the Czech Republic have great potential to cooperate in security, automation and robotics, smart electronics, next-generation mobility solutions, medical and comprehensive healthcare, and last but not least food industry. Doing business in Thailand will allow you to experience “Thainess” not just during vacations.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

Special coverage of female ambassadors to the Czech Republic P HOTO : J ITKA T OMEČKOVÁ

My role is to promote positive exchange among nations I NTERVIEW WITH H.E. T ANJA S TRNIŠA

Have you ever thought about the parallel between bees, diversity, and security?

Once you enter the Embassy of Slovenia, you notice a colourful hand-crafted beehive in the garden on your right-hand side.

H.E. Tanja Strniša, Ambassador of Slovenia, is proud Slovenia is often called a bee country. On the World Bee Day on the 20th of May, together with other women ambassadors in Prague she made a short video explaining the tremendous value bees have in our world. Slovenia, having a rich history in apiculture, including special beehives being part of its cultural heritage, managed to introduce the World Bee Day in 2017 at the United Nations to help to protect bees and other pollinators. At that time, Ambassador Strniša was working for the Ministry of Agriculture of Slovenia, so she was very much involved in the process. She continues: “Although Slovenia is a small and young country, I learned that we could achieve a positive change on the global level. I was quite proud that the Czech Republic was one of the first six countries very supportive of this initiative.”

In June, Ambassador Strniša organized a workshop for the diplomats on the importance of beekeeping and the role of bees and other pollinators for the environment and biodiversity as well as for global food security. Every third spoon of our food depends on pollination. Did you know that one of the first expert beekeepers, Anton Janša, came from Slovenia and was hired to work at the Habsburg Court in Vienna in the middle of the 18th century?

The noble idea of beekeeping supports and promotes other goals such as protecting biodiversity, fighting against hunger and poverty, sustainable development goals - topics that are relevant but might seem too distant from an ordinary citizen.

With Mrs. Ambassador, we discussed not only modern Slovenia but also its history. Václav Havel once said that apart from Slovaks, there is no other nation so close to Czechs than Slovenians. As I believe that there is no coincidence, just synchronicity, Václav Havel’s villa is just opposite the Slovenian Embassy.

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Ambassador's spouse Mr. Anton Strniša takes care of the bees in the Embassy's garden

Mrs. Ambassador, Slovenia will celebrate 30 years since the Declaration of Independence next year. The country has successfully managed to transform from the exYugoslav country and to build its brand as a modern dynamic country that was named as the first green tourist destination as a whole country or the only country with the word love in its name. How do you as an Ambassador introduce Slovenia?

As you mentioned, Slovenia is both green and diverse. More than 60% of its surface is covered with forests, more than one-third of Slovenian land belongs to the NATURA 2000 network of protected areas, and also prides itself on one of the richest biodiversity in the world thanks to the well preserved and protected environment.

As to the diversity, one can find it on our territory, as Slovenia is the crossroad of Alps, covers Pannonia Plane and Mediterranean seacoast. You can also find it in our culture and gastronomy, which makes Slovenia an ideal tourist destina-

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tion, with particular emphasis on the protection of the environment and sustainable tourism, making it a green destination.

I like to add that Slovenia is a smart, innovative, and creative country attractive for economic partnership, cooperation, and investments in modern hi-tech technologies.

According to a recent survey, half of the Slovenian enterprises actively develop innovations.

Slovenia is the country with the highest share of female graduates in natural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the EU. The International Research Institute on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), which operates under the auspices of UNESCO, was established in November 2019 in Ljubljana, thus putting Slovenia on the global map of the most advanced countries in the field of artificial intelligence in the world.

Our two countries have much in common.

My question to ambassadors is about known unknown - what is the message for

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Slovenians to know with regards to the Czech people? There is certainly more than Jože Plečnik (known as Josip in the Czech Republic) or Václav Havel and his legacy that we share.

That is an excellent question, we tend to overlook the smaller bits of history of our relations and only follow the big or more dramatic events. I firmly believe history has much more to offer and the greatest lessons are provided by stories of many ordinary and extraordinary Czechs and Slovenes whose work and lives are a testimony to the enduring closeness between our two nations. One such personality is a Czech lover of the Slovenian Alps, Professor Karel Chodounský. A Czech Hut, in Slovenian called “Češka koča” is the oldest originally preserved mountain hut in Slovenia built by the Czech branch of Slovenian Mountaineering Club from Prague in the year 1900. Just these days, on 26th July we celebrated the 120th anniversary of the opening ceremony which was at that time attended also by more than 70 Czechs. There are

A beekeeping workshop for ambassadors was organised with the assistance of the Slovenian Beekeepers Association

many other examples of one-to-one bilateral relations, and I feel extremely honoured and proud to be able to walk in their footsteps.

Many people that have marked Slovenian society and history were Czech by birth and vice versa.

These personalities represent links between Slovenia and the Czech Republic. They inspire Slovene-Czech friendships through present-day. One must agree with President Havel's observation, still valid today, that there is no other nation closer to Czechs, apart from Slovaks than Slovenians.

What is the message for Czech people with regard to Slovenian people?

What we also share is a sense of humour of a particular brand, however, we might not be aware of it. Central European nations with its difficult history, in general, would have not survived without this sense of humour. When I communicate with the Czech people I get this sense of us being able to understand each other with very few words. It is not only about the closeness of the two languages, I believe it is much deeper and it involves a similar mentality. History has taught us that with patience, perseverance, and hard work, much can be achieved. In Central Europe we are more of marathon runners, we are not used to instant achievements and quick results. That is one of our shared advantages I believe.

I have met many Czechs who know and like Slovenia and have been our close friends for decades; on the other hand, for most of the Czechs Slovenia is still to be discovered. We have put a lot of effort into promoting Slovenia as a perfect tourist destination for those interested in spending holidays actively in less crowded places with beautiful nature, excellent food and wines, and accessible by car.

After the past, let us discuss the future. How is Slovenia prepared for the challenges of the 21st century, including the post-Covid 19 recovery?

Slovenia has achieved substantial progress since its independence and in particular after its 16 years of membership in the EU and NATO. To illustrate this with two figures: 15 years after joining the EU, the GDP per capita rose from 13.900 to 22.182 EUR and the average net salary from 701 to 1092 EUR. Many other indicators of the quality of life improved significantly, for example

life expectancy, number of cultural events, or places for children in kindergartens (which rose from roughly 60 to 80%).

EU and NATO form the main pillars also for the future. We have all learned from the crisis that a strong and efficient EU is needed in order to cope with many challenges, including pandemics like COVID-19 and other treats.

Slovenia will preside over the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021 for the second time. The preparations are already in full swing as we want to implement this task effectively and as an honest broker. Although most of the Presidency's work will be done in Brussels and Ljubljana, also the work of our Embassies all over the world will be important and I look forward to the cooperation with the Czech government and society during that time.

No less important are strong ties and connections between EU member states, nations, businesses, scientists, researchers, and last but not least the people.

Regional cooperation is also very important. The Slovenian Foreign Policy Strategy recognizes the cooperation with the Central European countries as an important priority. It is not only about political cooperation but also trade and other fields.

For example, the V4 countries as a whole present the second most important trade partner for Slovenia after Germany.

This interview is being published within a series of interviews with women ambassadors in the Czech Republic. You made the group visible thanks to your initiative on World Bees Day. Can you share with us some highlights of your career journey?

I would like to mention three milestones. First, as the Head of the Project Group for the Coordination of Preparations of the Slovenian EU Presidency in 2008 at the Government Office for the European Affairs, I was privileged to experience a unique task Slovenia had been entrusted as the first among the so-called new member states immediately after joining the EU. It was a huge project for a young state and modest administration. I was deeply involved in it from the very beginning, from the creation of the plan of preparations through its implementation and evaluation and was proud Slovenia did a good job.

Second, working as State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food for almost eight years, I got valuable experience in coping with the challenge of how difficult natural conditions and unfavourable farm structure could be transformed into an advantage for the production of food of higher quality and higher added value in a well preserved natural environment and countryside.

We also had excellent bila-teral cooperation as well as cooperation on the EU level with the Czech Ministry of Agriculture in combating unfair trade practices in the food chain and many other fields.

I am particularly proud I was an active member of a core team striving for World Bee Day that the UN General Assembly unanimously declared in 2017 upon the initiative of the Slovenian Government.

Third, the ambassadorial post in the Czech Republic as a privilege to represent my home country in a country with which we have friendly relations, share a great part of our history and with whom we have vibrant economic and extensive cultural cooperation. At the same time, it is a challenge to add some value to what has already been achieved to promote further cooperation and trade exchange. I believe the Slovenian (2021) and Czech (2022) EU Presidencies will offer ample opportunities to deepen our bilateral, regional, and EU cooperation.

What is your message or mentoring advice to women professionals?

Women still have to present more effort to be visible and for their work to be recognised. Usually, we must work harder than our male colleagues. However, as we tend to put our hearts into our work the results are tangible and indispensable for our society and we should not be modest about them.

Women present half of the population and consequently half of the societal potential.

Considering our different talents, capabilities, and natural potential, women cannot be fully replaced by the rest of the population.

This should never be overlooked if we strive for sustainable development, welfare, and a better world in general.

What is your final message to Czech and Slovak Leaders readers?

Slovenia is like a multifaceted diamond, reflecting different aspects of its geography, culture, and character. Our capital Ljubljana embodies the diversity of Slovenia, with its modern features and rich history. It is a busy city that relaxes in a Mediterranean way. You can almost smell the sea from its open-air cafes as well as admire snowy mountain peaks that are visible from Ljubljana even in the summer. I would also highlight the beauty of our diverse regions and many smaller cities and villages all over Slovenia that are worth visiting.

What is special about Slovenia is also the combination of the energy of a young state (we are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of independent Slovenia next year) and the wisdom of an old nation. Before gaining statehood the Slovenian nation was based on language and culture and there remains to this day a special, productive dynamic between state and culture.

I believe this is a common Central European feature. Cultural interaction is an important element also in our bilateral relations with the Czech Republic. It does not only help us learn about the other but also makes us learn about ourselves.

I would also like to add that in times of crisis the importance of culture rises. No great achievement in any area is possible without the culture's power to mobilize. Histories of both of our nations have proved this again and again. This is why I see strengthening cooperation in the field of culture as one of my most important tasks.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Special coverage of female ambassadors to the Czech Republic

PHOTO: JITKA TOMEČKOVÁ

INTERVIEW WITH H.E. MADAM VIRGINIA HESSE, AMBASSADOR OF GHANA TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC

I knew of Praha and Bratislava before coming here H. E. Virginia Hesse is not only the Ambassador of Ghana to the Czech Republic but also the Dean of the African Group in the Czech Republic. She has had a long and remarkable career, both in the public and private sectors.

She hails from Hesse family of Ghana then known as the Gold Coast. The Hesse family has traceable roots to Germany and Holland in the early 18th century when the progenitor Dr. Lebretch Wilhelm Hesse, then a young newly qualified German/Dutch physician, was posted as an employee of the Danish Missionary Society as in-house physician to Christiansburg Castle now Osu Castle under the Danish Crown of King Christian VII. During this sojourn he married a local lady named Lamiorkai and thus began the Hesse Euro-Ga family of Osu. Since then the members have included the first African Administrator for Korle Bu Hospital, the first African Rhodes Scholar, a notable software expert and many more.

Ambassador Hesse began her career at the Ministry of Trade and Industry during the era of “cocktail diplomacy” when international relations pertaining to trade, industry, commerce and investment were under the purview of the Trade Ministries of most countries. Her remarkable career includes participation in empowerment of women and gender equality; having served as the President of the Zonta Club of Accra as well as her public and private sector experience is more than adequate preparation for her current assignment. She served in the diplomatic section of the Ministry to the level of Deputy Trade Commissioner at St. James Court, London. She then ventured into private enterprise as a project manager for a noted Swiss multinational company but this company folded up and was offered the agency for the supply of packaged water and sewage treatment plants. Until recently she was the only female in the supply of the environmentally friendly “Aerobic Sewage Treatment” package plants. The highlight of her career came when she was appointed Ghana Ambassador to Czech Republic with concurrent accreditation to Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania and North Macedonia by Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo as part of a Group of 19 Lady Ambassadors in 2017. This example of the Ghana’s President championing gender equality resulted in the President being awarded the AU honour for promoting gender equality in 2018.

H.E. Hesse and I discussed current issues, not only Covid-19 but also the Black Lives Matter movement, her remarkable career journey, women empowerment, and the unexploited potential of Czech-Ghanaian relations.

Do you want to know how come H.E. Hesse knew Prague and Bratislava before she set a foot on the Czech soil and what her conception was like? Well the best stories are the life stories, so continue reading…

Mrs. Ambassador, my first question is directed to you, as the Dean of the African Group in the Czech Republic. What is your response to the current affairs concerning the violence in the US towards African Americans and the movement Black Lives Matter in the US but also elsewhere? What can be done to end discrimination based on race?

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I believe that we cannot discuss such topics within the scope of this interview. It is such a deeply rooted problem that it will take a long time to get to the solution. Luckily, the dialogue has started but such dialogue cannot be resolved overnight. This dialogue does not concern only the United States and Africa, it involves the whole world. The solution will depend both on the efficacy of

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world conflict resolution institutions and tolerance in the world in general. By the way, Ghana already issued in 2019 the “Year of Return” appeal to Black Americans to return home which was successful. Many US citizens decided to resettle and to divide their stay between Ghana and the US.

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What is the current situation in Africa with regard to Covid-19?

African countries are managing the pandemic within the parameters of local, cultural, and social contexts. The experience is a profound learning opportunity for Africa, as it has alerted the continent to inadequacies of the healthcare system. Hence the efforts of many countries are concentrating on the roll-out of a plan to resolve the system’s shortcomings. The Government of Ghana is building 88 district hospitals to augment the current health sector facilities and in like manner most African countries are improving their health sector facilities. Morocco and Egypt have become major suppliers and manufacturers of personal protective equipment. The African Union has set up the Covid-19 Response Fund to augment efforts of member countries to be able to cope with the pandemic.

Being not only a writer but also a journalist, I cannot help to ask the question about Africa opening its borders. I am sure that many readers are waiting to be able to travel to Africa, both for business and for pleasure.

Ghana belongs to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is made up of 15 countries located in the Western African region and sharing cultural, geopolitical ties and common economic interests.

It has set up a special institute monitoring Covid-19. We follow the same approach with regards to flattening the curve as your country had and very positive trend of lowering the number of positive cases that leads to releasing the restrictions. External borders among states are still closed. A special committee to monitor Covid-19 in the region has been set up which has agreed to carry out a phase by phase border opening. The easing of borders is following the same model as being practiced in this region.

Now, let me turn to a personal question. You have had an extraordinary career in both the public and private sectors. How do you reflect on the change in the nature of civil service over the years? By the way, I have seen your video commemorating the African Day, which was made together with Mr. Petříček, the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and Yemi, an actor and choreographer, and it seems to me that no one would imagine such informality connected to diplomacy even five years ago.

It is true Covid-19 has highlighted the use of electronic communication as the only viable solution during the pandemic and virtual electronic meetings are de rigueur now.

However, the most significant development in civil service has been the increased presence of women in all aspects of civil service and diplomacy and this is exemplified in a lady as the UN Deputy Secretary General, Madam Amina Mohammed of Nigeria; such

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Special coverage of female ambassadors to the Czech Republic a major milestone for women. Ethiopia has a lady Head of State, President Madam Sahle Won Zewde since 2018. These are impressive developments that can be attributed to the Fourth (4th) Beijing Conference held in 1995.

These changes may not be at par with the expectations of gender equality advocates nonetheless they are significant improvements to the status quo. In Prague we have about 22 lady Heads of Missions including Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, and Ghana. The AU Pan African Parliament has a 25% share of female members. Landownership which had hitherto been male dominated in Africa is changing in countries like Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, and Tanzania. The case in Ghana is similar, women are actively engaged in farming to the extent of a woman winning the “Farmer of the Year Award”. It is refreshing that two international lady civil servants have been mentioned as possible candidates to fill the World Trade Organisation vacancy. The final and most innovative development is in management appraisal of personnel in the two stage format. Stage one is a self-assessment by the appraisee and state two an interactive discussion of the self-assessment by both appraisee and appraiser.

From personal relations, let us now talk about Czech-Ghanaian mutual relations.

What have been the long-term trends and what are the new possibilities of bilateral cooperation?

I will start by stressing that our co-operation has been ongoing since 1959 when the Embassy of Ghana was established in Czechoslovakia, only two years after Ghana gained independence. I proudly say that neither side has closed its Embassy, so we have 61 years of uninterrupted relations between our two nations. The main area of cooperation since the early sixties was in education. Many African students, not only from Ghana, came to study at Czech universities – medicine, technical disciplines, science, and agriculture. These students have become experts in Africa while some stayed and started their careers and new lives with families here. In fact, my cousin studied medicine in Prague, then married a Czech woman and they had a daughter. But wait, this is not the story of my connection to Prague yet.

As far as mutual projects are concerned, we are pursuing the trend of economic diplomacy through collaboration with Czech companies, particularly in key projects of infrastructure development. Today, a Czech company has built 15 health posts, facilities that you visit before going to a large hospital. In the same manner, 200 bridges are being built with the help of Czech construction compa-

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nies. Finally, we are tapping into the specialized technologies of tram and railways that the Czech Republic can offer and will be piloting a regional project of setting up a tram system in Ashanti region of Ghana.

My question to ambassadors is about known unknowns. What is the message for people in Ghana they should know with regard to the Czech people and culture and vice-versa?

There has always been a constant cultural cooperation, especially with dance groups, in collaboration with the Tanec Praha festival (Dance Prague festival). Then we have the phenomenon of Czech and Slovak African mixed families as conduits of cultural interaction. The mission has been assisting in reconnections between Czech and Ghanaian families and there have been a significant number of successes. For Czech people who have not yet discovered Africa, it is the new horizon with all the seasons the world enjoys, without the extreme cold weather, making it a holiday destination worth exploring. It is a continent that offers a combination of business and leisure.

Our interview is within a series of interviews with women ambassadors. Based on your experience and your passion for women empowerment, what is your message to women professionals?

In today’s world, there is no limit as to how far women can go in their profession. The strength to succeed is in their hands, they need to be determined, focused, and resolved to attain excellence in all they want to achieve. Women are the best multitasking

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performers, therefore if they stay true to their cause, they will eventually win.

Usually, the last question is about the message to the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers. In your case, I am waiting for the revelation of your special connection to Prague.

I would like to remind you that Czechs and Slovaks were part of the newly independent history of African countries in the 1960s. Continue with this tradition and partner with African Union and African Continental Free Trade Area, which is the largest free-trade area in the world in terms of the number of participating countries, since the formation of AFTA any investment in Africa will now have access to a ready market of 1.3billion population.

My selection of a place to serve as an Ambassador is uncanny. I read all about the beauty of Praha and Bratislava in letters sent from my best friend who was a medical student in then Czechoslovakia. Prague, in a way, is a vicarious homecoming for me because I knew all about it before I got here. In Prague, you enjoy all the grandeur of European history but without the hassles of the traffic of similar European cities. Prague continues to grow on me with its charms. My other accreditations to countries of Visegrad Group have exposed me to other players of Central Europe. And I cherish the close-knit family of Prague diplomatic colleagues ready to assist each other.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

Some thoughts on the world after the pandemic incredibly capable to adapt to any kind of situation. No matter how bad it is, you adapt.

You live your life as best as you can.”

As the coronavirus crisis is evolving and restrictions are being loosened, many people and companies are wondering about what the world will look like in the post-corona times. The ‘new-normal’ has become the buzzword of today but not everybody really knows what it will mean. Although I suppose we all feel is that we cannot go back to what the world used to be.

The past months have introduced us to something we would have never imagined.

If I told you a few months ago would you believe that soon schools will be closed, almost all public events will be cancelled, millions of people around the world will be working from home or out of work and governments will be developing some of the largest economic stimulus packages in history? Would you believe that we will be experiencing these paradox times of worldwide confinement and yet being almost permanently virtually connected with people around the world, the times where landlords and banks are not collecting payments while the homeless are staying in hotels free of charge?

I’m sure you wouldn’t. It feels like we are all actors in some kind of a blockbuster, except that the story is for real.

And yet, it’s amazing to see how we’ve adapted despite loss of control of our routines, sense of normalcy, freedom, faceto-face connections, and so on. There is some truth in the remark by Velibor Bozovic, a professor of photography in Montreal, who also experienced the war in Sarajevo: “We are

Times of upheaval are always times of radical change. But here we are again.

History shows that crises and disasters have continuously set the stage for change. They do not just point out some areas that need to be improved but they can also rip open the cover of normality. Through that, we see possibilities which we did not realise before and which might be gained. Much can also be lost as loss and gain coexist in such trialling times although every disaster is different.

There have been several speculations about what the world will look like postcoronavirus. When it comes to businesses, some brands will need to be reenergised and revitalised. Many companies now focus on the short-term priorities and adopt survival strategies. But omitting thoughts about the future may mean winning the battle but losing the war. Business has changed, perhaps forever. Once we emerge from this crisis, there will be disruption due to supply chain links missing, little cash, people being fearful, consumer habits shifted online, to mention but a few.

The way we work will change too. I’m a big fan of working from home, or from anywhere for that matter. However, for many companies in Germany where I currently live ‘physical presence’ is still a proof of doing the job, which is not necessarily correct and clearly shows a lack of trust on the employer’s part. I was pleased to see that the Germany's Labour Minister wants to bring in a ‘right to work from home’ law that will apply long after the country’s coronavirus lockdown has ended. This move has come about as a response to seeing how successfully it had operated during the coronavirus lockdown.

If it goes through is another matter, but this clearly shows that sometimes a painful experience is needed to push people to make the change which is long overdue.

I also believe that the crisis may have made people think about what is really important in life and that we take our little freedoms

for granted. As an example, my colleague in Italy shared she was allowed to go for a walk only 200 m from her house for some weeks. Challenging not just for her but also for her border collie that needs a lot of movement. Another colleague of mine in Spain had to schedule an appointment with a shop if he needed to purchase something.

Circumstances like this made me feel lucky despite the lockdown in Germany with much less strict measures.

The pandemic has seen some incredible community spirit – take the WW2 veteran in the UK who by doing laps in his garden before his 100th birthday aimed to raise £1,000 to fight coronavirus. He simply captured the heart of the nation with his heroic effort and ended up raising over £30 million. And there are many others helping directly or indirectly in the COVID-19 battle.

On the flip side, the crisis exposed some inadequate planning and incompetent leadership particularly when it comes to populists and authoritarians. In addition, it revealed several fundamental weaknesses in our society — many of which we knew about but ignored. The pandemic itself is a proof of our interdependence and interconnected world. And yet, in politics we can already see some turning inward instead of trying to unite with everybody, lend a hand, collaborate and pull in one direction. Where this will lead one can only speculate.

Considering all that has been happening, what will the world look like post-COVID-19?

I think we have a choice. It can be a world that is poorer, meaner and smaller as well as less open and less free. However, it does not have to be that way. We could be headed for a world that will be better, fairer and more compassionate. But that would require unprecedented levels of global collaboration and behaviour change.

Which one it will be nobody knows right now but one thing is for certain – there is no going back.

By Tereza Urbánková

Tereza Urbánková is a PR, communications and marketing professional with 20 years’ experience and proven success in delivering award-winning communications programmes for multinational companies operating in industries such as hospitality, retail, IT, defence, broadcast, logistics, pharma and engineering. After having lived and worked in the UK for 12 years, she moved to Germany in 2018 where she now works for Boehringer Ingelheim as Head of Global External Communication, Animal Health. Tereza is a member of the Executive Committee of the Czech British Chamber of Commerce in London. She speaks Czech, English, Spanish and Russian and can be reached through her LinkedIn profile.

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

S OTIRIS F OUTSIS , GM

AT

U NIVERSITY

OF

N EW Y ORK

IN

P RAGUE

I am very confident about UNYP students and graduates P HOTO : J ITKA T OMEČKOVÁ

Education was one of the areas profoundly affected by the current pandemic. In June, Time Magazine dedicated a double issue to “Generation Pandemic” with regard to the global crisis changing the lives of kids and teens. As a working parent of two teenagers, I witnessed the shift from in person to on-line education and it was not always a walk through a rose garden.

Or if it was a rose garden, then it was a very bushy and thorny one. While switching to on-line education was a mission impossible for many state schools and universities, as they often misinterpreted on-line education as one-way e-mail communication about submitting assignments and strict deadlines; private schools that pride themselves on computer literacy curriculum and strong IT infrastructure, passed this transition rather smoothly. It was a privilege for me to interview Mr. Sotiris Foutsis, General Manager at University of New York in Prague (UNYP) regarding UNYP’s transition, the future of education and the positioning of the private tertiary education facility in a country with a strong tradition of free public education. Read more how on-line education differs from on-line learning and why we should not be persuaded to remain only in the on-line world.

Mr. Sotiris Foutsis has been a General Manager of UNYP since 2007. In numbers, the University of New York in Prague represents 50 employees, 125 faculty staff and 800 students of more than 60 nationalities.

Since 2016, five years in a row, UNYP was placed in the Superbrands category for outstanding brands in the field.

My first personal encounter with UNYP was thanks to TEDxUNYP 2019. I had a chance myself to experience the dynamic and progressive environment of this private university, valued not only for teaching but also for many innovative approaches to education, including events for a larger expert public. Do not miss the TEDxUNYP event on November 21!

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Mr. Foutsis, at the end of June you addressed UNYP’s Class of 2020. Do you really view them as Generation Pandemic?

How are they prepared for a volatile and uncertain world? I remember graduating from international relations in early October 2001, and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks I felt that my university did not prepare me for life.

First of all, nobody was prepared for the pandemic. You can prepare only as much as the situation allows. The experience and the education we provide to our students is what makes the difference. Having students from more than 60 countries is already a big differentiator for UNYP and a great learning opportunity for our students. When they come to class, they not only change the environment, but also adjust their habits while being confronted with different cultures and mentalities of other students and faculty. Such experience and adjustment make them more flexible, allow them to change their perspective and enables them to apply critical thinking. These skills combined with the level of education we provide gives our students all the tools necessary to face and successfully overcome challenging situations, including the current pandemic. It is true that this generation has not had experience with such a challenge. However, we teach them how to look for solutions and think out of the box, so I am confident that they have the skills, the power and the strength to overcome even this crisis.

As the school year 2019/2020 came to its end, now looking back how do you evaluate the transition to on-line learning at UNYP? I became an IT administrator for my kids for a while, but I imagine that transitioning online and adjusting to more than 60 nationalities must have been a challenge.

As to the on-line education at primary and secondary levels, I have three kids, so tell me about it. I am proud to say that at UNYP, we prepared well. We started meetings discussing possibilities of a lock-down in late January. I am lucky to have a great and proactive team. We sat down and started to work on “what if” scenarios. From February, we had scenarios ready for partial lockdown and complete lockdown. During the week of March 9, when the government had decided to close the schools, we were already piloting on-line courses to identify all the possible problems and issues regarding technology and the students’ and academic staff ’s needs. Thanks to such a thorough preparation, we were able to completely shift on-line within three working days! We invested in our IT, both software and hardware, and we managed to create on-line courses allowing us to continue presenting outstanding academics from all over the world. Our students did not lose even one hour of class work and all finished their terms, including the state exams. UNYP delivered on top level all what it had promised.

Both on-line teaching and on-line education are very broad concepts. Today, you see everything available on-line. For us, technology is part of edu-

cation, and it should not be only reduced to the form of delivering the classes but more and more implemented in teaching as such. This generation is growing up using this technology. The traditional way of teaching in class, facing both a lecturer and other students, has its own value. You make acquaintances, friends, grow your network and sometimes even meet a life-partner. The challenge is in finding the best possible combination for the best quality of services delivered to the students. And also, let us not focus on the content of education only. I have already mentioned soft skills that you gain during the interaction in and outside of class.

Speaking of skills, there seems to be a never-ending debate discussing teaching relevant skills for the 21st century. However, the debate about the nature of education should go beyond the focus on skills.

Definitely! For me, one of the most important approaches is the innovative mode of thinking. In order to do that, you need to master critical thinking, which is also one of the cornerstones of our teaching here at UNYP - you need to apply analytical skills to collect data, analyze them and get to results quickly, and last but not least, walk off the beaten path in terms of looking for opportunities together with creating new possibilities. All these approaches are part of our curriculum for adapting to changes successfully. I also want to stress that we want our students to be prosperous not only in their professional lives but also in their personal lives. Many people have been missing the personal life part, life is not only about your career and one must learn to find a balance.

Thank you for mentioning both parts of our lives, I believe the pandemic has also taught us the importance of well-being.

Two parts of lives bring me a parallel to two types of universities, public and private. Both part of the system, both having own different value. How do you view the situation of private universities in the Czech Republic?

The Czech Republic has a great tradition of public university education when it comes to top universities, such as Charles University or Czech Technical University. No one doubts their quality. However, the perception of the need for private schools and their special offer, is missing. Some people are even still questioning the role of private schools.

Luckily, more than 800 of our students think differently. There are things that private schools can offer, and public schools cannot. Private schools have a different approach. Although the situation has improved recently, we are still facing challenges and barriers on the systemic level. For private schools, it is much more difficult or close to impossible to access to various funds or extra money for research projects. Such limitations prevent private schools from the realization of many projects that would help them to invest to improve and become even better.

I do not think there is an easy solution, particularly given the high-quality public education acknowledged already. However, let us look at the many benefits that private schools bring to any

country where they operate. We provide the Czech and Central and Eastern European students the opportunity to study programs from State University of New York and to get their degree. This means that students will get a degree from the largest comprehensive system in the US with 64 campuses at a much lower cost than in the US. Czech students comprise more than one-third of the total student body and we are glad that the number is rising.

On the other hand, we bring students from literally all over the world which is not the case at public universities with Czech as the language of study. Imagine the added life experience of studying in a class having 10 or more different nationalities. As we bring international students, we contribute significantly to the country’s budget, literally in terms of billions of Czech crowns, if you put together the expenditures for housing, living, travelling etc. Therefore, I advocate for different approach for public and private universities, as both have place in the system.

Now, that we talked about the comparison of private and public schools, let us go one step further. From what I understand, there are actually two types of private schools, differing with regards to the accreditation.

All private schools have the Czech accreditation, some private schools have also foreign accreditation. The distinguishing aspect of UNYP is that it maintains accreditations and high educational standards of two other countries and the respective represented institutions, the United States and the United Kingdom. We are the only private university in the Czech Republic, meeting accreditations of three different countries.

UNYP is officially registered as a provider of degree programs by the already mentioned State University of New York, Empire State College, and the University of Bolton. Meeting such high international standards presents reassurance of the quality for our students.

We discussed innovation and technology that you are trying not to teach separately but as a part of the curriculum. Teaching staff also helps students to build their own start-ups. How do you see the cooperation between the academic sphere and private businesses?

The business sphere is interested in cooperation, but less than in the past. Unemployment close to zero was not very conducive or motivational for life-long learning. The situation will change. Particularly on the MBA level, we hope that the companies will work more with us, as their employees will need both new skills and new knowledge to overcome the current crisis. The situation will be challenging also for schools, in terms of adapting quickly and efficiently to the new situation. To view crisis as an opportunity is not a mere slogan, but a challenge not to be missed.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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I,

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B RAND

Hybrid Leadership Welcome to the New Normal Cristina Muntean is a consultant, trainer, mentor and coach who specializes in personal branding, strategic communications, emotional and systemic intelligence for leadership. A former journalist with more than 12 years of experience in the Czech, Romanian and international media, she founded Media Education CEE, a PR advisory and training agency in Prague in May 2010.

Her clients are executive level managers and entrepreneurs with Top100 companies in the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern Europe.

Cristina is also an internationally certified trainer and coach with the Enneagram, a complex system of personal development, and a facilitator of systemic dynamics in organizations. She provides services in English, Czech, French and Romanian, her mother tongue. Cristina can be reached at +420 776 574 925 or at cm@cristinamuntean.com.

Since the beginning of riding the wave, as customMarch and the Corona ers moved inside. Physical quarantine, our lives have distancing didn’t by any been turned upside down. means bring social or emoFor some, their stream of tional distancing – people income has completely were more keen than ever dried up. For some othto reach out to each other, ers, fast profiling in other to talk, to share and to hold professions – like a hair each other through the dresser I know who started downturn. One other less offering child sitting durvisible category has been ing the day, so parents can also massively impacted by work peacefully, helped the crisis. Their name: corthem to survive. A few porate managers. lucky entrepreneurs and years I have been hearing how Czech companies selling products For people are not ready to work from home. and services online were In the past, companies offering even a handful of home office days were turning

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their apparently benevolent approach into a major benefit. All that changed irreversibly on March 13th, when most of the Czech Republic went to work from home. All of a sudden, remote work was not only possible; it was vital for the survival of organizations. As always, abrupt moves tend to tear the veil on what used to be hidden in the background. Unfortunately, we were also able to see what was really behind the unwillingness of companies to allow people to work from home: decrepit IT infrastructures and poor people and managerial remote working skills.

The king is naked. Long live the king?

While coworkers adapted fast – some even started to use their personal IT infrastructure to cope with the challenges of remote work, the same cannot be said about managers.

The reason is simple: for managers, the missing skills are not hard (how to share a file on Zoom or on Teams), things that can

I, be learnt in a snap of a finger. For managers, the missing skills are much deeper and more insidious. All of a sudden everyone could see, with painful consequences, the lack of communication skills, emotional intelligence (self-mastery, empathy and conflict management being just a few of them) and, simply, leadership. Despite the relative investments into these areas over the last few years, the fact that people development has been done superficially and unsystematically became painfully obvious, as coworkers started to complain about lack of clarity, confusion, anxiety and a general lack of sense of direction for team and individual performers. All of a sudden it was clear for everyone: in the remote environment, the king was naked.

Confronted with this painful realization, some managers rubbed their hands at the thought that in May we would be going back to work and all will go back to “normal”. Surprise, surprise: the reality that awaits many managers upon returning to the office is not that simple. Their lives got complicated by the fact that many people simply got used to working from home.

Most often, these are the same competent people with entrepreneurial spirit, who are able to be productive and deliver results regardless of their circumstances.

These people, perhaps after many years, took a taste of that myth that we’ve been talking about for the last decade: work-life balance. In the safety of their homes they found themselves (relative) masters of their days. Some could do more work early in the morning, before their children woke up, then be with their families, then work again, then be with the family again. Some found room for more exercise – from home or around the home, but nonetheless. All of a sudden people didn’t have to choose between themselves, their families and work anymore, as they had everything in one place. The enormous time and financial savings became also obvious and people won’t want to part with that so easily after the quarantine easement in May. For all these reasons managers should now expect that some of their best performers will want to continue working from home.

And even though some people might feel threatened by job loss short term, when we look long term the footprint of their work-life balance experience will stay with people and they will want to replicate it sooner rather than later.

What does this mean for managers? While in the past we were living in a polarity: teams mostly connected through presence in the

office or teams working remotely, as in the crisis, now we are faced with the new reality of leading hybrid teams: teams mixed of people working regularly from home AND from the office. This new move on the labor market brings a few structural shifts that we need to pay attention to and integrate into our practices and our companies.

1. Motivation über alles In order to manage people in hybrid teams, managers will simply need to know how to work with people’s deep, inner motivation.

No amount of money can buy a lack of wellbeing, as people understood during the crisis that our lives are simply short and it is vital to spend our time on this earth wisely. This means that we can expect more investments in the future into managerial training in motivation, communication skills and strategic enablement skills in general.

2. Productivity measurements will experience a revolution A manager’s first and most important task when leading a remote workforce is the capacity to set a clear purpose of the team, a clear vision and clear goals. Then it is on the manager and the company to mark the journey towards achieving those goals and to measure people’s progress.

If in the past productivity was measured mainly through yearly evaluations and hard KPIs (the number of calls made, the number of customers retained etc.), in the future measuring soft KPIs (like the capacity to communicate with empathy, sharing information fast and sensitively, leading effective virtual meetings etc.) will become more and more important. This is why we can expect a revolution both in productivity measurement systems in companies, but also with productivity measurement service providers.

3. The entrepreneurial career will finally take off I have been talking for a while about the entrepreneurial career, where movements are possible in all directions leading to a wider, deeper and more meaningful expertise and life and where there are no career gaps, as long as people use their time meaningfully for rest, education and family matters. People will also start to have more employers, some of them located abroad (and paying more), which will take the war for talent to the next level. We need to understand that the ability to work remotely removed the barriers for career management

THE

B RAND

for competent people; not only they can now work from anywhere, they can also work for whomever needs them and is able to pay for their expertise.

4. Brands will need to cope, compete and become more authentic In order to win the war on talent, brands will need to put even more efforts into becoming visible through authenticity.

Corporate brands will finally understand that having visible, strong personal brands to represent them is nothing wrong – by the contrary, such personal brands can become magnets for outside talent, as they stand as a living guarantee that people fare well in that company. It will also lead to more efforts in corporate communications and, hopefully, to that long expected transition into integrated communications.

5. Office spaces will decrease in size and be reallocated As less and less people will want to travel to the office, more and more office spaces will be reallocated. Former open offices can all of a sudden become innovation hubs, art galleries and spaces for encounter, dialogue and a deeper form of humanity. In the same spaces where just a few months ago stress was rampant we might see the light at the end of the tunnel through innovation, mindfulness and peace.

6. Sustainability will become about sustainable lives All in one, thanks to the last two months we have a chance to reconsider what it means sustainable living. With more people working remotely we have less traffic.

People will spend less (which also means less waste in terms of food, packaging etc.), but they will spend it more mindfully on meaningful things and experiences and they will also create more personal savings that won’t let them so vulnerable during the next crisis. In a word, sustainability will move from being a corporate slogan into becoming a lifestyle.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to live in this new world.

By Cristina Muntean české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

53

I NTERVIEW

WITH

J IŘÍ Š EDIVÝ , EDA C HIEF E XECUTIVE

EU is the best

ship to navigate us through the stormy weather

This interview with the second-highest Czech international official, one rank below the EU Commissioner Věra Jourová, a three-star director in the EU terms, was truly very special for me. Mr. Šedivý is the first Czech official to reach the highest expert functions both in NATO and the EU. Yet, there was also a more personal reason - Jiří Šedivý was my first superior. In 2001, when he was the Director of the Institute of International Relations (IIR), he asked me to join the Diplomatic Academy and to combine my interest in international relations enhanced by the dimension of training and development. From the IIR, Mr. Šedivý pursued a Czech and international career. He served as the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, Vice-Secretary of NATO responsible for defence policy and planning, Czech Ambassador to NATO and the Special Envoy for the New Security Threats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Due to Covid-19, he assumed his position at EDA after a month delay, in early May. During our WebEx call, we discussed security issues, EDA’s role, and Mr. Šedivý’s vision but also his outstanding career journey. What does it take to be a successful candidate at the EU institution? What is his career advice to younger colleagues?

Mr. Šedivý, congratulations on your appointment and many thanks for the interview. Before we discuss your role and vision at the EDA, let me ask you as an expert on international relations and international affairs, about your view on the current pandemic. I remember we met for the first time after September 11, 2001, and at that time you held many lectures in terms of continuity and disruption on the new world order. How do you perceive the current situation? Are there any parallels or contrasts?

It is always tricky and to some extent even dangerous to compare global crises and watershed events, such as 9/11, the financial crash of 2008 or the current Covid-19 pandemic. Each of them has its different roots, developments, and rami-

54

fications. Therefore, the possible impact on the world order is also different. However, it is obvious that the post-COVID-19 world won’t be the same as the one we knew before.

If you ask me what main geostrategic implications and its consequent massive economic and financial costs of this pandemic could bring, I would say that it might probably further accelerate the trend towards more assertive, self-interested and confrontational “power policy” between the big global players.

The big question for us is whether Europe will have its place among them. I fully support what Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union and Head of EDA said, that Europe must urgently develop a much stronger “appetite for power” in the world.

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

What does it take to be a global power and why is Europe falling short of it?

As a continent and economic-political unification project, Europe certainly appears as a global actor par excellence, at least on paper. With its vast internal market, its strong national economies, its technological excellence and innovation leadership, its highly educated people, stable democracies, and modern Armed Forces, Europe has all it takes to play a leading role in the world.

The reason why this is still not the case is that all those winning ingredients are not used together in the cooperative way they should, in terms of a closer European Union.

The political, economic, and geostrategic power of a truly united Europe would by far exceed the sum of its individual Member States. In order to unleash Europe’s extraordinary potential, memP HOTO :

ARCHIVE

ber states need to engage in real, deep, and sincere cooperation, at all levels, including the one in defence policies and capability development. If that was to happen, Europe’s place at the global powers’ table would be guaranteed. It’s high time for Europe to rise up to the challenge.

Perhaps the COVID shockwave could be the successful wake-up call for the needed change.

You mentioned that the importance of the EU defence cooperation has grown during the times of pandemic. What is your vision of strong EDA and how can we make sure that strengthening European defence will not come at the expense of trans-Atlantic ties with NATO? My vision of EDA is that of an Agency that continues to be a strong, flexible and efficient defence cooperation platform and expertise hub that is used to the fullest extent by its member states, - which is not the case yet because there is still unused potential - for initiating and developing collaborative projects in the research and capability development domains as well as in support of industry. I also want the Agency to focus more than ever on delivering concrete outputs, joint capabilities that respond to real needs and shortfalls, capabilities that make our Member States’ Armed Forces stronger, more efficient and more interoperable. As a result, this will make the European Defence stronger. Finally, I want the Agency to remain firmly established in the EU defence cosmos and continue to use its specific institutional nature for the benefit of European defence: an intergovernmental Agency that serves Member States (as defence is and remains a national competence) while at the same time pursuing the wider European interest and keeping the focus on common European capability priorities.

I believe that all of the above already answers your question, EU defence is not at all at the expense of NATO – on the contrary! EU defence cooperation is not meant to replace NATO, but to strengthen it. The shared objective of NATO and the EU is to ensure the security of their citizens and to enhance the transatlantic bond. Both play

complementary roles in providing security in Europe. EU defence cooperation is built on the common and undisputed understanding that NATO is and remains the cornerstone of Europe’s collective defence. However, a stronger EU makes NATO stronger. Efforts to enhance the Europe of Defence will strengthen NATO’s European pillar.

All EU defence efforts and this includes what we do here at EDA, are meant to be complementary to NATO, avoiding no unnecessary duplication.

My favorite question is about the “knownunknowns”. What are the main facts the general public should know with regard to current major threats and the ways to address them?

The major threats we currently face are more or less known. It is important for me to highlight that in this very “list” we cannot and should not exclude more traditional threats. Especially today, when Europe and the world are still fighting with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and a lot of attention is rightly put on overcoming the pandemic, but armed conflict still cannot be excluded.

Having said that, the so-called hybrid threats are of course to be prepared for, especially as regards cyber defence or disinformation campaigns while a third major threat certainly stems from terrorism or other kinds of extremisms which unfortunately can lead also to various paramilitary activities.

When analysing threats, we carefully have to look not only at potential threat actors but also consider factors: in terms of actors, I would argue that today we see a return to a global power competition based on Realpolitik. And in terms of threat factors, it is indeed paramount that we thoroughly analyse and prepare for their impact.

The first of these factors is climate change. Much has been written about the potential security implications already and I only want to highlight its likely impact on the global demographic balance, questions of increased migration flows or conflict over natural resources.

The second factor then is the potential impact of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous system, robotics or the internet of things. These technologies are not only changing our everyday life but also revolutionise warfare.

As you can see, the threat landscape has certainly not diminished. What is important to remember is that no European Member State today is capable of facing these threats in isolation.

Cooperation and unity of Europe also in the domain of defence is what makes us stronger.

I am talking to you as one of the highestranking Czechs in the EU organization, what is your leadership and career advice to those aiming for the highest international ranks? The number of Czechs either at the EU or NATO is still low when compared to other CEE countries. What are your recommendations to younger colleagues searching for an international career?

Start as early as possible and make your way up.

Foster the grassroots network. And once you reach the top level, be sure to have the support of the government. Being well prepared, well-educated is not enough. One also has to be persistent. The position at EDA was the fifth one I have run for at the EU level. The four previous attempts were not successful, but I did not give up. Study, study, and study again, in order to cultivate professional expertise. However, knowing your agenda is not the key to success as many people think. You must also be able to present it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from experts in this area. Before my interview for EDA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a mock presentation to the panel of experts. I received honest feedback, which was quite tough but helped me to improve. My guess is that my performance improved 15-20% thanks to this trial. Everyone knows the HR evergreen question “where do you see yourself in 10 or 15 years”. You need both vision and flexibility. Actually, ten years ago was the first time I started to consider the EDA position.

You mentioned the strong government support that was needed. I am glad that the times are changing and more Czechs will be present at the highest positions, as the number of Czechs serving at the highest levels either at EU or NATO institutions, is still quite low when compared to other counties in Central and Eastern Europe.

I am glad that in my case Mr. Petříček, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was truly engaged and led the candidacy supporting process.

Mr. Petříček has a good reputation at the College of Foreign Ministers. Next, there was synchronized lobbying from all our embassies as well as from the Ministry of Defence. I visited several capitals to present my vision of EDA, the Czech mission to the EU organized a breakfast for the ambassadors to the political and security committee. My advantage was that I have been active in the field for more than 15 years. I made many contacts also during my work at George C. Marshall Center think-tank.

In fact, the current Slovak Minister of Defence, Jaroslav Naď, was one of my students there.

What is your final message for Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers?

We have entered turbulent times full of disruptive challenges. Covid-19 has been so far the latest example. We should realize that this is the “new normal”. Under such circumstances, we should cultivate unity, solidarity, and resilience both within our respective nations and the framework of the European Union. We do not have a better ship to navigate us through the stormy weather and rough seas than the European Union.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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NETWORKING / CHARITY

In cooperation with Czech & Slovak Leaders

Lions Club Prague Bohemia Ambassador

SUMMER CHARITY GALA DINNER held at Charles Bridge Restaurant and Terrace From left: Prof. MUDr. Václav Mandys, CSc., Institute of Pathology, Prague with his wife, Doc. MUDr. Petr Čáp, PhD., Head of the Allergology, Hospital Homolka with his wife, JUDr. Cyril Svoboda, Pedagogue, CEVRO Institute, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ing. Jiří Novotný, CSc. MBA, Financial Director, Prof. MUDr. Aleksi Šedo, DrSc., Dean, 1st Medical Faculty of the Charles University

From left: Iva Dvořáková, Entrepreneur, JUDr. Jana Tlustá, Lawyer, and Dr. Radim Dvořák, Chairman of Snaha a.s.

Ing. František Novotný, President, Association SDSS and President, LC Praha Bohemia Ambassador

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RNDr. Tomáš Koblas, Ph.D, Scientist, IKEM Praha

NETWORKING / CHARITY

From left: Ing. Rudolf Kočí, Entrepreneur with his wife and Ing. Antonín Mika, Director, Foreign Trade Company Lamex with his wife

From left: Mgr. Petra Komárková, Entrepreneur and Karolína Sýkorová, Curator of the National Museum

From left: Mrs. Ilona Málková, Petr Laštovka, Entrepreneur with his wife, and Ing. Jiří Málek, Entrepreneur

Čestmír Koželuha, Entrepreneur, First Vice Governor, LCI D122 Czech and Slovak Republic

PhDr. Martin Komárek, Journalist

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STRUGGLES MAKE YOU STRONGER Interview with Radoslaw Kedzia, VP CEE&Nordic European Region, Huawei

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P HOTO : A RCHIVE

Before getting to technology, let me ask you, as VP for CEE and Nordic European Region at Huawei, how has the pandemic affected your work and operations?

Similar to many others, our company has largely switched to an online model, which was very smooth since we are a technology company.

We also significantly reduced travel, and began conducting more video conferences to meet with colleagues and customers. But as you can imagine, since the very beginning of the outbreak, we have been supporting our customers in dealing with network overload across Europe and also around the world. Although we helped to prevent any major collapse, some networks have been stretched to their limits. The pandemic has shown us that there is a growing need for the development of fast and modern networks with higher data throughput. I personally think that this experience could significantly speed up the deployment of the fifth-generation networks.

Do you see any difference between CEE and Nordic European region handling the pandemic?

Regarding the transition to the work models of online communication and home office, both regions are fairly technologically advanced.

There are of course differences in the speed of connection and transfer of data volumes, but there is no strict division into two distinctive groups, in this case, namely Central and Eastern Europe. The whole area has regions that are less or more advanced than others. But if you are asking about the difference between managing an epidemic from a medical or political point of view, then that‘s not a question for me.

Allow me one more geopolitical question, how does the economic competition between the US and China influence the business on the Old Continent?

Our business in Europe is, in a certain way, negatively affected by all allegations that accuse us of doing something we are not actually doing. The founder and CEO of our company, Ren Zhengfei, has stated on multiple occasions that he would rather close the company than take part in espionage. Personally, I perceive the whole thing as primarily a competitive struggle at the management level of individual states. Huawei operates in 170 countries, and our solutions are used in networks that cover 3 billion customers worldwide. No major data breach or a security incident has occurred in its 33-year-long history. Huawei is an independently audited company, and 45 of the world's 50 largest operators rely on its technology. Throughout our twenty years of operations on European soil, the company has been strictly following the EU and national rules. Nevertheless, there are constant discriminatory voices against our company with their only argument being our place of origin. And that is definitely not fair.

I believe that the question regarding 5G technologies can be compared to last decade’s transition to the cloud. It is not a matter of whether this will happen, but rather when. Can you share with us some examples of successful operations of 5G networks in Europe?

Our company successfully implemented 5G in Switzerland and Monaco. We had signed around 100 commercial contracts for 5G technology worldwide. Our partners include, for example, the Spanish Telefónica, the Swiss Sunrise or the Dutch company KPN. In the Czech Republic, we are currently involved in the construction of 5G networks implemented by one of the network operators in the country.

Technology seems to be the remedy to most problems nowadays - from improving the run of economy to fighting the pandemic.

Let‘s start with the economic recovery of the Czech Republic. How can the quick building of a digital infrastructure help the country? What are the direct benefits for the industry, transportation and also respective households?

The use of 5G networks will be very wide and will cover almost all areas. Through the new generation networks, we’re embracing a digital economy. Applications and related mobile services will benefit not only from high transmission speeds but, above all, from low latency. The 5G networks will allow for automated production lines and will bring greater involvement of robotic systems. We will see major shifts in the field of medicine or transportation – think of automated driving, for example. And of course, there will be massive development of the Internet of Things.

The development and mass-scale deployment of 5G networks will revolutionize the way we live. This includes Industry 4.0, smart city government, intelligent transport systems, such as automated vehicles and autonomous mobility, or e-learning. The entire 5G ecosystem, including end-users, will ultimately transform.

What are the examples of 5G and AI used in medicine and diagnostics to fight not only the pandemic but also other diseases?

5G networks can make really significant advancements in medicine. We are on the threshold of an era where top-notch medical care can be available immediately and worldwide - whether a patient is unable to move to an elite workplace or transportation is not possible for the medical professional. But we’re not just talking about the remote corners of the world. There is the need of medical assistance in places hit by natural disasters, or more recently in communities fenced off due to quarantine. This year, for instance, a medical team led by neurologist Ling Zhipei conducted a procedure in which a patient with Parkinson's disease had a system implanted, allowing for deep brain stimulation. According to China Daily, the patient underwent a threehour-long surgery in Beijing. At the same time,

the leading operating team was located in Hainan in the very southern part of the country roughly 3,000 kilometres away. Thanks to the 5G connection provided in collaboration with the networks operator China Mobile and using the 5G technology delivered by Huawei, the procedure was performed, according to the doctor’s words, as if the patient were in the same room.

Huawei is the technology leader, having the largest number of patents when it comes to 5G technologies. Can you share with us the next big thing from your research?

In general, in 2019 we had approximately 96 000 research and development employees, representing 49 % of our workforce. We invested approximately USD $17 billion in R&D in a single year! It is quite hard to say one big thing, because our employees are dedicated to making discoveries in the most advanced technologies the world has ever seen with the transformative power for good: artificial intelligence, digital health – remote healthcare, telemedicine, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, AR, VR, economic innovations, superfast Wi-Fi, edge computing, sustainability. We need to keep enhancing the competitiveness of our products and services, promoting innovation and greater value – both for our customers and society at large.

These times are challenging not only for large organizations but also for managers.

What are the three lessons you have learned due to the pandemic?

The first one: Have faith in your customers. All the efforts you put over the years in helping them build their networks are not only about the price. They will see your value in the challenging times, and you will feel recognition for the value you bring to them.

The second: In a challenging situation, where you are accused without proof or evidence, and some forces try to put you out of business because you are too good, you realize how important the work you do is and how much people rely on your presence on the market.

And the last one: Whatever struggles you go through, they will make you stronger and more experienced.

By CL

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Interview with H.E. Daniel Meron, Ambassador of the State of Israel

PHOTO: EMBASSY OF ISRAEL

Daniel Meron: GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY in the shadow of Covid-19 Dear Mr. Ambassador, before we start discussing the issue of food security, let me ask you about the latest pandemic situation in Israel.

Unfortunately, Israel is suffering today from a second wave of coronavirus. Intensive efforts are underway to lower the infection rate and reduce morbidity. Governments around the world are grappling these days to find the best balance between reopening the economy and health considerations.

I should stress that like the Czech Republic, we too managed the first wave very well. By the beginning of June, we started to see a growing rise in the number of new cases of Covid-19. I need to remind the readers that Israel tests at record high numbers, up to 25 000 people get tested every day. It is possible that there is a connection between the high number of people tested positively for Covid-19 in Israel and the high number of tests completed. It is unacceptable to have such high figures and the country has adopted again tight measures. Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to appoint a so called

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coronavirus czar, who is responsible for dealing with Covid-19. This person is Prof. Ronni Gamzu, the CEO of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) and he will take all the measures necessary for fighting the pandemic. The whole country is now determined to bring down the numbers of new cases of Covid-19. Facemasks are obligatory everywhere and the authorities enforced 14 days mandatory isolation for anyone who has been near a Covid-19 positive person.

Once a person is identified thanks to the HaMagen technology system, he or she receives an identification message and this person must self-isolate. HaMagen is an app that can tell you have been in the presence of anyone who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. The app crosschecks the GPS history of your mobile phone with historical geographic data of patients from the Health system. We still do not know how the schools will open at the end of this month. Although the situation is upsetting, I am positive that Israel, with its self-determination and technology, will manage to

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overcome the second wave. As many Israelis love Prague and the Czech Republic, we are waiting for the numbers of Covid-19 cases to drop and to open possibility of travel, business and scientific cooperation again. We are in touch with the government here to have an exchange of experience and best practices in fighting this pandemic.

There are many aspects well documented with regards to Covid-19, particularly linked to medical research, pharma research or science and technology innovations. However, the issue of food security has been largely overlooked.

In fact, the first time I heard about this cause was during my recent interview with Prof. SkleniÄ?ka, Rector from Czech Technical University.

The complex global systems created in the era of accelerated globalization are threatening to collapse. Disturbances and interruptions have been encountered along the entire global supply chains from production in the field, to the international marketing of food.

prevention and/or the identification of their source in water supply systems; Hydroponics – a form of farming that allows for growing vegetables in water. Water conservation, irrigation monitoring and many other solutions developed in Israel can be implemented relatively easily and at low costs.

We are also seeing a decline in demand and buying-power due to the global economic recession, a shortage of farm hands and the contraction of disease amongst workers in the food-packing factories.

Today, we still have not truly distanced ourselves from the interruption in the global food supply mechanisms. Food prices continue to rise. Tens of millions of people in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and other areas of the world have joined the 820 million people that, already prior to the pandemic, were defined as under-nourished and in danger of hunger or starvation. The World Bank estimates that approximately 40 million people have entered the category of “immediate risk” in western Africa alone. U.N. reports, and first among them that of the International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), warn of a rising threat of hunger, and the U.N. called upon the international community to maintain open commerce and to refrain from national protectionist policies. According to the UN report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020, the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and, despite some progress, most indicators are also not on track to meet global nutrition targets.

What we can do to prevent a global food crisis, which may result in hunger, political, and security instability and rampant migration?

Without doubt, international trade systems for food and agricultural necessities such as fertilizers, machinery, fuel, etc. must be kept open and functioning. At the same time, states would do well if they increased their local food production capacity. This food, in addition to supplying caloric needs, must be healthy, nutritious and available to everyone and at an affordable price. For this, local farming requires significant incentives and support in order to increase its production and variety.

The State of Israel, having proved itself over a period of decades an expert in successful innovative farming in some of the most challenging desert and drought prone areas of the world, can be a supplier of quick, efficient and low-cost solutions for these needs.

Drip-irrigation is one of the best examples of this. It is amazing that till this day, most of the agricultural crops the world over are still grown by “dry farming”, i.e. farming that is reliant on rain for field irrigation. Moving to irrigated farming would increase the crop yield, would save water and greenhouse gases, and would, over time, create food security. Vegetables, for instance, could be grown several times during the year via drip-irrigation as opposed to only once a year when relying on natural precipitation during the rainy season.

The drip irrigation has gotten quite a lot of attention, even though this Israeli invention was discovered more than five decades ago. I am sure there have been many other advanced technologies since then. I will mention "precise agriculture" which supplies all plant needs on an almost individual basis.

Today, sensors are capable of informing precisely how much water and fertilizer is required for each tree and from what diseases it is suffering, and accordingly, an individualized treatment, which is often administered via drones or other methods. The use of satellites for information gathering and remote sensing, computerized greenhouses and continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, pests/insects, etc. from afar also increase agricultural crop yields and create more food.

Everyone knows that without water, nothing can be grown. In arid Israel, unlimited solutions have been found and implemented, such as the use of purified sewage water for farming, or even the use of saline water; leak

The latest trends also suggest limiting animal-based food and I know that culinary tradition in Israel already has many meat free products.

Yes, the Covid-19 crisis has also exposed the exaggerated reliance on animal-based food.

The closure of slaughterhouses and meat packaging facilities, due to the contraction of the disease by their employees, gave a strong push to the market of plant-based substitutes for protein. This industry is seeing an accelerated growth and many technologies such as cultivated meats will begin to see mass use in the coming years. This process will also be accelerated since we know that cultivation of livestock creates heavy damage to the planet and is unsustainable and must therefore be reduced. As a result, the importance of protein sources whose origin is found in plants or cultivated meats, will grow considerably.

In Israel, there is extensive research in this area and Israeli startups are on the frontline of the global development of such foods.

The pandemic has proven that the notoriously known saying “future is in collaboration” is not a cliché, but necessity…

The need to strengthen local agricultural produce grows even stronger against the backdrop of the ever-worsening phenomena of climate change, widespread global desertification and water crises, and the extinction of animal and plants species, and with it, a huge damage to biodiversity. These and other issues are threatening our ability to supply food over the long term. As a result, there is great importance in preparing ourselves for guaranteeing food security and for agricultural production by means that do not adversely affect the environment and the climate.

In conclusion, the Covid-19 crisis is still very far from being resolved and we will continue to experience its ramifications in almost every realm of our daily lives. Therefore, it is more important today than ever before to understand the fragility of the global food supply chains, the vulnerability of food security to different sources of disturbance, and to increase local food production in wide scale. Israel would be both happy and honored to share its rich experience and knowledge in these areas

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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J AN M ÜHLFEIT

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TECHNOLOGIES AND

FAST-CHANGING WORLD Coronavirus has turned the lives of many people upside down. Among other things, the pandemic made it impossible to meet in person, as we have been now used to. Many individuals, companies and schools switched to online communication and online education. Although the use of technology on a daily basis is nothing new to us, the amount of time spent looking at screens has increased by tens of percent from day to day, and the increasing amount of information is a great strain on our brains.

ACCELERATING TIME Up until now, humankind has been living in a linearly developing world. The human race’s progress, inventions and developments have been happening in increments. Some 50 years ago, Intel founder Gordon Moore made an observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about every

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18 to 24 months, now known as Moore’s law. In effect, this means that the global computing capacity over that period doubles, which has vast consequences both for the global economy and the human brain.

The brain’s function has not changed for millennia, and functions linearly, just as it did ten thousand years ago. It is therefore in no way prepared for the bi-annual doubling. Whenever you are pushed out of your comfort zone, our ‘Monkey’ (the amygdala, emotional part of our brain) activates the “fight or flight” response. In our distant past, in which these responses have been programmed into our brain, you could either try to fight the animal attacking you, or run away from it. This made the “fight or flight” response very useful. In today’s world however, that is not enough. Nowadays we need our brains to stop operating in a linear manner and start functioning exponentially; taking advantage of the exponential development enabled by modern technology.

In a single week, our brains need to process more information than our ancestors received

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during their entire life. This extreme pressure actually compresses time: problems that required an hour of your time two years ago now have to be squeezed into half an hour.

The time compression proceeds ever faster – in the future, our pace will have to speed up exponentially.

THE DANGER IS DECREASING, THE STRESS IS INCREASING Both children and adults are under enormous pressure. In the prehistoric times, periods of extreme stress might have occurred perhaps once a month, when it was time to go hunting. In today’s rat race, such stressful moments can easily come once every ten minutes. Advancements in technology have reduced our stress caused by imminent physical danger, but have increased our mental stress, which is often far worse.

J AN M ÜHLFEIT Things keep changing at an exponential pace, but our ‘Monkey’ still works just as it did a thousand years ago. It insists on warning us of every possible failure, and the more we feel pressured by the fast-paced modern life, the more it keeps acting up. As the information volume grows exponentially, so does the pressure we are under. Competition is fierce in all fields of business, made even more difficult by the fact that instead of competing locally, people now must compete on a global scale.

For instance, one of the contributing factors of the extremely fast spread of the 2008 global financial crisis was the Internet. Any information posted online can instantly cause worldwide repercussions. Shortly before the crisis outbreak, people read the news about the stock exchange collapse and started panicking and selling their stock as quickly as they could, which caused the entire economy to crash.

Similar factors then prompted the economy to restore itself again. Such situations can be very dangerous.

Increased speed of information spread is very much related to the fake news phenomenon, which has become a global problem. It is extremely important that schools focus on teaching children critical thinking and the importance of finding trustworthy sources.

The exponential age has literally flooded us with information, and sometimes it is hard to tell – especially for children – the really relevant news from questionable sources.

THE DIGITAL WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES In order to be able to cope with the world created by modern technology, and to see it as an opportunity rather than a threat, we need to improve our mental hygiene and selfawareness. Unfortunately, schools have not taught us how to do either (and neither do they teach it to our children). Many people have no idea that such concepts even exist, let alone how to use them. We are not aware of their importance until we are in trouble.

Digital technologies offer great opportunities.

Thanks to them, anyone – children, young people and adults alike – can learn from the greatest educators in the world, through such channels as YouTube, the LinkedIn network, or various educational courses and websites (MOOC, Khan Academy, etc.). However, technology also includes old-school audio recordings, which parents tend to overlook even though they used to like them very much when they were little.

Children respond to stories played from a CD differently than if they simply watched them on a tablet, computer monitor or TV screen.

Listening to the spoken voice, children can engage their creative side by forming the images in their mind (similar to reading a book).

They can let their other senses rest, close their

eyes and immerse themselves in the world of their imagination.

When you have some spare time, try to find some time to listen to the spoken word with your child. You can listen to audiobooks and recordings in the car, but it is even better to reserve some special time just for listening, for example during the afternoon siesta or before bedtime. Make yourself comfortable, let go of all your inner worries and concerns, cuddle up with your child and listen to a story. You can turn it into a sort of ritual, just for the two of you.

THREE WAYS TO USE TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATION Technology can assist children in individual learning, tailored to their specific needs and talents. For children (students, adults) who are predominantly visual learners, Khan Academy offers learning programs based on visual stimuli. Logical learners can try mathematical programs offering various logical exercises.

Thanks to modern technology, learning has become a global process. With English being the universal language of international communication, once a child from any part of the world learns to speak English, they can interact with their peers from all over the world. A great example is Jan`s experience: “My daughter attended several international schools. Whenever she was trying to solve a problem, she would not come to me; instead, she simply turned on Skype. Within minutes, she put together a team of five children from four different continents, and they looked for a solution together.”

Teamwork is going to become an important part of the learning process. Modern technology takes down the barriers between people, places and ideas. Thanks to social media and modern communication tools, such as Skype, children will have to learn to work in teams.

Teamwork is turning out to be an essential skill which is not yet adequately taught and practised in schools. Individual learning and testing are of course still necessary but supporting students to work together as a team is equally important. With the aid of modern technology, students can solve problems in a flexible manner, work together online and instantly share their ideas and files required for team projects.

Many psychologists consider the Western model of society, that of focusing on the needs of the individual, superior to the collectivist Asian model. We believe that we should strive to achieve some kind of middle ground, and embrace some aspects of the Asian collectivist cultures. There is no need to set up a special committee for every single decision but learning to work as a team is important.

If you are not a team player, you either need to learn fast or you will probably fail in almost

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every job. All the “big projects” today are created by teams: from a small team of doctors and nurses performing an operation to teams of some thirty thousand software engineers writing code for Microsoft or Google. The team leaders’ task is to put together the right people and steer them in the right direction, in order to create synergy and achieve a flow state – not only as individuals but as a whole team.

DIGITAL HYGIENE The use of technology is closely related to digital hygiene. You should not underestimate digital hygiene. This means that despite trying to be still in the picture, we should be offline as often as possible, both physical and mental. If you want your brain to function effectively and consistently, even under stress, you need to give your mind plenty of regular rest.

Today’s children are the first generation to have been born into the digital age, surrounded by technology at every turn. So far, we have no idea what kind of impact the ever-present technology is going to have on them. They are perfectly able to handle cell phones, tablets and computers from an early age, but as with everything, this also has its own dark sides, e.g. addiction or stress.

Virtually everyone has a cell phone, laptop or PC. It would make no sense to behave as if those devices do not exist. Instead, parents should focus on improving their own digital hygiene, and become a good role model for their children in this respect. There is no use to shield children from technology; you will do them a much better service if you don’t spend every waking moment attached to your smartphone.

WHAT NEXT? If you got inspired by our text, want to help your children to discover their talents and prepare them for future life, sign up for one of our courses, which are now available in online version as well. As part of the ‘Unlocking a Child’/Student’s potential’, with access to the latest psychological knowledge, parents can learn how to effectively lead children in the right direction, so that they can not only be successful, but also live happy and content lives. More information at: www.odemykanidetskehopotencialu.cz and www.janmuhlfeit.com.

The recent best seller: ‘Unlock Children’s Potential’ (Albatros, 2018), written by Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná, is also constructed around successful courses for children, students, and parents.

By Jan Mühlfeit and Kateřina Novotná české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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OF TRAVELLING ACROSS EUROPE IN SUMMER 2020

“Pack your face masks, keep proper distance and discover the New Normal”

The motto of Summer 2020 could be “Tell me how to wear my face mask and I will tell you who you are” which seems to be the newly adapted intercultural golden rule: “When in Rome, do as Romans do”.

Over the last month, I have travelled to Germany, Switzerland and Italy. What did I experience and how did I feel? Why did I feel surprisingly safer abroad than at home? And what have the respective countries learn or did not learn when it comes to dealing with the pandemic?

First, let me explain to you why travelling matters so much to me. I think it is quite pertinent to the frequently reoccurring discussion about the nature of the communist regime and the tendency to argue that it was not that bad. For me, it was…for all those familiar with the communist regime, you are welcome to skip to the next page. For all of you not familiar, please read, understand and try to ensure it will not happen again. Also, think of the countries where freedom and democracy are still not the norm, such as Belarus.

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Back to 1988 I remember a hot summer day in August 1988.

I was 12. My father and I got permission to travel to Austria to see one of my father’s distant cousins who emigrated to Austria after 1968. I knew we were privileged. One of the reasons we got permission to travel was because we were leaving my mother and my sister behind.

The chances of the whole family leaving communist Czechoslovakia where my parents had university education and positions in what was regarded strategic professions, my mother

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being a medical doctor and my father being a chemical engineer, were rather slim. When approaching the borders with our eastern German family car Wartburg, I felt nauseated.

I got overheated rather easily, as a matter of fact I still do even these days when travelling by car, and I was very nervous about the border crossings. I knew my dad hid Austrian schillings and German marks in various places in our car, as the daily allowance was not sufficient for some decent experience and on top of that, I had been promised a shopping trip. I

was told not to look directly into the customs officials’ eyes but also look confident enough to pretend we had nothing to hide or be afraid of. Easier said than done. On one hand, I was so much looking forward to going West. On the other hand, I was wondering if we would ever return and whether I would see my mum and sister again. A few of my classmates had disappeared, I knew cases of families torn apart.

Approaching the borders was gradual. At first, we went into a deserted area, full of signs reminding of the state borders and barbed wire and then we got to the custom and border check. Suspicious stares of men in communist uniforms, German shepherd dogs barking, me, a teenage girl, barely breathing as I was worried about undergoing the notorious underwear strip search. Checking documents, all the paperwork, precise itinerary and many investigative questions about the purpose of our trip, who financed it and so on. It was mostly thanks to my dad’s communicative skills that we were cleared to go…to no one’s land, another strip of land designed to protect the peaceful sleep of socialist camp workers and working intelligentsia. Once we reached a bloody imperialist camp border, the procedure was easy and accompanied with a smile.

And many years later Since then, I always cross a border with mixed feelings. A great relief on one hand but the fear that I felt more than 30 years ago is always present. The grass does not seem as green on the other side of borders as it seemed during my adolescent years (just a bit), the villages might still seem more picturesque in Austria. Since then, my Austrian friends actually consoled me by saying that they find the Czech border villages more authentic and natural.

When Covid-19 brought the ban of travel from the Czech government, I sort of relived the 1988 situation. I understood the need to close the borders to prevent the spread of virus, but I did not like the discussion about borders being closed for two years or the rhetoric that the Czech Republic is actually a nice place to live from the Prime Minister.

GERMANY Off we went and the first stop was Bavaria, Germany. As we left the mask-free Czech Republic, we immediately had to put face masks on at the gas station and entering the hotel reception.

“Maskenpflicht” was not the most welcoming sign, often accompanied by potential fines that vary in each state and reach up to 150 EUR in Bavaria and up to 500 EUR in Berlin.

In the hotel, we were given a long and meticulously detailed questionnaire in German.

I learned German while working at ŠKODA AUTO, and I found consolation in the fact that my vocabulary consisting of gear, clutch, engine etc. was still enough to get through all the symptoms of Covid 19. The answer to all questions except the last one was NO. The last one was tricky as it read: Have you complied with all the rules set by your respective government and are you intending to do so in near future?

My husband answered yes while I argued that no one in the Czech Republic can claim yes as many of the rules were contradictory and kept changing so quickly - the only correct answer is no. The receptionist did not share my Czech sense of humor, so I corrected no to yes and we were given accommodation. The next day, after the served breakfast, which I actually judged positively as it prevented both overeating and waste that buffet breakfast necessarily brings, we were ready to visit the famous castles of Bavarian king Ludwig. Approaching Neuschwanstein with quite a lot of cars with German license plates warned us that the Chinese and Russian tourists had been swiftly replaced by the locals. As the pandemic also reduced the number of visitors allowed on guided tours, there were no tickets available. We were advised to go and see the museum of Bavarian Kings instead. When we got to the museum, we were asked to sanitize our hands and fill in yet another detailed questionnaire with our contact details, date and hour of visit.

All of a sudden, I remembered the stormy discussions about GDPR two years ago, with all warnings, threats and possible penalties, on top of the documents you needed to sign before actually signing anything. Since then, I have become very mindful about simply handing over all my personal data and addresses. I therefore asked my husband to fill it in, as his handwriting serves partly as GDPR protection. The same process of filling out personal details followed when we entered a restaurant. While this process might be comforting to some, I personally doubt the ability to later retrieve data for any relevant epidemiology purposes and tracing. We decided that three completed forms in less than 24 hours was enough and we continued to Switzerland.

My travelling for recovery promise When the pandemic specifically hit Italy and Switzerland, I made a promise to myself, that I will travel there as soon as possible to show support and solidarity. In July, my husband and I decided to spend 10 days travelling across Germany, Switzerland and Italy, exploring beautiful Ligurian shore near Genova. We were assuming that there would be little or no tourists, so we could visit famous sights, such as the Neuschwanstein castle on the way and the UNECSO villages of Cinque Terre being our final destination. If you want to make god laugh, just tell him about your plans!

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SWITZERLAND Driving through the Swiss countryside, with cows ringing bells and people raking grass on steep hills made us feel that despite the country being so badly hit per capita (read my interview with H.E. Dominic Furgler), daily life was actually back to normal. We decided to visit legendary St. Moritz. The atmosphere was far more relaxed. Masks were worn by the staff in the hotels and restaurants, and for tourists obligatory only on the public transport. Instead of threats and fines, Swiss communicated the reasons to wear face masks and to maintain social distancing, together with guidelines for proper sneezing as to prevent Covid-19 spread.

Luxurious St. Moritz, usually buzzing with life in both summer and in winter, was empty, as it was missing regular tourists from the Middle East. There were some Swiss tourists to compensate for the loss of foreigners, so the owner of the hotel confirmed they reached 70% occupancy. The empty streets of the resort felt strange and I missed a good night Toblerone chocolate bar on my pillow. Was this to reduce costs or to avoid the spread of Covid-19?

The next day, we took a cable car to Piz Nair and enjoyed the stunning views on the surrounding lakes and mountains, not alone but in a setting that was reminiscent of a rather private tour group. One thing was for sure, the Swiss did not have any reasons to lower the prizes to lure more tourists, so we drove to Italy.

ITALY Once we crossed the borders to reach Lago di Como and the legendary town of Bellagio, called the pearl of Como lake, we immediately noticed people wearing masks everywhere on the streets, even while riding a bike. Senior citizens were particularly mindful and observant. No wonder, as Como belongs to the region of Lombardy, one of the most badly affected by the pandemic. Arriving to the almost empty town of Como made me to re-think the issue of over-tourism. Como was as empty as Prague, with more than 90% drop of visitors, as both cities rely mainly on foreigners. While overcrowding definitely brings many problems, seeing such a beautiful town almost empty, made me worried about entrepreneurs, the future of restaurant and hotel owners, as well as souvenir shops or tourist boat agencies. Some of them closed completely, some of them waiting for lost wanderers like my husband and I. On the other hand, I felt safe and I very much appreciated the positive communication. The signs in the spirit of Italian dolce vita read: “A small

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gesture for a big result, remember to wear your face masks” or “A smile is enough to say goodbye”, challenging the traditional proximity hugging culture. It may come as a surprise to many that Italians were respecting the rules both with masks as well as with distancing.

From Bellagio we finally headed to Liguria. Driving through heavy traffic to Liguria just a few weeks before the formerly collapsed bridge in Genova was reopened (it is worth mentioning that the construction took less than two years which is much faster than rebuilding the collapsed bridge in Prague Troja quarter) proved to us that we might not be as lonely as we wished. Liguria was crowded, mostly with locals. Some French, Belgian and Swiss people headed there but mostly locals were saving the season. The hotels were almost fully booked and as Italians were careful about social distancing on most of the private beaches, on Saturday we did not manage to enter one of those. Again, staff and elderly people were wearing masks, younger people relaxed. Famous UNESCO site, the Cinque Terre villages were busy with tourists as well. We still found a parking spot, although we recommend taking a train. When asking a young waitress, speaking fluent English, she confirmed that compared to last year when mostly Americans or Asians came to visit, this year they welcomed 90% of Italian tourists. We also saw many organized Italian children

and student groups, which might be an inspiration for the Czech government as to how to promote tourism rather than paying far too much money for some dubious media campaign. On our way back, we stopped in Verona to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Visiting Juliet’s house and taking a photo with a face mask will certainly be a moment to remember, not only because of my darling husband kneeling and reciting Shakespeare’s love verses to me. While Verona had more tourists than Bellagio, according to locals the city was at 25% of its occupancy and no hope to attract Italian visitors. We Italians are not very much interested in cities, she claimed. But she ended up on a positive note: “Things are definitely improving.” I also appreciated this positive outlook knowing what Italy and Italians went through. By the way, we got a very reasonable hotel rate in Verona.

After 10 days in July, we returned to Prague. Although the Covid-19 cases started to mount, we were surprised that masks were still only obligatory on the underground. I hope Covid-19 knows the difference between the underground and other transport and will avoid notoriously packed Prague trams. I must admit that I felt safer in Italy than in my own country. Particularly the Italian approach of positive communication, together with simple rules and guidelines is worth adopting. It looks like Covid-19 will be with us for a while and it is up to us to adjust our behavior.

Hopefully we will learn to contain it locally and the ban on travelling will never be as strict as in spring. To me and my family, travel is life and life is travel.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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ČSÚZ

P HOTO : D IS . L UKÁŠ P ANOCH

AND

J OSEF P ANOCH

Social Meeting of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute was successful again

In cooperation with Czech & Slovak Leaders

Abbot of Strahov Monastery ThLic., PhDr. Daniel Peter Janáček PhD., O.Praem. wished those present a lot of success and god’s blessing in what they do

Thanks to the invitation of the Abbot of Strahov Monastery, members and supporters of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute have gathered in the premises of one of the most beautiful church buildings in Prague, in the refectory of the Strahov Monastery.

The refectory remained filled for almost three hours by members and supporters of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, who came to talk and discuss new projects that they wish to start within the framework of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, but also by other Czech personalities and representatives of embassies. The unique atmosphere was provided by the presence of the abbot of Strahov Monastery Daniel

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Petr Janáček, emeritus abbot Michael Josef Pojezdný and prior Martin Jozef Bartoš and was enhanced by an emotional musical performance by Felix Slováček.

"We meet again with the glass of wine and this is a joyful event," the abbot of Strahov Monastery said at the beginning of his solemn toast, adding that real life is a meeting.

Meeting those you feel comfortable with, safe with, whom you understand, you belong to the same family. He recalled that "we usually ask a small child: Whose are you? We are still looking for a more accurate answer to the question: What is a person, whose is he, whom he belongs to. The participants of this meeting will no doubt

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agree that they belong to the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute." Then the Abbot wished those present a lot of success and god’s blessing in what they were doing and that this year would be the year of as many human encounters as possible.

Jaromír Šlápota, chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, then stressed that the Institute cannot live without the personalities who have ever helped or contributed by the advice to it. Many of them were among the present and Jaromír Šlápota thanked everyone for their contribution, which allows the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute to exist and work.

ČSÚZ

Josef Středula (left), the chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, came also to meet the members and friends of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute. Pictured with Jaromír Šlápota, chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute

From the right JUDr. Libor Široký, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Agrofert, a.s., Jaromír Šlápota, Mgr. Václav Knotek, secretary of the Agrofert Foundation, JUDr. Alexej Bílek, member of the Board of Directors of Agrofert, a.s.

Members and friends of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute met in the premises of one of the most beautiful church buildings in Prague, in the refectory of the Strahov Monastery

The participants were also welcomed by vice-chairwoman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, Libuše Benešová, who, when she was chair of the Senate, made further existence of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute possible by the financial contribution. She encouraged all those present to help the future existence of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute by bringing their children into it. They can get a lot of interesting and necessary information from the current members, and on the other hand they have the opportunity to bring their generation’s opinion on individual problems and situations, which in turn is beneficial for the older ones.

Emeritus Abbot Michael Josef Pojezdný, member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute with emeritus chair of the Senate of the Czech Republic PhDr. Libuše Benešová, vice-chairwoman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute.

On behalf of the sister Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Bratislava, its chairwoman, Ing. Henrietta Crkoňová greeted the present. Pictured with the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Prague Jaromír Šlápota

Czechoslovak Foreign Institute has a stipulation in its statutes that it develops its activities on the principles of religious and political tolerance, which allows cooperation and collaboration of many people from different political parties. That is why former ministers, MPs, trade union representatives, church dignitaries also spoke amicably at this meeting. "When I look around, I can see that it would be possible to form a government immediately from the personalities present," joked the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute.

Henrieta Crkoňová, chairwoman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Bratislava, came from Bratislava to greet the present, and introduced it as a sister institution,

From the right Ing. Bohuslav Cempírek, chairman of the Board of Directors of ICZ, a.s., JUDr. Ludmila Hudcová, both members of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, and J. Šlápota

creating the same values in Slovakia as the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in the Czech Republic. She wished Czechoslovak Foreign Institute in Prague and Bratislava to continue to successfully implement their projects and wished everyone present happiness in their lives and activities.

"Have a pleasant evening, think of us and stop as often as possible in Karmelitská 25," the chairman of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute concluded the official part of the evening. Then there was the space for personal interviews of participants, discussions and planning of events with a glass of good Moravian wine in hands.

Hebr

An unforgettable artistic impression was left in the audience after a performance by a member of the Czechoslovak Foreign Institute Felix Slováček

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Interview with Roland Leisztner

Nobody wants a CRISIS, PHOTO: ROLAND LEISZTNER JR.

but we’ve got TO DEAL WITH ONE Mr Leisztner: you’re a man of many professions which overlap into many fields. How did your career actually begin?

I began my career path in Čedok, where I was entrusted with running the Passive Tourism division – today we’d use the term “Outgoing”. I’d remind those who were around then that the travel agency market was then being crushed

by Václav Fischer’s new travel agency. The Čedok team was highly demotivated, because it was rumoured that Čedok was about to go bankrupt. Within three years, we managed to completely transform our portfolio, improve our hotel categories and open up new destinations such as Eilat in Israel, Turkey, Greece, North Africa, South and Central America and Thailand. We began operating a double-decker bus to Spain.

In three years, we had managed to increase

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Roland Leisztner has lived in Prague since 1984 and was actively involved in the Velvet Revolution. Nominative determinism may have given him his intrinsic French charm, which would certainly derive from the French name his mother chose for him. He has enjoyed a diverse professional career in terms of both positions and fields. He has worked in travel and tourism, real estate and development, and senior company management. His name has been linked to brands such as Čedok and Club Méditerranée, as well as projects on Wenceslas Square, Na Příkopě and elsewhere in the Prague city centre.

Were I to describe Roland Leisztner using some combination of words, I might say “noble saviour”. Not only did he help to lift the Čedok travel agency out of its postrevolutionary crisis, but he also improved many buildings on Wenceslas Square, Na Příkopě Street and in other corners of Prague. He confesses that he had other buildings demolished in order to give space to new life. We discussed not just his career path, but also trends in property development, and how even Wenceslas Square can be beautiful.

As Roland’s wife is the famous Czech artist Helena Kroftová-Leisztner, we also discussed art, and Roland was gallant enough to affirm the truth of the saying “cherchez la femme”. Enjoy this relaxed discussion in the spirit of summer.

sales tenfold keeping the same team, and the number of tourists increased sixfold from 15 000 to 90 000. It was an incredible period of growth and new opportunities. Replacement aircraft could be agreed upon over the weekend, with agreements being reached almost at the shake of a hand. Faxes were only just starting up, and I remember my colleague producing reports in the Telex department.

You went from Čedok to Club Med, where you were General Manager for the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. What was it like to represent the crème de la crème in travel and tourism, which was the first to offer all-inclusive holidays?

It felt great, hard to believe from today’s perspective. Our office was on Pařížská Street and

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I flew to Paris every month for meetings. Today it would all be taking place virtually. Once again, we managed to increase both traveller numbers and sales tenfold with the same colleagues.

I was there when Gilbert Trigano was still manager and the main shareholders were the Agnelli family, who also happened to be founders and shareholders of Fiat cars. There was a family atmosphere in the company, with a large section of management at the time having worked up to their roles from being leading sports coaches, most commonly skiing or tennis.

The company had also rapidly adapted to an expansive style of business. English was spoken at the meetings in Paris. I still consider Club Med’s active holiday concept to be a unique product.

If anyone enjoys an active holiday linked to socialising and sport, then I’d highly recommend

it. You can meet fascinating people from morning to evening while the best athletes in various disciplines, former world champions and Olympic medallists, will help you in your sport. Here in the Czech Republic, we’re rather reticent by nature, so it was a challenge to convince the market here of this type of holiday. However, once clients try it they generally do it again. Club Med today has Chinese owners, but its philosophy remains the same and investments go towards increasing the quality of its luxury resorts.

And now I’m interested in your path from travel and tourism to real estate...

Some Austrian friends contacted me because they didn’t know what to do with a particular building on Wenceslas Square. Our co-operation grew into another highly complicated project, becoming the Luxor building. In terms of construction, the building is highly complex.

It has very deep foundations, and it takes up a long strip of land yet it has a very narrow front.

And have you ever noticed the three towers? In the basement, you may be surprised by what appears to be the outline of tunnels.

During renovation, we had two options prepared. The first option was a project for a large software company, which would have meant closing the entire building. We implemented the second option, involving a combination of public and private premises. We managed to convince Bertelsmann from Germany and Euromedia from the Czech Republic, VD Konsorcium and Mr Sivek’s Euroagentur to come in. We opened up a 3000 m² space, which was one of the largest shopping centres for books, culture and art in Europe, alongside an excellent hotel complex. Every time I pass by, I’m glad to see the place is alive and that I also managed to keep the arcade open. And using the side entrance, via a relatively small reception you arrive in the world of the three towers, the 101 rooms of the Ramada Hotel.

It seems that Wenceslas Square has endeared itself to you.

Yes. Another premises I dealt with was Wenceslas Square 3, today known as the Diamant Building.

This building in Socialist Brutalist style was literally falling apart. I proposed its demolition and the construction of a new building. We were lucky that we got city councillors, architects, all the neighbours and the public to support demolition. Now amongst other businesses the wellknown WorkLounge co-working centre is based there. The original hotel project fell through with the mortgage crisis in 2008, and we had to wait two or three years before we managed to push through the subsequent project with Carl Gradl to final approval for use.

Most Prague residents don’t like Wenceslas Square. Could this be changed?

I trust that if the planned changes on the basis of the most recent urban development plan can be implemented fast and to a high quality,

then people will enjoy the square again. Within three years, we can have a real boulevard here to rival any in the world. This will also involve a change in the approach of building owners and tenants. I must confess, however, that I am not a supporter of the return of the tramline along the square, but that’s a matter of opinion.

Can you reveal anything else about the stories and background of the renovation of other buildings in the centre of Prague?

I could also mention the Na Příkopě 23-27 buildings, i.e. from the Myslbek arcade to Česká spořitelna. I was thinking about how best to exploit its market potential while also maintaining the variability of the internal space. I tried applying a new concept to the stores based on how Lego construction sets work. Each store can link either to the basement or the first floor, and depending on the current sales situation can thus reduce or enlarge its premises. Some brands have been there from the beginning, such as Salamander, Banco Casino and the TGI Fridays restaurant. Considering the level of rent and other rather demanding conditions, as well as the turning of economic cycles, it is true that there are very few companies which have been there for over 20 years.

How do you approach development? Have you got a clear vision from the outset?

I think I’ve been lucky with my investors and partners. It’s a wonderful feeling to have a building available to you and also a free hand to change it, develop it, renovate it. So then I try to create a project which can be profitable and viable. With our team of multiple professions and many specialists, we breathe new life and new energy into buildings.

I get the same warm feeling when I successfully complete the sale of a building or company and the vendor and purchaser are looking forward to the future.

At the current time, besides the planned changes to Wenceslas Square and the Savarin project, I like the Penta Florentinum project – if Zaha Hadid’s building around the train station can be completed then it’ll represent another highquality modern neighbourhood preserving unique historical features in the city centre.

What are your future plans, and how do you perceive the future of development in the context of the pandemic and the economic downturn?

I’m currently planning a project in Braník. Other activities will depend on the economic situation; right now there is reduced funding for hotel and administrative projects within a one-year to two-year horizon. I think both our style of work and our style of living is going to change. Many companies have already implemented working from home, and we can now anticipate the transformation of administrative premises into premises for long-term home rental. In America, it is common that you can live long-term in a

hotel. You’ve got all the services you need, and premises are available with variability and options for linking spaces up. In the event of a crisis, a hotel can respond immediately, moving from shorter-term rent to longer-term. In regard to office premises, it is possible that we will move away from large open offices to smaller offices for three to four people, which workers divided into teams can make use of while maintaining all hygiene recommendations, including for future risks other than COVID. Your wife is the renowned Czech artist, Helena Kroftová-Leisztner. To what extent does her art influence your work?

Very significantly. She has led me to take a greater and more focused look at the aesthetic side of things. I pay attention to the harmony of colours, the creative and economic use of space and corners, and work with light. I prefer large airy spaces and light colours. Sometimes I go against the latest trends, and even during times when grey and earth tones were all the rage I continued to prefer lighter shades, cream and ivory colours, despite architects’ ideas. When I plan spaces, I always take time to think about whether she would like them. And I have also been able to enjoy the opportunity, if not the privilege, to be surrounded by her beautiful paintings and pictures in my private life too.

Our interview implies you haven’t been overly taxed by the pandemic.

Crises accompany us our whole lives – the tragic events in September 2001, the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, the 2008 financial crisis and many more regional and sectoral crises.

I’ve been lucky that we have always found the willpower and strength, and we always endeavour to lift ourselves up again, to continue, not give up, to help each other. But sometimes we change direction, making a fundamental change to our approaches on our journey.

Look at the young generation: they have different interests and they no longer want to own something in principle. Let’s get ready for the change in homes, in travel and in culture. Suddenly, modest formats are rising: meeting artists in gardens, halls with limited capacity offering an entirely different experience. In companies, most people are now working partially from home, shared car fleets are growing, travel is becoming experience travel, and user comfort demand is increasing in all areas. Personal and family values are taking priority over work and income. Five years ago, I warned that it was no longer possible to plan for a continuous 5-10 % growth in production, in sales, in profit, in consumption, automatically every year like clockwork. It is far better to focus on sustainable development with long-term prospects. Just like we do for buildings and development.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

P ROFESSOR R ADEK P TÁČEK

P HOTO : A RCHIVE

If you need to, then seek professional help Prof. Radek Ptáček

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is the first professor of medical psychology in the Czech Republic. He works as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, and lectures at the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague and the University of New York in Prague. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 original scientific papers with a high citation count index, 15 scientific monographs, and popularisation articles.

He has also been a member of the Committee on the Rights of the Child of the government of the Czech Republic since 2019. His media appearances are numerous and I personally recommend, in particular, his piece on the psychopathy of leaders. Radek Ptáček is married and has three children.

Our conversation took place during the coronavirus, when some rules had begun to relax, but it was also clear to everyone that the battle with Covid-19 was a marathon rather than a sprint. My meandering questions to the professor did not put him off-balance; he is probably used to people asking him, as a psychologist, about almost everything and almost always needing to say something. I will remember the conversation for a long time, not only for its content, but for the circumstances in which it took place. I see an image in my mind of how intensely I noticed the beauty, the different shades of green and the white flowers of the garden next to the psychiatric clinic, and how grateful I was for being able to walk there.

Albeit with a face covering on. And what is more, the professor made some coffee and I enjoyed it in his office just as I would in a café. Without milk, of course, because milk increases the acidity in coffee. We talked in our conversation about the way the professor was experiencing the pandemic on a personal level and as a professional, the need to de-stigmatise psychology and psychiatry, and the good core of Czech society. And remember that you don't have to be alone with your mental health problems or concerns and that experts can help you improve your quality of life in a relatively short space of time.

The first question might seem trivial, but it is now perhaps gaining in relevance and depth. How are you today?

Personally, I'm good. I’m looking forward to our talk.

If I had to speak as an expert, though, I’d say it’s fiftyfifty. I see the gravity of the situation and I am often in contact with people who are dealing with serious problems, whether psychological or existential.

The number of people who will be getting in touch with us experts asking for help will rise. We are all concerned about how many people will eventually be affected by the pandemic and its consequences, whether in this wave or in the next. During the pandemic, I tried to make myself as available as possible, either on the phone or by mail. Last but not least, I gave a lot of interviews to the effect that people should not be afraid to seek professional help if they have psychological problems.

And, like many, I experienced a decline in the routine work involved in different meetings or gatherings. The experience of quarantine from the perspective of a father of three young children has enriched me with situations I had not experienced before, such as home teaching. My admiration for teachers is now even greater. And, last but not least, I managed to complete several projects that I had no time for before.

crisis has shown is the huge wave of benevolence.

Before the crisis, I often spoke about the issue of the psychopathisation of society and warned of the fact that people are closing themselves off.

Suddenly, it turned out that Czech society is not that bad and that there is a big core of good at its base. Neither do I see the second position, when we are, if required, able to close ourselves off in our homes and our own country, as being entirely negative. It is more likely an expression of the fact that Czech society is willing to be led and organised. I am not here to judge the extent to which the country's leadership is right. What I can judge positively in terms of how Czechs behave, however, is the kindness on the one hand and a willingness to comply with regulations on the other. We cannot say that benevolence and discipline go hand-in-hand in the surrounding countries that are facing the same problem.

The fight against the pandemic is not a sprint, but a marathon. Even after the easing of lockdown, many people worry about taking off their face coverings, returning to normal life, beginning to get back among other people...

I think it is important that people do not remain alone with their fears or worries and seek professional help. Whether psychological concerns or the real impacts of debt, for example, or even companies going bust. There should be no stigma attached to seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Whether a psychologist or a psychiatrist, it is good to know that both are often able to help the client get their bearings better after just a few sessions, helping them make a fundamental change in their lives. Don’t simply stay alone with your problems. Professional help is there. We need to overcome the barriers and shame and seek it out.

Even during the crisis, when personal contact was restricted, many colleagues provided their services online and were available to those who needed them. I myself am active in this way, for example, as part of the Czech Television project Dr Honzák’s Surgery, where people have the opportunity to talk about their problems.

I understand that you do not want to comment on the country's leadership. So I will ask a different question. Who and what today can be trusted? Scientists' opinions differ too, and only the extreme views always reach the media. If someone is moderate in both expression and judgment, he is essentially uninteresting from a media perspective and is not given any space.

I am not sure whether that question is the right one for a psychologist. So I will try to answer differently. People need something to believe in; it is one of our basic needs. People who do not believe in anything are actually absolute relativists, have far more complex lives, and might even be more susceptible to various mental illnesses. We believe in God, in political leaders, in our individual values...

Faith is important and in this day and age, characterised by a flood of different and contradictory information, it is extremely difficult to choose who or what to believe. I advise my clients to intuitively choose one channel that they trust, watch it once a day, and leave it there. The channel might be television or a website. If we are not professionals and begin dealing with contradictory information, it can only bring us anxiety. There are still people who make light of Covid-19 and who choose the information that backs them up in this, so let them do that. It is their belief, which stabilises them and helps them manage the situation. In the same way we respect those who might be overly cautious, because it is this belief that helps them cope with the situation.

Let’s stay with the division of society. It looks like the gap has widened between liberal advocates of globalisation and travel and the opposite group, which to a certain extent did not seem to mind the major restriction of individual freedoms. Petitions from parents to keep schools closed took turns with petitions from parents to open them. How, from the perspective of a psychologist, do you view the phenomenon of the polarisation of society, when it is really difficult to say which side is actually in the right?

Every crisis reveals something that is not seen under normal circumstances. The good thing the

What will the “post-Covid” age be like?

Political scientists or sociologists are saying that the world will no longer be the same, that it will be different. As a psychologist, I am not in complete agreement. For the general population, for whom the time of the pandemic was merely one when they were at home with children and had to deal with home teaching, the world will get back to its old ways relatively soon, as was the case after the floods, for example. Let’s hope that Covid-19 will pass in a few months and that we will see it as one possible infection. There is, however, another group of people for whom this period will be a breaking point. Here I am talking about entrepreneurs, peo-

ple who have lost their jobs, and people getting into debt. For them, the world they knew and were accustomed to could literally come to an end. I repeat that these people should seek help, whether from non-profit organisations, various state institutions, or other experts who can help them get back on a track that is acceptable to them. I myself am in contact with clients that are entrepreneurs who have very limited resources and do not know how long they can keep going in uncertainty.

In this context I recall an interview with Dominik Furgler, the Swiss ambassador to the Czech Republic. When he described how the Swiss government provided such fast and administratively simple help to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs through the banks, I wanted to cry about the situation here.

We spoke about the hidden tendencies that a crisis intensifies. Even before the crisis, sole traders and small businesses felt disadvantaged by the state. In spite of that, however, they tried and supplied society with their services, whether as tradesmen, through small shops, or through family businesses. Society is built on those people and the state has not helped them now. It is an inappropriate message to the young generation and to the whole of society. The idea that the sole trader will suddenly have to become a temp in a warehouse because there are no other jobs really is not encouraging. And on your topic of the gap widening, I would point out that there is a risk here of a further major division of society between gigantic companies on the one hand and sole traders on the other.

I often ask scientists and experts about what we do not know that we actually already know. You mentioned the de-stigmatisation of psychology and the ability to help. Is there anything else you can tell us that is directly applicable to the current situation?

Modern psychology, in connection with medicine, provides evidence that our health, whether physical or mental, is more influenced by our own behaviour and thinking in comparison with other factors. The thoughts that I have can activate certain genes that produce certain undesirable substances or, on the contrary, stop the production of desirable substances and as a result lead to mental or somatic illnesses. Research on large samples of the population shows that people who live with negative thoughts have a higher tendency toward mental illnesses, and that negative settings affect life expectancy. The main learnings of modern psychology and psychiatry are therefore focused on discovering the mechanisms that we trigger ourselves. It has been shown that walking for half an hour a day at a brisk pace can have the same effect as the antidepressants used for less extreme depressive disorders. We can affect our own mental health! Let’s not use the excuse of circumstance or genetic make-up.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Quo Vadis Domine?

IMAGES

the paradox of humanity’s arbitrary “self-destruction”

For decades, independent AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, infectious disease specialists Ebola, measles epidemics, etc., have warned public opinion but a far higher mortality rate, of the accelerating pace of mainly affecting the “modern” epidemics. Dengue fever, Ebola, part of the world, is caused SARS, H1N1, and Zika virus by heart attack (15 million are just the tip of the iceberg. deaths per year), stroke, mental Covid-19 has now affected 176 illness, stress, depression, countries on the planet and it cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, is thought that the pandemic obesity, etc., which are diseases is the greatest threat to face paradoxically caused by humans humanity since World War II. themselves and which are the Our attention in these weeks result of their inappropriate and months is primarily devoted lifestyle. to the countless events which Why are we not paying the same attention Covid-19 generates. A total to these other threats, such as the pollution of the air, soil, and oceans, poor diet, lack of of around 350,000 people exercise, stress, the dangers that we create had died from Covid-19 as of ourselves and which are progressing less 25 May. Around 50 million invisibly, more slowly, but all the more systematically? people die in the world each Civilisational diseases are mostly treated year. According to the World with ineffective drugs that cause Health Organization (WHO), secondary health complications. Many do major casualties are caused by not even realise that one goal of these drugs is to influence our thinking and

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our perception of the world around us.

The sale of antidepressants, which are gradually destroying the human nervous system, generates $10 billion per year in the US alone.

The diseases of the modern world lead to an insidious death that can still be prevented by living a healthy life. On the one hand, major international organisations and institutions have been able to raise 2 billion people out of extreme poverty since the late 1990s, improve access to employment, food, sanitation facilities, and public health, and on average add more than ten years to the life expectancy of the world’s population. On the other hand, these institutions have not yet been able to cope with the new risks posed by the current evolution of the world. We are living in a global society and are trying to steer the development of the population in the same direction at an economic and technological level.

The development of artificial intelligence has an impact on all aspects of human activity and is advancing rapidly, but new ethical rules are not being established at the same rate to ensure that this is in the interest of society as a whole. Public opinion is influenced by the mass media, which is itself influenced by powerful groups of

individuals (politicians, businessmen, or visionaries) who pursue the interests of only a certain part of the world's population, aimed at bringing themselves even greater richness and increasing their power.

Humanity is already perfectly connected and tracked, whether we like it or not, thanks to smart phones, chips, facial recognition technology, and so on.

Paradoxically, we are trying to discover the secrets of longevity, while at the same time artificially shortening our lives through our behaviour. Sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously (smoking, taking drugs, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much, etc.). We pollute the environment in which we live by producing far more of the things that we could go without. The energy needed to produce, distribute, and consume a product must be invested again in disposing of the unused surplus of the same product. Such production is within the power of only the small, ruling part of the world's population. Air pollution is linked to 7 million deaths a year, which is around 12% of all deaths worldwide. We call this vicious cycle economic growth.

We are drawn into this cycle, the consumer society, and it is hard to get out.

Why, then, is there no will to change the long-term condition of negative impacts on our health that cause tens of millions of people to die each year?

Why do we not want to tackle this as quickly and radically as we have been able to deal with the sudden spread of a single virus?

We are digging away the ground beneath our own feet.

We are in everyday life literally surrounded by plastics that contain the toxic bisphenol A (BPA). This was eliminated from food packaging in 2015, but the substitute, bisphenol S (BPS), is equally, if not more, toxic because it is more durable. According to research, BPS is, for example, found in 89.4% of the American population tested.

Even a small amount of these substances is linked to the occurrence of asthma, cancer, diabetes, and disorders of the immune system. Simply put, plastic is another scourge of the modern era.

We have long been exposed to heavy metals and are most frequently threatened by lead, mercury, and cadmium. We are becoming more susceptible to immunity diseases, we are increasing our risk of heart disease, cancer, or chronic illnesses, chronic back pain, recurring infections, fatigue, muscle cramps, mould, yeast infections. Heavy metals can also be found in some medicines or vaccines, sea fish, fungi, etc. If you use fluoride toothpaste, you should certainly never swallow it! Excessive ingestion of fluoride causes digestive problems, damages the

balance of intestinal microflora, and thus impairs immunity, causes problems with the thyroid gland, is a possible cause of bone cancer, adversely affects brain functions, or causes kidney problems. It is the same with phosphorous. The quantity that we normally consume in food can be dangerous to the human body and could cause significant damage to our blood vessels.

Problems are caused by industriallyprocessed foods which increase the phosphorus content in food by up to several hundred percent. Proteins are a natural source of phosphorus. These are mainly found in our “modern” diet in meat, milk and all products made from it, and, of course, in eggs. There is nothing wrong with these foods, if they are of a good quality; it is only the quantity that we are capable of eating that is bad. Dairy products made from cows' milk contain the most phosphorus and are therefore the most harmful. What is more, they do not give us any calcium. Humans are the only living beings who continue to drink milk as adults. Not only that, but the milk of another species of animal! We are no longer able to digest lactose after the age of 3-4 years. People who consume few or no dairy products (Asia, Africa) are far less susceptible to osteoporosis. The reason for the dairy scandal in China in 2007 was melamine, a chemical which is intended to give milk consistency. This product was found in milk powder, in ice cream. It is, however, a product that is usually used to produce adhesives and plastics. It is extremely dangerous because it causes kidney stones and has proved fatal for hundreds of young children. This, unfortunately, is not the only dairy scandal, the dairy lobby being the most powerful agricultural lobby in the world.

The UN declared 2013 to be the “World Year of Quinoa”. The nutritional value of this protein-rich seed, grown in the Andes, makes it a “super food”. Cultivated for millennia by Andean peasants, quinoa is an essential element in the culture and lives of thousands of people in Peru and Bolivia. Today it is exported all over the world, providing us with record quantities of protein and amino acids and making huge profits for the producers. Quinoa, however, is perfectly adapted to the Andean climate and can be grown easily there. Unfortunately, quinoa grown in the harmful environment of certain Asian countries might be toxic. Fish too have always been a healthy source of food for millions of people around the world. They contain many omega-3 fatty acids and proteins and their meat is dietary. The sea fish in large oceans now live in an environment with high mercury content, and should be therefore be avoided.

Energy drinks are a seemingly innocent, but dangerous trend. The consumption of energy drinks is a huge business, but is at the same time a serious risk to human health. They are literally packed with sugar.

Many cases of heart attack, seizures and even death can be linked to drinking them.

Not even gluten-free foods are necessarily better for our health than those with gluten. Most gluten-free bread is filled with products that contain refined flour with poor nutritional value, artificial additives, and sugar, increasing the risk of diabetes by 17%. Many cereals contain “cellulose”.

This is a dressed-up way of saying pulp.

Producers use cellulose to provide greater consistency and to add fibre to their products. This gives the illusion that the food is more nutritious than it really is. The truth is that we are eating treated sawdust!

The “protection” of imported fresh food by exposure to radiation is a common technique used in many countries, except perhaps Denmark. It is claimed in the media that exposing food to radiation of up to a total average dose of 10 kGy does not give rise to any particular microbiological or nutritional problems. It is said that irradiated foods can be eaten without any toxicological danger. Losses are reduced and trade facilitated.

Two of the ingredients in deodorants are very harmful: parabens and aluminium salts.

In perfumes, the presence of phthalates and synthetic musks is considered to be carcinogenic. These ingredients lead to nervous system disorders if absorbed through the skin during prolonged use.

Although the production of freon and other ozone-depleting substances was halted in 1987, long-term exposure to the sun is about 5 times more dangerous than 30 years ago, regardless of skin type, and we are at higher risk of skin cancer. On the other hand, since we cannot expose ourselves to long bouts of sunlight, we suffer from vitamin D deficiency and are at risk of osteoporosis, joint pain, and depression.

Almost all world brands of sneakers contain banned perfluorinated compounds that are unhealthy to the skin and can lead to eczema. Cheap bed linen is often treated with brominated flame retardants that are harmful to health. Synthetic clothes might cause allergic processes. Cheap furniture and wall paint might contain toxic additives in dyes and varnishes. We could continue in all aspects of our lives in this way.

This and much other clear evidence provides us with the incentive to quickly change our lifestyles and realise that it is up to us and us alone to avoid a great many diseases and to live largely in a good state of health.

Ing. Arch. Iva Drebitko

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

MUD R . P ETR S MEJKAL ,

THE CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT THE INSTITUTE OF

CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE

Evidencebased MEDICINE How can one write about COVID-19 without eliciting unnecessary fear, yet without playing it down either? How can one avoid slipping into politics or polarising discussion on the compulsory wearing of face masks? And to whom should one appeal? Figures in various fields of medicine such as dentists, oncologists, anaesthetists and cardiac surgeons have publicly expressed their opinions on the COVID-19 pandemic. At the editorial board here at the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine, we wanted to interview this leading Czech epidemiologist, who manages to maintain impartiality and perspective. We are pleased to be able to facilitate this interview with MUDr. Petr Smejkal, the chief epidemiologist at the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. MUDr. Smejkal completed postgraduate studies at Columbia University, with a degree in internal medicine from the USA and in infectious disease medicine from the Czech Republic.

He advocates wearing face masks in indoor environments and avoiding enclosed spaces without ventilation as far as possible, while supporting the broadest possible testing. He also admits that the public should be given understandable explanations for the figures released around the coronavirus epidemic. In addition to the total number of tests conducted, he also looks at the overall percentage rate of positive tests amongst the numbers tested.

Another figure we should be paying attention to is the number of people requiring hospitalisation and oxygen therapy. Test results should always be made known within 48 hours. He says that we will experience the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of a “dance and hammer�. While the hammer refers to a lock-down, by dance he means a variety of appropriate responses to the current incidence. We can likely anticipate various forms of this dance until at least spring 2021.

We conducted the interview remotely, because MUDr. Smejkal was spending part of August on a working trip in the USA. Not only did we compare the situation here to that in the United States, but we also discussed fears of a second wave and his recommendations in terms of vaccinations and how to act in the autumn months.

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Doctor, what took you to the USA? How is the situation over there, and how was travelling during a pandemic from the Old Continent to the New? I’m currently working in the small Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, on the beautiful coast of the state of Maine, where I lead the “Hospital Infection Control Team”, meaning I’m working as a hospital epidemiologist, while also working for the NICU and Internal Medicine department. We are currently dealing with a lot of problems related to COVID. It is particularly valuable to experience the situation from the American perspective, where COVID has had a much worse impact. In the Czech Republic, vigilance and fear have dissipated. Because in comparison to Great Britain, Italy and the USA, no large wave occurred here, people often tend to underestimate the disease. COVID-19 is not the flu. It is worse.

My journey across the ocean went smoothly.

I hold a so-called Green Card and I’m a doctor, so there were no problems for me entering the USA. In other respects, we have to get used to empty aeroplanes; there were just thirty of us on the flight from Amsterdam to Boston. Empty airports, no queues. You might almost say what more could you ask for? But that’s probably the only positive aspect of the current situation.

In regard to the current situation in the USA, the situation is gradually improving, including in southern states such as Texas and Florida which were badly afflicted. Maine is in the north-east, in the New England region where the situation is similar to that in the Czech Republic. Geography helps; there are a lot of forests and lakes in the state, while population density is low. Otherwise, it is true that the USA has almost been the country most affected by the pandemic in the entire world: statistics from the end of August register 183 000 deaths related to COVID-19.

This can be the outcome when politicians don’t listen to experts.

It appears we have a difficult autumn ahead of us. You, however, are not afraid of a so-called “second wave”. You would welcome stricter hygiene measures such as the compulsory wearing of face masks in indoor spaces. It would appear that the public is against such measures.

While you were not here, a directive was issued on the obligatory wearing of face masks from 1 September, which was then revoked 24 hours later. What rules do you follow personally, and would you therefore recommend to others?

Let’s first look at that feared term, the “second wave”. In terms of number of positive cases, we are already experiencing this if we call the March-April period the first wave, something I would take issue with. It is important to emphasise that despite the increase in people with positive COVID-19 tests, the increase in numbers of seriously ill is smaller. This can,

however, change. I think we got rid of face masks too early. This happened in some of the USA’s southern states and a second wave really did happen.

Personally, I avoid enclosed spaces, and I don’t go to bars or parties even though I am a very sociable person. I just try to be out in the countryside as much as possible. In both the Czech Republic and the USA. I’m lucky that I’m a doctor. So I wash my hands very often, I’m used to wearing a face mask as a doctor and I wear it everywhere when I’m indoors with large numbers of people. I’m conscious that face masks protect others, and as a doctor I come into contact with COVID more frequently. I could therefore infect someone else even without displaying any symptoms, and I’d hate for that to happen. In the USA, people will tell you that you need to put on a face mask. It seems, in contrast, that Czechs have begun to feel a great aversion to face masks. It’s probably because we’ve come through it all without large losses of life so far.

We nailed it in March and April.

Now there is a lot of discussion about getting flu vaccinations, not as prevention against COVID-19, but to prevent concurrent COVID-19 and flu, which can be dangerous. Do you recommend this?

Personally I recommend vaccinating all patient age groups this season. A concurrent COVID-19 pandemic and flu season could turn ugly.

As I wrote in the introduction, the opinions of not just scientists, but also doctors themselves, often differ greatly. It is often the most extreme who get into the media.

So who can we trust at the current time?

I certainly cannot recommend trusting even medical “authorities” who tell you something different every month. And don’t trust those of them whose opinions are not backed up by facts and are not based on the outcomes of scientific studies. The term “evidence-based medicine” is often used. In regard to face masks, for example, there are a lot of myths, starting with the fact they are harmful, they increase bacteria and CO 2 concentration and other similar nonsense.

There is a lot of information out there, and we have to learn to think critically and take responsibility for interpreting it. The first and most important step is to start asking for and verifying sources for different pieces of information.

In Great Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a healthy lifestyle campaign after he ended up in intensive care during a severe bout of COVID-19.

Would you welcome a similar campaign in the Czech Republic? Most Czech politicians probably aren’t great healthy lifestyle examples. What appeal would you make to Czechs?

I would certainly welcome such a campaign.

Let’s face it: compared to other nations, Czechs do a lot of sport, but we like to rationalise alcohol. We are world leaders in beer consumption, something we sometimes justify by claiming “beer is healthy and full of vitamins”. An education campaign promoting daily exercise, being outdoors, the importance of sufficient vitamin D and generally improving one’s immune system would help.

In your CV, I was fascinated that you were one of the founders of the Military University Hospital’s HIV/AIDS Centre.

Like COVID-19, HIV was also an illness subject to many conspiracy theories. Do you see any similarities and what can we learn from them?

I do see similarities in the myths and the fear which have accompanied the disease from its outset. And unfortunately also in the stigmatisation of the sick, and accusing “others” (other ethnicities, other social groups) of spreading the virus. Nature has always surprised us, and viruses are more insidious than bacteria. They don’t discriminate; poor or rich, we are all the same. We need to be patient in terms of treatment options; it’s going to take a while, so we need to focus more on prevention. The good news is that we know far more about COVID over this short time than we did about HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.

Our interview is drawing to an end. One of your interests is stand-up comedy. From the perspective of an epidemiologist, is it true that a cheerful disposition is half the battle? Many people I know are beginning to experience anxiety and fear over autumn, the possibility of another lockdown and the closure of schools, something for many linked with existential worries. How can we counter these fears?

I did stand-up comedy! With professionals from Underground Comedy. My doctor stories were initially successful, until I was so focused on my duties as a chief doctor that the director had to tell me: “Doctor, you say fascinating things, but they’re not at all funny!” So I had to put an end to that.

Humour is the most important thing, and we doctors often laugh a lot with our patients. We should try to spend more time with friends, telling stories, going to the cultural events as far as we can. And if we can’t, then – as my favourite author, Kurt Vonnegut, said – Enjoy the little things in life because one day you´ll look back and realize they were big things.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Live, play sports and eat sensibly, so you have no need of an orthopaedic surgeon Interview with MUDr. Pavel Říman, Orthopaedic Surgeon

MUDr. Pavel Říman is an orthopaedic surgeon at the Na Františku Hospital in Prague. Elsewhere,

he has been the doctor to the men’s international basketball team since 2008, having travelled to the World Championships in China in 2019. He has also been taking care of players from the ZVZZ USK Prague women’s basketball team since 2015. Czech judoists are also under his watch, including Lukáš Krpálek and his knee, which the doctor operated on.

MUDr. Pavel Říman studied in Prague and also spent a semester on a study placement in Trondheim, Norway. He studied other specialisations in Germany, the USA, and Great Britain.

His considerable workload meant that our interview could not be done face-to-face. Which is more demanding for a doctor – the summer sports season or the winter? How should we look after ourselves to avoid joint replacements? What is the main difference between the Czech, Norwegian, and American health systems? And how does he see the situation currently surrounding female Czech medical students?

I recommend the interview to sports persons and non-sports persons alike. Each and every author would like what he or she writes to have an impact. My hope is that, after reading, more and more people will start making sure they live healthy lives. If an extremely busy doctor can fit some regular sport into his life, the rest of us can do so too.

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I NTERVIEW Your extreme workload means that we cannot do the interview face-to-face.

To what extent has your workload right now been affected by the holiday season and the backdrop of closed wards and postponed operations in connection with Covid-19?

I work at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and, even though our hospital had a specialised “Covid-19” department with around 15 beds at the height of the pandemic, it was rather quieter at our department from the middle of March to the beginning of May. We had to cancel planned operations, and the number of injuries fell dramatically as a result of quarantine and the absence of tourists from the centre of Prague. The situation changed completely during the summer. Under normal circumstances, the operating theatre is quieter during the holidays, patients preferring major operations in the spring and autumn, but this year we have had to catch up from a break of almost three months, meaning that both operating theatres were working almost nonstop the whole summer. Which we managed to do only thanks to the fact that the whole team at the operating theatres really cut down on their holiday time. I would like to use this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

Do injuries from summer or winter sports cause orthopaedic surgeons the biggest headaches?

Injuries from winter sports are certainly a massive headache. Accidents frequently happen at higher speeds, involving greater energy, and the results are often more serious.

We also have a lot of head injuries.

You specialise in joint regeneration. If I can quote you from a television programme, “we still come up short on cartilage”. What can we do to avoid joint operations as we get older? Should we simply get used to the fact that joint replacements will become a standard medical procedure?

Unfortunately, I still stand by what I said. We are able to replace damaged ligaments and screw together broken bones, but we are still not able to repair ligaments in any meaningful way.

We are still able to treat isolated demarcated lesions in younger people, but unfortunately we really are only able to repair diffuse cartilage damage in older people by replacing the joint with an artificial one. In order to avoid this, it is important to maintain a reasonable body weight, because our joints are burdened most when we are overweight. The joints feel every extra kilo, and even though joint replacement has recently become a standard medical procedure, it is only a good idea to take this step when there really is nothing else that can be done. In the past, we practically didn’t operate on patients weighing more

WITH

MUD R . P AVEL Ř ÍMAN , O RTHOPAEDIC S URGEON

than 120 kg. Now, unfortunately, clients who weigh even 140 kg are not uncommon.

Sport for health, or permanent disability?

How are Czechs getting on in terms of their condition and caring for their joints?

Elite-level sport is genuinely not great for the health. The training is often intense, the regeneration insufficient, and the organism suffers as we get older, whether we like it or not. This, however, is the case among elitelevel sports people. I personally do not like banning sport when I am in the clinic. Always look for a sensible starting point, adjust the regime, choose a different type of sport. We have recently seen that plenty of people are looking after themselves more. Lots of them are running or cycling. I would probably recommend cycling the most. Unless you actually fall off the bike, cycling wears down the joints to the minimum.

You are the doctor to the men’s international basketball team, but you also look after women basketball players.

I am wondering – do the injuries in elitelevel sports people differ depending on what sex they are?

The injuries used to differ quite a lot, but the differences now are minimal. Women are far more athletic, faster, and the nature of their injuries is now almost identical to those in men.

You have taken several placements in Norway, Germany, and the USA. What sort of inspiration or lessons did you take from each country, whether from the perspective of medicine or lifestyle?

I studied part of secondary school in Norway, and then one semester of medicine in Trondheim. I personally took Norway to my heart. The people there really are a little cold at first glance, harsh almost, but managing to learn the language will endear you to them, and you will find that they are very good-natured and honest and that they have a good sense of humour. The health service is practically the same, the equipment in hospitals is very similar, although their mineral wealth means it probably looks more attractive to the lay person at first glance. The level of expertise among healthcare staff is practically the same, but we should certainly take an example from the way they listen to patients and treat them in general. In Norway, the doctor or nurse will always explain everything more than once, answer all questions. This is an area in which we are certainly lagging behind. Of course, this is partly a result of the fact that the doctor has far more time for a patient, at least half an hour in the clinic. This is something we can only dream of here. On the other side of the coin, the Norwegians look after their health far better. Most of them are good skiers and there

are fewer obese Norwegians. What is more, the long distances involved mean that they don’t go to hospital with commonplace problems.

I had several placements in the USA, at a clinic in Boulder in Colorado and at the Steadman Clinic in Vail. Both are top-class private clinics where the medical equipment and the appearance of the rooms are exceptional.

Which come with its own problems, of course.

On the day of an operation, for example, after arthroscopy of the hip joint, I saw patients hobbling to the five-star hotel next door on crutches because it was far cheaper to spend the night there.

How do you keep fit yourself? Top politicians do not lead by example, but how do doctors match their words with actions?

I have enjoyed telemark skiing and volleyball since my youth. I still play in the second tier in Prague and although I can’t jump as high as I once could, I still enjoy it. I began running and cycling more over the past year. I made a bet with myself that I would one day be able to manage a long triathlon, an Ironman race.

First I bought all the literature to study, then the equipment, and all I need to do now is train. The little time I have available means it is not easy, so I go out running every day at 6:00 and head out on the bike at least once a week, when I can.

We are now hearing about female medical students and the discrimination they experience in certain areas, orthopaedics included. How do you see it?

I will be honest. It is true that certain areas are less suitable for women, but that does not mean they cannot do them. Orthopaedics, which sometimes requires quite a lot of physical strength, is one such area, but I do know plenty of talented women doctors in orthopaedics who work on small joints and are very successful.

I was wondering – how do you keep up your Norwegian? In this issue we are also looking at lifelong learning and working on yourself. Apart from sport, how do you manage to maintain an active knowledge of Norwegian?

I try to go to Norway at least once every two to three years and visit my “Norwegian family”. I still write to many of my friends from secondary school and university. And I use Norwegian on duty in the hospital. Lots of tourists arrive in the centre of Prague from Scandinavia and given that the Scandinavian languages are quite similar, I can sometimes use my Norwegian to talk to them.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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C HARITY

EVENT

Flashback to a charity Christmas festival at Hilton hotel, Prague

DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES ASSOCIATION International Christmas Festival December 1st, 2019

From left: Mrs. Nevila Kuka, President, DSA and Mrs. Iva Petříčková, spouse of Tomáš Petříček, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

H.E. Christoph Israng, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany with his spouse and a member of the German Embassy in Prague on his right and Mrs. Nevila Kuka on his left

H.E. Dr. Ashot Hovakiian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia with his spouse and the embassy team

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H. E. Tanja Strniša, Ambassador of Slovenia with her husband and members of the Embassy of Slovenia

From left: Nevila Kuka, President, DSA, hostess, and H.E. Mr. Ilirian Kuka, Ambassador of Albania

C HARITY

EVENT

H.E. Ho Minh Tuan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, surrounded by the members of the Embassy

From left: H.E. Manuela Franco, Ambassador of Portugal, H.E. Naomi Ribbon Mosholi, Ambassador of South Africa, and H.E. Liliana De Olarte de Torres – Muga, Ambassadro of Peru

H. E. Abdulla Mohammed Al – Maainah, Ambassador of The United Arab Emirates with his wife Mrs. Aida Ben Jemiaa and the members of the Embasy of The United Arab Emirates

H.E. Ayesha Patricia Rekhi, Ambassador of Canada, Mrs. Iva Petříčková, Louise Beer, Owner, PragArtworks and the members of the Embassy of Canada

From left: H.E. Hanane Saadi, Ambassador of Morocco and Mrs. Monika Babišová, spouse of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Presentation of the Czech Republic – Mrs. Nevila Kuka, President, DSA and Monika Babišová, spouse of the Prime Minister in the middle surrounded by DSA ladies

Mrs. Hayam Furgler and H.E. Mr. Dominik Furgler, Ambassador of Switzerland with the members of the Embassy of Switzerland

From left: Nevila Kuka, President, DSA, Mrs. Monika Babišová, spouse of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mrs. Hayam Furgler, and H.E. Mr. Dominik Furgler, Ambassador of Switzerland

From left: Lucie Gelemová, Artist, H.E. Mrs. Ureerat Chareontoh, Ambassador of Thailand, and Felix A. Slováček, Artist

From left: H.E. Egemen Bagis, Ambassador of Turkey with his wife, Mrs. Iva Petříčková, and Nevila Kuka, President, DSA

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We NEED RESPECT for different professions

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Interview with Josef Středula, President of the Bohemian-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions My first question is about your candidature for the post of President of the Czech Republic. Should I treat this interview as one with a candidate for the Czech presidency?

The people decide who becomes a candidate and who does not. Running for the position should in itself be a reflection of who people can see being in the post. And of course there have been many candidates in the past that people were not convinced by. People themselves should send out a message to potential candidates as to whether they want them to run or not. That is what public choice is all about. So it depends on the circumstances.

I understand. The presidential elections are currently more in the realm of the distant future. Let’s concentrate on the reality of the present. Are we in for a torrid autumn?

I think we can expect more than just a torrid autumn. We are living through something that we could never have imagined. We had an economic

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The President of the Bohemian-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions has the reputation of being a tough negotiator. He is to-the-point and empathic, human, but always uncompromising in his readiness to defend the interests of Czech employees. This provides him with a truly strong mandate.

The Bohemian-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (ČMKOS) is the largest trade union headquarters in the Czech Republic, and its mission is to protect the pay, labour and living conditions and rights of workers. It brings together 32 trade unions and, with its three hundred thousand members, is one of the largest and most influential social organisations in the Czech Republic. 15,000 new members join ČMKOS every year. To compare, this figure is higher than the membership of most traditional political parties. ČMKOS is actively engaged as one of the social partners in tripartite negotiations, with the government and employers, within the Council of the Economic and Social Agreement of the Czech Republic. ČMKOS is also a member of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC) to the OECD. Instead of ideological trench warfare, let’s try listening. After all, the original meaning of the word respect, which comes from Latin, is another view. From the negotiator’s perspective, respect is the easiest concession to the other side.

Let’s move on to the issue of employees and other vulnerable groups from the perspective of their greatest advocate. For my own part, as an entrepreneur, I would like us to have the support that we deserve. For now, I will be glad that other groups have it, rather than envy them for it.

A few interesting pieces of news: There are around 45,000 occupational injuries leading to incapacity to work in the Czech Republic every year, with around one hundred employees dying at work.

The start-up Survio compared the opinions of 1,500 people and those of 100 representatives of Czech companies to find out where their views of the workplace differ the most. Whereas 97 % of the employers asked think that their staff see their work as being meaningful, only 77 % of employees actually do. In the same way, employers believe that their employees are satisfied (95 % say so), but only 67 % of employees actually are, according to the questionnaires. I should point out that those asked were employees of IT companies, not production staff, where we could expect greater divergence.

“Some employers are now sending out signals that cancellation of the super-gross wage is an opportunity not to raise their employees’ pay, because the government has done it for them. We think it is very dangerous and unacceptable for employers to block negotiations on increasing wages using the excuse of cancellation of the supergross wage,“ says Josef Středula.

I met Josef Středula at the beginning of September. We spoke about the torrid autumn to come, possible candidature for the post of President of the Czech Republic, innovations, and his time for family and interests. What gift does he value the most?

And what is it like to represent 32 different professional associations likened to shareholders? What does he wish for the Czech Republic?

blackout, we are living through a pandemic, we are experiencing fears that we never had before, we are scared of things that did not previously scare us, and sectors that we thought were untouchable are crumbling. If someone had told me that planes would stop flying and people stop travelling, I would only have been able to imagine it happening in relation to a natural disaster or a war. I think that we should learn from all these things. For my part, I am trying to start a debate on critical infrastructure. And this is a discussion that should open up within the European Union and the Czech Republic alike.

What should we understand by the term critical infrastructure?

Critical infrastructure truly is a broad concept.

We can ask, however, in connection with the pandemic, whether we have a supply of face masks and medicine in place in the Czech Republic and the European Union. We are also interested in a system of electricity and heat production

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that functions to an adequate extent, because a pandemic could threaten miners, for example, who mine for coal and will be unable to supply it for the generation of electricity, which could lead to a blackout. Let’s imagine that the people who take care of our sewers fall ill. Sanitation workers are therefore exposed to new threats and risks. I do not want to imagine sanitation workers being unable to work because of quarantine, for example, and all the different types of diseases that would begin to spread. The supply and production of basic foods is another issue. During the pandemic, queues of trucks at border crossings returned, and we saw how vulnerable a large common market can be.

Last, but not least, are water supplies. You can see from my answers how unions view the issue of critical infrastructure, and that is why we want some serious discussion about securing it. The pandemic might therefore be a textbook example of how to prepare not for the “war of the past”, but for the “war of the future”.

I think that remembering professions that are often neglected is a good lesson for us all.

What else do we have the tendency to forget?

We should not forget individual groups and their experiences of the pandemic. If an employee goes into quarantine, he or she immediately loses 40 % of his or her earnings. Why are we not talking about this? It is right that support has been given to other groups and I am an advocate of supporting and rescuing the Czech economy. But consumption accounts for more than 50 % of GDP, consumption mainly by the more than 4 million employees. So why is there a difference between a German employee, who does not have to limit consumption, and a Czech employee, who has to notionally put the brakes on as a result of losing his or her income, and limit what he or she consumes?

I think there are lots of serious topics and it makes me sad to see how the discussion is being led.

It strikes me that there is relatively low solidarity among individual groups of the population in the Czech Republic. The latest discussions on a one-off contribution to pensioners is an example of this.

When the economy collapsed, we looked for a suitable form of help. And I agree with that. It was right to help companies and the self-employed.

However, we often heard criticism that it was not well prepared. Why, then, did subsequent discussion regarding pensioners escalate, with specific pensioners being asked how they would use the CZK 500 a month? Does anyone ask entrepreneurs what they will do with CZK 500 a day? Why is there any discussion of whether pensioners are entitled to something? Was it not, even in the case of entrepreneurs, the same preelection package that is now being discussed for pensioners? What is more, pensioners generally return the finances they receive to consumption.

Should the crisis not lead to learning a greater degree of solidarity between one group and a second, third and fourth, and so on? If we do not learn, we will have to repeat the lesson. Dividing society could lead to radicalisation of the political scene, which perhaps nobody wants to experience.

I point out that employees did not receive any special contributions. It even happened in Litovel, where a whole zone was shut off, that employees outside the zone were at risk of not receiving any compensation. I am glad that a solution was eventually found. The situation for employees was as follows. When schools closed down, care benefit was originally 60 %, but was then increased to 80 %. Another group got CZK 500 a day, care benefit on top of that, and temporary cancellation of social security contribution payments, a total of around CZK 55,000 gross per month. Employees were not given care benefit and their pay was automatically reduced if they were quarantined.

The help went to companies and businesses. This naturally results in a reduction of consumption because people are worried about the future. The “super-gross wage” is now being used in a very crude way. The government wants to replace its cancellation with freezing wages and salaries.

In doing so it is preparing a double minus hit on

the state budget. We estimate minus 110 billion koruna. Cancellation of the super-gross wage will not bring low-income groups more money. It would be far better to increase deductible items from the tax base or increase the minimum wage.

Investment should be made in people as well as technology. If people have no money and are afraid, we will cause a crisis ourselves, just as happened in 2012. And incidentally, all political parties have the tendency to plan some sort of activities that will bring voters on their side before elections. Voters are not puppets. They have their own mind and opinions and take their decisions regardless of any declared support.

Let’s move on to the concept of the cheap economy, now a popular term among experts and economists. If I am not mistaken, it was you who began pushing through the concept of an end to cheap labour and pointing out the necessary structural changes to the Czech economy.

We came up with the concept of “an end to cheap labour” in 2015 and it has shown to be a step in the right direction. Real wages and salaries in the Czech Republic have risen dramatically since the campaign began. The tempo of introducing new technology could be faster, of course. We are aware that the arrival of new technology will mean the end of certain jobs, but we would like technology to replace people where the work is hazardous to life and health, for example, and there are plenty of jobs like that. In the Czech Republic, for example, we have 9,500 workplaces that are carcinogenic, and the health of the people that work there is at risk. Life, though, is the most important. Over the past 30 years, the unions have not fought against technological changes. We merely point to technology that turns a free person into one who is not; by misusing data, for example.

Technologies that improve people’s lives or make it possible for blind people or visually-impaired people to return to life are fantastic. I would like the Czech Republic to have the same potential for innovation as Israel. We are currently looking for a path toward innovation, but I am convinced that we have a huge number of intelligent and skilled people and that we will reach the level of technologically-advanced countries. This, of course, should be done in a way that balances the interests of politicians and the people. I am proud of everything that Czechs have managed to do during the pandemic. From sewing face masks and the help of companies such as Research 3D, to the repatriation of Czech citizens and help provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to other countries. We are capable of international solidarity and that is good news for the future.

How do you relax and take care of your mental well-being? What puts you in a good mood? You mentioned at one of our meetings that you only drink coffee in the morning, waiting to have a second cup with your wife when you come home from work. Your own, private coffee ritual.

That’s right. I always find time for that ritual, although

I frequently have to go off to appear on television or radio after the coffee. I like taking photographs. It’s something I enjoy. I simply go out walking, see the world a little differently, and capture the moments.

I put some photos on Instagram from time to time and let people see into my private life. My family is a huge source of inspiration to me, a place where I can switch off. Without family, you can’t even do your job. I completely understand all those who place such huge importance on harmonising family life and working life. After all, a family can be lost very quickly. I like music. It doesn’t matter what kind. Sometimes I listen to classical, other times to film scores. In my youth I played the alto flute and the flugelhorn. And now I’m going to boast.

When I started working at ČMKOS, I received this rare baton from Jiří Bělohlávek. Did you know that the Czech Philharmonic was founded 125 years ago through a strike by dissatisfied actors from the National Theatre? That’s right: unions have this sort of role and history. And one of our organisations is the Union of Orchestra Musicians.

You bring together 32 organisations, which have been likened to shareholders. How are you able to maintain a bird’s-eye view and stay impartial in this day and age? I can imagine that musicians and actors are joined by workers in the hospitality industry and representatives of production companies in finding it tough at the moment.

It is hard. I am able to stay impartial because I like supporting the legitimate interests of museum and gallery staff in the same way as I do the legitimate interests of employees at an industrial firm. It is the individual requirements that make our society colourful. Nobody should put themselves above others and nobody should demean others. Our respect for professions has been seen during the pandemic. Society had no idea of certain professions or did not give them enough importance. Did we know what we know now about the water and sanitation workers we spoke about earlier, the nurses, fire-fighters, police officers, or customs officials? Did we not begin, at least for a moment, valuing cleaners, sales staff, and refuse collectors because we can’t imagine life without them? Should we not take this as valuable feedback that we did not treat these professions with dignity? A driver carrying goods in a truck should not just be seen as someone who bothers us on the road, but as someone who supplies us.

Let’s think about these professions for good now, not just at the times we need them. And keep the promises we made about valuing their work.

I believe we have come to the end. Or am I mistaken?

I have a great vision. I want the Czech Republic to become the Israel of Europe. Small in size, big in inspiration for others. We have what it takes.

Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Interview with Jan Řežáb, founder of the JRD

I want to leave a POSITIVE MARK on society

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Have you ever thought about a healthy indoor environment in buildings? How you live and work, in your company or at home?

The interview with Jan Řežáb, founder of the JRD concern, took place in the company's modern premises in Vinohrady, Prague. The Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in more frequent work from home or even forced stays in quarantine, drew attention to, among other things, the importance of the quality of the environment which directly surrounds us.

By founding the company, Jan Řežáb fulfilled his student dream of establishing the field of environmentally-friendly and cost-effective ecological buildings in the Czech Republic. He adds: “Today, we're the market leader and the powerhouse of the entire field. We're proud of it, and we really enjoy what we do.“ Healthy self-confidence, presentation of specific results, focus on the team and leading by example – Jan Řežáb's story embodies all of these. Jan Řežáb is a member of the Scientific Board of UCEEB, or the University Centre of Energy-Efficient Buildings.

During this interview, I made use of not only my passion for writing, but also the experience I gained while working in the Council for Commercialisation at Charles University, and evaluating the Technological Agency's projects, where a complex project from a completely different field must be conceived in a short time. After all, plasma gasification technology and waste processing are beyond my humanities education. But you'll definitely hear about this project again in the future. If you want to learn about the latest trends in the areas of housing and waste processing, and especially about the interesting life journey of Jan Řežáb, fervent environmentalist, read on.

The JRD concern consists of dozens of companies in several divisions. JRD Development deals with healthy and cost-effective housing. By the way, JRD Development also includes a forest kindergarten. However, this kindergarten does not serve employees' children, and you'll find it in Vlašim rather than in Prague. Healthy plants and trees are grown there and are then used in development projects.

JRD Energo invests in and operates wind and photovoltaic power plant parks. Another company is engaged in land development, i.e. the consolidation of smaller units and their subsequent development, so that they are suitable for construction and further investment. And, as is often the case with successful companies, it also includes its own startup, Millenium Technologies. The project uses plasma gasification technology, where matter disintegrates at extremely high temperatures. This process can be used to convert any waste into biogas and slag, which has better parameters than glass.

How did the story of the entire JRD group actually begin?

The film Havel recently came to the cinemas.

When I was young, I set as my motto that I want to leave a positive mark on society. Later, I found out that Václav Havel proclaimed the same motto. From the end of adolescence, when I began to be interested in the issue of ecology in the construction industry, till the completion of my studies at the Czech Technical University in Prague, I gradually discovered that information about low-energy or passive housing is completely missing. In the mid 1990s, these were actually only terms, without context or content.

I had the good fortune to meet Dan Morávek, son of Petr Morávek, founder of the family company Atrea; that's when I met with the pioneers of a new approach to cost-effective construction and heat recovery. At that point, I began studying foreign literature, and literally dug new processes out of the ground. No employer wanted to implement my ideas at the time; they always deleted my suggestions at the end of the project. I realised that I could only have an impact

if I'm the best in the given field, while at the same time becoming a large enough player to influence the market. I lived for recycling even at university. On my way home from the student dormitories in Prague to Plzeň on weekends, I carried a backpack half full of rubbish for recycling. Rubbish wasn't yet being sorted in Prague at that time, whereas in Plzeň we already had containers in front of our house. The whole time I was at university, I scrupulously saved the aluminium foil from chocolate bars. Finally, I brought two big bags of it to the raw material collection point; when I handed them to the caretaker, he immediately threw them on a heap with other mixed waste.

What impact has the Covid-19 pandemic had on it? It liquidated some companies, while it literally gave others wings.

Given how quickly events are changing, it's difficult to make an overall evaluation. In all parts of the JRD group, we managed to fulfil the saying “Fortune favours the prepared mind.” For the last two years, we prepared for the arrival of some

slight cooling of the economy. We create our own models, and we expected the slowdown to happen this summer. We therefore tried to strengthen our position as much as possible, so as to get through another year and a half, even within the scope of crisis scenarios. Our preparedness helped us to the extent that we haven't yet felt the impact of the crisis. As for development, in the first half of the year we realised the same turnover as in all of last year; i.e. we sold over one billion CZK worth of houses and apartments. Respect and recognition is due to the entire team, which works excellently.

We can therefore focus on further development and acquisitions. Coincidentally, we launched our largest healthy housing awareness campaign in March.

If anyone missed your campaign, with its four key animals in the form of a deer, bear, lynx and horned owl, what should they imagine under the term healthy housing?

A healthy indoor environment has a stable temperature and humidity, ideally natural lighting or

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full-spectrum artificial lighting, silence, and sufficient fresh air without dust, pollen and toxic substances. In such an environment, users do not suffer from so-called sick building syndrome, which includes both health and mental problems. According to the latest studies, as much as 85 percent of the world's population living in buildings encounters these syndromes. With our campaign, we strive to spread awareness of not only a healthy indoor environment, but also sustainable construction. During construction, we use modern technologies and natural materials, which contribute to the creation of a comfortable microclimate. We even develop many technologies ourselves, so that we can always offer the best solution.

Many readers must be interested in an expert's view of real estate investment. Do you recommend buying an apartment now, or waiting to see if prices will fall further?

Our Analytical Department monitors the longterm development of the real estate market, both in the Czech Republic and worldwide. Historically, apartment prices have been rising by an average of over five percent per annum, which also applies for standard building plots. Therefore, I would not expect prices to fall. Moreover, in Prague, new constructions are frequently re-

duced in size due to lengthy construction proceedings, so demand continues to drive price increases. Not even the pandemic stopped price growth, although it may have slowed it down slightly. Prices throughout the real estate market are constantly rising, which is why I still regard properties as very advantageous investments. A slowdown in price growth could occur in a few months' time, when a new building law, which could accelerate the issuance of building permits and thereby enable better market saturation, is expected to be passed.

Now we'll move from real estate to your startup, Millenium Technologies, and innovations themselves.

Innovations have long been a principal theme for us, and they truly permeate the entire group. In development, we currently offer new floor compositions, and we're improving individual elements such as energy efficiency and ventilation. We developed a new client change configurator. Just like when you order a car, you can use the application to choose various materials and colours, which are then all displayed in a drawing. We also have a community application for individual houses, which interconnects not only owners and users, but also service providers in the specific local-

ity. As regards renewable energy sources, where we are also active, we strive for the construction of modern energy sources and their efficient operation. And, finally, the aforementioned startup, Millenium Technologies – in my view, it represents the “next big thing” – a solution which could affect the entire world, and which is already transforming from a startup into a fully commercial company.

The essence is plasma gasification, which uses high plasma temperatures to disintegrate any substance. The organic part of waste can therefore be converted into an energy- and materialrich synthesis gas, with the rest ending up as harmless inert slag. Even that can be utilised, but the main product is the synthesis gas, which can subsequently be used to produce energy or heat, or which can be used materially, for example to produce hydrogen or other chemical products.

We currently have a completed mobile unit which is transportable in six shipping containers, and which can be used to process hazardous waste directly at the point where it is generated.

The last prototype tests are now taking place, and we want to begin manufacturing the units by the end of the year.

However, the main direction of our research relates to sewage sludge and non-recyclable plastics.

These solutions really have the ability to change the world and rewrite the word waste as raw material in our thinking, and we're very close to it.

While we're on the subject of innovations, how do you perceive the business environment in the Czech Republic?

I still believe that the entrepreneurial spirit of the First Republic is alive in our country. My grandmother came from a family of large-scale butchers, and her stories have accompanied me since childhood. I'm glad that the Communists failed to eradicate this spirit. The Czechs are said to be creative and skilful. Maybe too much for conservative nations. I hope that we will preserve the positive aspects, and move closer to Israel and its high-added-value startups.

I don't see this trend in Europe.

What would you like to say in conclusion?

I'll repeat what I shared with my employees.

Please, let's act as if there is no crisis. We don't have to deny it, but neither should we create it by our behaviour. Let's work like we worked before, and invest how we invested before. In this way, we will actively fight against crisis manifestations, which are often produced by psychological pressure from the media, and exaggeration of some facts which under normal circumstances we would not even notice. As individuals, communities and companies, we will best benefit our surroundings and the entire country by behaving normally.

Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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Living

the AMERICAN DREAM in the Czech Republic Kraig’s family has a long history of barbering beginning with his grandfather back in 1914. He grew up around his grandfather’s and father’s barbershops in Kentucky training with them from an early age, then completing his training at some of the world´s top hair styling academies.

Before moving to Prague, Kraig worked with his brother at their Atlanta location. Starting a new life and a new barber shop in Prague, Kraig is as passionate about barbering now as he was when he began over 40 years ago.

Kraig is featured in magazines and on TV in both the Czech Republic and Germany including a TV documentary about his life in Prague and has been recognized as one of the Europe´s top barbers by Barbers Quarterly magazine.

The Czech Republic is full of opportunity and, in my humble opinion, it’s the new “land of opportunity “, a title historically held by the USA. I didn’t move from the US because of any negative views I may have held, rather I moved to the Czech Republic because of the lifestyle and opportunity available here.

Opportunities that would have been more difficult or possibly out of reach in the US are much more achievable here. I’m embarrassed to say that I still don’t speak Czech and that does present some barriers but it doesn’t mean we can’t find ways around these barriers. For example, over the last 5 years I have been hosting videos and TV. Now, I did not have experience in this previously but the videos were a success and it led to projects with Ceska Televize and Stream.cz. Having no real language skills, I was able to make the right contacts and find the right angle to where it not only made sense to use a native English speaker to host the shows but it was the positive because it made it more unique.

I’m constantly refining my brand. I’m known as the American Barber in Prague.

My background and heritage has been my core business and image although I have consistently branched out of this into promoting classic men’s lifestyle. One of the ways I have done this is forming a cooperation with Jack Daniels. It would have been difficult for me to get a meeting with JD in the US and negotiating with them would have been much more intimidating.

Here, I was able to obtain the initial contact and then when I was asked how I thought we might be able to cooperate, I explained how it made sense to use me. I’m American but I’m also a southerner. I grew up just a few hours away from the Jack Daniels distillery.

I have quite a bit of knowledge in regards to bourbon and Jack Daniels. My clientele is the same demographic that they are targeting and I’m in the media both here in the Czech Republic and Germany. Then I went on to explain various ways we could cooperate, one of which was for them to make me a Jack Daniels ambassador. From this, they paid to

build a Gentleman Jack bar in my barbershop and provided me with whiskey. The other thing they provided me with, by making me an ambassador, is the brand association that is of great value when I’m negotiating other partnerships. This has led to many cooperations in both the hair industry and lifestyle brands like Indian motorcycles.

The Czech Republic is a small country and Prague is a big village. Instead of 6 degrees of separation it’s more like 2. I find the Czech people very open, friendly and approachable.

Whether it be a shop keeper or a former president I introduce myself and many friendships have been formed in this way.

Not everything is about business. Gaining new friends has its own value but the more you widen your circle the more opportunities you will come in contact with. If we keep our eyes open and listen, the potential opportunities will present themselves because this truly is a “land of opportunity“.

By Kraig Casebier americanbarberinprague.com

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P HOTO : A LEX C RUZ

AMERICAN BARBER EVENT

The event included a barbecue show by chef and TV host Karl Heinz Drews.

Karl is the cohost of BBQ Kings on the German television network DMax. Scott Kelly, the chef owner of Cali Brothers and Agave prepared a traditional crawfish boil. Live music was provided by Annie Black Cerna and DJ Zeekee . Both French and Moravian wines were served and provided by Znovin Znojmo. Hotel Certousy provided a traditional Czech Buffet and a specialty cake designed as a giant cheeseburger to celebrate Kraig’s and Hotel Certousy’s birthdays.

Besides being one of the first barbers in the Czech Republic, Kraig who is a third-generation barber hosts VIP events featuring guest speakers, live music, whiskey tastings and networking at his barbershop American Barber in Prague.

He has also hosted shows for both Ceska Televize and Stream.cz and is in demand for his workshops which are held in Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden.

With today’s volatile business environment it is especially important to utilize your network to develop cross business promotion in order to increase exposure and Kraig believes hosting various events is an effective way in which to do this. For this event Kraig teamed up with Hotel Certousy to highlight their unique property and its amenities and bring attention to some of his sponsoring partners.

With all of the great food and music the event was a big success. A good time was had by all and many new connections were made.

From left: Marek Šmíd, Dellinger, Kraig Casebier, host and American Barber Owner and Zed Strizek, Burgerfest

at Hotel Čertousy The event brought together friends and sponsors of American Barber and hotel Čertousy.

Specialty cake for the event provided by Hotel Certousy - presented by David and Michaela Hulinsky and Jaroslav Stara

SPONSORS: www.karlheinzdrews.de/ |www.calibrothers.cz/ | www.dellinger.cz/en/|www.annie007.com/ |www.znovin.cz/ www.hotel-certousy.cz/cs/ |www.americanbarberinprague.com/

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Karl Heinz Drews, Chef and host of BBQ Kings

From left: Herwig Eelen, Almar Orn, Dan Bradford

Scott Kelly, Chef owner of Cali Brothers and Agave

Guests enjoying the cooking demonstrations

Andrew Zegveldt and Patrick McKitrick

Colin McGregor and Kirsten Britz

Valery Zelinscaia and Edgar Ortiz

Maria and Herwig Eelen

Annie Black Cerna, Saxophonist

Markéta Borůvková and Thierry Caner

Karl Heinz Drews, Chef and host of BBQ Kings

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I NTERVIEW

WITH

P ETR K AZÍK , P RESIDENT

OF THE

C ZECH M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATION

P HOTO : A RCHIVE

MAKE TIME for projects you can put your HEART into Since May 2020, Petr Kazík has been President of the Czech Management Association. He has focused on training, development and communication at the top management level for over two decades. He set up and leads the AHRA training agency. He comes from Karviná, and continues to work there. Many of the phrases he uses in this interview come from this distinctive region. Besides running his agency and managing the Management Association, Petr continues to lecture at universities and write books. His great passion is choral music. The Permoník choir, of which he is also President, was declared the best choral ensemble in the Czech Republic.

I’ve known Petr for over 15 years. We’ve remarked a number of times that it would be great to undertake some kind of project together. We have somewhat eschewed meeting, however, as it was my father, Ing. Vojtěch Štucbart, to whom I dedicate this interview, who brought us together. From the mid-1990s until 2008, my dad was one of the best management skills teachers in the Czech Republic. His students included current Minister of Industry and Trade, Karel Havlíček, successful startup entrepreneurs, Květa and Šimon Vostrý, and Petr Kazík himself. One can say, then, that during his decade of teaching my dad influenced a whole generation of top managers. The fact that he left this world suddenly and prematurely just under four months after the birth of my son, to whom he is so alike, was very painful for me and remains so.

Our interview was held on a sunny day and in a very informal spirit. We discussed managers and leaders, the Manager of the Year contest, the problem of succession and especially the need for a positive outlook and internal disposition. I think dad would have been pleased.

Petr, I’d like to dedicate this interview to dad. I often think about him and I feel that his legacy is still with us. He hated sloppiness and tardiness; so today I’ve paid particular attention not just to my preparation, but also to time.

Yes, Vojtěch Štucbart was a truly great teacher for me. I took one lesson from his premature passing. I stopped putting off things which aren’t pressing but may be important, and may also be fulfilling. Today I advise everyone to prioritise these types of fundamental projects.

The Czech saying that “your shirt is closer than your coat” does not apply here.

I met Minister Havlíček recently and he recalled dad’s maxim on the three core characteristics of managers for the

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21st century. These are the ability to be positive, to be prepared for change and to be prepared to learn and continually work on oneself. Does this maxim continue to apply in 2020?

I think that all these characteristics continue to apply, and the current time has demonstrated that they apply many times over. That first characteristic, being positive, is entirely lacking in society. If President Havel spoke of society’s “bad mood” in 1997, then I don’t know how we’d describe the state today. A crude Ostrava term comes to mind, but it couldn’t be printed.

As for being prepared for change, we have seen who was prepared for change and how.

Nobody could have imagined that the change would be so drastic. Working on oneself and one’s development has again grown in

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importance. We should admit that the long period of good times has perhaps made us a little lazy. I often come across the response from top management that it is mainly others who should be working on themselves.

That’s sad considering that we like to recall the fact that we are the nation of Jan Amos Komenský. I have personally recently encountered an unwillingness by top management to undergo an initial diagnostic assessment as part of a training programme, because we all know each other well.

I’d respond with Peter Drucker’s famous quote: “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” and connected to this is the realisation that education, or training, is a process like any

other. If you want to make use of it, you’ve got to compare input and output. If there’s anything important in training, then it’s evaluation, not education. Evaluation can show us that education is unnecessary. We mostly learn knowledge, or know-what, and people today are aware of that, and if they aren’t then they Google it. Skills, or know-how, are sidelined.

However, according to Malcolm Gladwell, if we don’t put in the proverbial 10 000 hours then we can’t achieve mastery. We know everything, but only little of that can we do. And we entirely neglect working on our mindset, which can be influenced, so that people are more enthusiastic, willing or positive. When people have that enthusiasm, then it works. If they don’t, we won’t achieve change even with the best schools and education; we’re simply not going to apply it in our daily life.

Let’s stick with management theory. One often-debated issue is the difference between a manager and a leader. While in the past there were few capable highperforming managers, today everyone wants to be a leader.

I think we’re going to continue to have two different top categories. Almost anyone can be a manager. From the perspective of executive or process management, any kind of algorithmic activity can by its nature be measured, and can thus be controlled. I perceive leadership to involve immeasurable factors – the ability to have vision, the ability to have charisma, the ability to influence others. This is all based on character and to a certain extent it cannot be learnt. One can, however, support the growth of certain competencies in this area. If we consider hierarchic management systems, they don’t need a personality, and even suppress them.

That is basically a trait of hierarchies.

The most fundamental characteristic of a leader is the ability to take responsibility. And looking at the upcoming generation, I don’t see much of a willingness to take responsibility for others.

In my work with children and young people, I perceive that on the one hand they are more self-confident, but on the other hand they lack the willingness to take risks and put themselves on the line. A leader must have a healthy selfconfidence, but not adolescent arrogance or defiance. And it is my perception that the education system today doesn’t support a healthy self-confidence. Here in Ostrava, we talk of being a steely character. And I think that the youth aren’t really building up a steely character so much as making merry at parties and in bars.

The new generation needs higher demands and extreme situations. I consider many young people to be a little spoilt, because prevailing conditions for them are great. I’m happy for them, but it’s going to be that much harder for them to handle the pressure of the age.

So you don’t see much hope of the young generation building on our innovation and entrepreneurial tradition at the moment?

Is the time coming when young people aren’t going to seek out a cushy job in a multinational corporation or the civil service, but are rather going to want to set up a start-up and then sell it to a large corporation, as is the case in Israel?

It’s a tricky question. I’m not a sociologist, but I think that we have got creativity encoded in our genes. Sure, the greatest symphonies in the world are Czech! We’ve given the world and art incredible personalities. I love Prague; any time I walk from Hlavní nádraží train station to our office on Wenceslas Square I find myself enraptured by the beauty of the buildings and space around me.

As you initially mentioned, I am the proud President not just of the Czech Management Association, but also of the Permoník choir, which has a tradition going back 55 years, while the CMA has a 30-year tradition.

The children in this amateur choir are going to be performing in the famous Carnegie Hall next April for the third time. If children from Karviná can sing at such a level that they are repeatedly invited to Carnegie Hall, then it fills me with optimism not just for Karviná, but also for the Czech Republic as a whole. The potential is here.

We need to reach out to children and get them for something. All we need is the diverse work done against the engrained system by great teachers, company managers and innovators, in order to reach just a few children who will then grow into the leaders who will manage a thousand more. We don’t need a leader in every small organisation; we need a few great leaders. We just need one new Baťa.

We are both passionate about choral music. My daughter sings in the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir’s concert division, and my son sings in the concert division of the Pueri Gaudentes boys’ choir.

I like to use the example of well-known concert ensembles to explain the significance of the problem of succession, so often discussed today. For a long time, the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir and other top choirs were an unattainable goal for us. This year, the Union of Choirmasters awarded Permoník the title Choir of the Year. I myself learnt everything of importance in the choir. Most great choirmasters have succeeded in their career, but few of them have trained high-quality successors. Thus the departure of the choirmaster is usually accompanied by a fall in quality. At Permoník, the Šeiners laid down their baton five years ago.

All of us in its management today have been with the choir since six years of age, so we have been able to build up a good grasp of it.

As President of the Czech Management Association, you’re going to have international co-operation within the European Managers Association on your plate. What countries can we co-operate with, or what are the examples of good practice we can find inspiration in?

I’ve only been in my role briefly, so I’m just beginning to look around. European Managers have expressed great interest in our Manager of the Year contest. European Managers used to be more of a kind of union organisation, defending the interests of managers. They admire our Manager of the Year contest. We really do want candidates to demonstrate management skills which are not just about creating profit, or economic success. We also look at, as previously discussed, innovation and working with people. After a quarter of a century, the contest has undergone major changes and we now make our evaluations more objectively, and we can also say more strictly. I’m curious to see this year’s results, which will be announced on 20 October. Our objective is to help in organising a European Manager of the Year contest, and I hope that our 2022 finalists will be able to take part in its first year.

Finally, I’d like to ask if you have any tips in regard to balancing your work and personal life, the importance of relaxation and well-being. If this pandemic has taught us anything, I think it would be to look after your mental health. What should (not just) managers pay attention to in this difficult time?

Our discussion has now come nicely full circle.

So managers should certainly pay attention to the three rules we mentioned. Let me look in particular at the rule of positive thinking.

In the early 1990s, we learnt to be successful and achieve what we want. Although many achieved what they wanted, there was no increase in the numbers of satisfied people in the population. Today, the challenge is to learn to be satisfied with what we have achieved.

I myself have changed my approach in coaching time management, because we cannot manage time, but we can manage ourselves within time. Today, I focus more on self-assessment, achieving goals and especially satisfaction with what we have achieved. The approach taken by the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, particularly resonates with me. He defined a concept of well-being which he calls PERMA. And my latest book, which bears the working title “Rukověť PERMAnentní životní spokojenosti” (PERMAnent Life Satisfaction Handbook) and will hopefully be published next spring, is about this concept. We still lack a positive mindset. And I’d end with a quote from the leader whom I most appreciate from contemporary history, namely Václav Havel.

And his sentence as follows has also become my motto in life: “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense – regardless of how it turns out.”

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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P ERSONAL E NLIGHTENMENT

James A. Cusumano, PhD Chairman, Chateau Mcely s.r.o.; Prague, Czech Republic

Universal Dialogue III: Consciousness Part 11,2

“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that caused it.”

Albert Einstein

In Dialogue I,1 we met 16-year old Peter, who, during a hike in the woods behind his home in the village of Nebušice, a suburb of Prague, encountered Boda, a strange, but likeable mystic, who claimed to be from Mesopotamia.

Peter was mystified, yet captivated, by this charming man and his powers. He was unaware that Boda was an Avatar – a divine teacher in bodily form.

Peter, a bright and inquisitive student was a bit of a philosopher, who pondered the great questions – How did the universe come into existence? Why am I here? Where did I come from? What’s my purpose?

He enjoyed hiking the forest to think about these questions, hoping for answers.

Boda introduced Peter to the immense power of altered states of consciousness through the practice of meditation. Doubtful at first, Peter became a believer after using Boda’s meditation technique to solve very difficult math problems.

In Dialogue II,2 he learned about a profound discovery made thousands of years ago by ancient Wisdom Seekers. At high levels of consciousness, induced by meditation, they discovered the existence of an alternate dimension, a nonmaterial plane which contained a record of every thought, word, deed, or event that has ever occurred or ever will occur. By accessing information in this plane, these ancient seekers demonstrated they could predict future events with perfect accuracy.

Now, Boda introduces Peter to an emerging powerful science called spiritual physics, the science of consciousness.

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Spiritual Physics Boda “Look, my friend, what I’m about to tell you may sound like religion, but it’s far from that. It’s spiritual in the sense that it has everything to do with non-material things, but little to do with the three-dimensional world you perceive with your five senses. And it has nothing at all to do with organized religion or theology.”

Peter Smiling, “That’s good. The last thing I need is a good old-fashioned Sunday school lesson.”

Boda Boda smiled as well and continued. “I’m going to share with you concepts from an emerging science known as spiritual physics (Figure 1).

It seeks to uncover answers to important questions posed over the ages by scientists and philosophers, questions such as those you shared with me when we first met. Where did I and the universe come from? What’s my purpose? Why am I here? What’s the meaning and purpose of life? Where do I go, if anywhere, after my body dies? These questions might be considered aspects of what modern physicists call the Theory of Everything, or TOE. As you will eventually see, all of this is related in some way to what you experienced after your meditation experiment when you were able to solve those difficult math problems in no time at all. Does that make any sense to you?”

Peter “I’m not sure, but let’s give it a shot.”

Because of his interest in physics, Peter had read Brian Greene’s popular book, The Elegant Universe, in which he talked about the TOE. He had a challenge understanding Greene’s book to the depth he would have liked to, but he was willing to see where Boda’s thoughts would lead.

Boda “These questions are not only big questions; they are the questions. But you’re an intelligent and gifted young man and if you practice the more comprehensive version of meditation that I will teach you, you can begin to tap deeper into the Akashic Record (Figure 2) and understand the answers to these questions.

I guarantee it.”

Peter “If I hadn’t experienced what I was able to do in just minutes with those math problems, I’m not sure I’d believe it possible. I’m willing to try.”

Truth

Figure 1: Spiritual Physics is the emerging science of consciousness. Its laws and principles are the next step after quantum physics. For example, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which is relevant to both classical and quantum physics maintains that nothing can exceed the speed of light. Consciousness, however, is guided by the laws of spiritual physics and can not only exceed the speed of light but can travel anywhere, even to a distant galaxy, instantaneously.

Boda “Okay then, let’s start at the beginning, although as you’ll quickly see, there was no beginning and there will be no end.”

Peter rolled his eyes. Boda could see from his expression that his comment wasn’t making Peter feel any more comfortable. He continued anyway.

Boda “Our physical universe as we experience it through our five senses reflects something much greater than the universe itself, something well beyond our three-dimensional world.

Spiritual physicists call it by several names, the Universal or Infinite Mind, the Unified Field, or as many Buddhists do, Cosmic Consciousness (Figure 3). The name is irrelevant. But what is relevant is that it’s a field of energy, a different kind of energy, not governed by the laws of classical or quantum physics. It is infinite and eternal. It always was and always will be. It occupies every point of the physical universe and extends beyond that into what is called infinite nothingness, a place, which really is not a place, where nothing exists but Cosmic Consciousness. Einstein would say, ‘No space, no time, no energy, no matter – absolutely nothing.’”

Peter “Well, that’s a mouthful – infinite nothingness which is a place that’s not a place.” Then he thought, I haven’t the foggiest idea as to what he’s talking about. Boda knew what Peter was thinking. But he wasn’t deterred.

1 EDITOR’S COMMENT—This is the third article in a new series by the author, based on his forthcoming book, “The Dialogue – A Journey to Universal Truth,” a conversation between a bright young boy and an Avatar, concerning the most challenging questions of all times. 2The author may be reached at Jim@ChateauMcely.com

P ERSONAL E NLIGHTENMENT

Figure 2: Discovered several millennia ago by ancient Wisdom Seekers, the Akashic Record is an infinite and eternal record of every thought, word, deed and event that has ever occurred and will occur. It exists in an ethereal plane separate from but connected to our three-dimensional world. It can be accessed by deep meditation and used to manifest those things you wish to create for a more fulfilling life.

Boda “However, in the words of a quantum physicist, we can say in this non-place there exist infinite possibilities, and under the right circumstances any one of them can be coaxed to pop into our three-dimensional, five-sense world. The fundamental question to which you will soon learn the answer is how do you nudge a desired possibility into your life?”

Peter This is so weird – a place that’s not a place yet it contains a humongous number of possibilities – and I can just grab the one I want and change my life – really? Are you kidding me?

Peter wasn’t buying this, but Boda kept on going. He was on a roll and knew that Peter was clever enough and would eventually catch on.

Boda “All things – absolutely everything – come from this non-place, and eventually return to it in the form of consciousness. Those with a religious orientation might prefer to call it God, but it’s certainly not God in the sense taught by any known religion. I remind you of Einstein’s favorite quote, and remember, he was not a religious man, ‘I want to know the Mind of God. All the rest are details.’3 As you will eventually see, he was a very perceptive individual – the Akashic Record (Figure 2) is the Mind of God. And yes, all the rest are simply details.”

Figure 3: Cosmic Consciousness is the ultimate level of consciousness. All consciousness comes from it and returns to it. It is master of the Akashic Record, sometimes called the “Mind of God,” and therefore Cosmic Consciousness is often referred to as God – not to be confused with God as recognized by any organized religion.

Peter “Is there any difference between spiritual energy and the energy of classical and quantum physics?”

Boda “Absolutely. I’ll tell you the most significant difference, which is something we will encounter when we speak about the spiritual interactions and communications among people – in fact among all physical and non-physical entities, since all have some level of consciousness.”

Peter “And what’s that?”

Boda “Unlike classical and quantum physics where, according to the theory of relativity, the maximum speed possible for anything, including all known forms of energy, is the speed of light, the speed of spiritual energy moves not only faster than the speed of light, but in fact, it moves instantaneously. Physicists would call it superluminal (Figure 1). As we will see in a future discussion, it’s the reason why, for example, a mother can instantly sense that her child has been in an accident – even when they are separated by thousands of miles.”

Spiritual Physics and Consciousness Peter Peter was trying to stop from twiddling his thumbs and doing his best to be patient, hoping Boda’s explanation would gel into a picture that made sense to him. He decided to change the topic, not realizing he wasn’t changing the topic at all. “You mentioned this new science, spiritual physics. What does it say about our purpose and the purpose of the universe, and are they in any way related to consciousness?”

Boda was pleased. Peter asked the right question at the right time. His eyes lit up as he enthusiastically continued.

Boda “As you might say, you hit the nail on the head. The purpose of all physical things in our universe, including you, is to enable Cosmic Consciousness – God, if you like – to be continuously, totally and intimately aware of Its own presence. I say ‘Its’ even though Cosmic Consciousness or God is genderless – not he, she, or it – spiritual physicists would say it’s an energy field, but, as I’ve said before, not energy in the classical or quantum physics sense, but a spiritual energy. In fact, Peter, we can define consciousness as a spiritual energy field of information, knowledge and wisdom. It is the true reality or essence of all things, physical and non-physical. In the physical plane, it is most developed in human beings and in the spiritual plane it is infinitely developed in Cosmic Consciousness.”

Peter “So, do spiritual physicists have a clear mathematical and physical sense of how this spiritual energy works?"

Boda “Good question. There’s still a lot for them to do to understand the nature of this kind of energy, how it works, how best to access it, and how to use it. But great progress is being made by capable scientists who understand

References: 1. CZECH & SLOVAK LEADERS Magazine, Volume III, 2019. 2. CZECH & SLOVAK LEADERS Magazine, Volume I, 2020. 3. https://history.aip.org/history/exhibits/einstein/inbrief.htm.

this is our future. The important point for you to comprehend is that your role – the role of everyone and everything in the universe – is to make God intimately aware of Himself. Please excuse the gender, I’m just making the point using the commonly used English pronoun. It works just as well with She, It, or whatever label you want to create.”

Boda elaborated. “There are two points I would like to emphasize. Buddhists like to say, ‘I was a hidden treasure and wanted to be known.’ God wants you to be totally aware of his existence.

There is also another aspect exemplified by the famous maxim of the Greek Delphi Oracle, ‘Know thyself.’ You see, Peter, that’s how important you are in the grand scheme of things. God not only wants you to be aware of Him, but just as our five senses provide our awareness of the threedimensional physical world, the consciousness of all beings and in fact of all material things, living or not, is the means for God, or call it Cosmic Consciousness, to be self-aware.”

Peter Peter couldn’t restrain himself. “Hold on. Wait a minute. I’m not a religious person, but even I know that most religions state that God is an all-knowing supreme being. Why would He need help from me or anyone or anything else for that matter to know He exists?”

Boda “As I said before, I am not speaking about conventional organized religions. Cosmic Consciousness – God – is all-knowing, and you could say, supreme. And yes, He knows He exists.

He doesn’t need you and the rest of the material universe to know that, or about the existence and intricacies of the universe. He’s got that down pat. He needs you for awareness, just as you need your five senses for awareness of the three-dimensional world. You need your eyes to appreciate the magnificence and beauty of the mountains and the sea, or a Caravaggio painting or a rainbow. Your genius and power are in your mind and most especially in your Personal Consciousness. Your five senses bring awareness to your genius. Without your sight, you would be no less of a genius and without the universe, God would be no less all-knowing or supreme.”

Peter “Your comments about the mutual needs and connection between God and everything in the universe, including me, are amazing. It will take some time for that to sink into my understanding.”

Yes, it will, Peter, but when it does...

To be continued – in Consciousness Part II – Proof that all material things have some level of consciousness; and the answer to “Does consciousness create your mind or does your mind create consciousness?”

Sat, Chit, Ananda!

Enjoy your journey, make a difference!

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Interview with Prof. Ing. Petr Sklenička, CSc.

PHOTO: JITKA TOMEČKOVÁ

Prof. Ing. Petr Sklenička is Rector of the Czech University of Life Sciences, as well as President of the Czech Rectors Conference. Although both these roles must require a lot of management, he still carries on work in his specialisation, which is ever more relevant, focusing on the protection of the landscape and soil. During the course of the interview, I asked him not just about the current situation in the Czech Republic, but also about climate change in general.

The very first question gave me lessons in the unpredictability of the weather, and the unreliability of long-term forecasts.

We undertook the interview in cold and rainy mid-July, when forecasts were warning us that the summer was already over.

I edited the final version for print in the sultry days of August, which show in Prague in particular that neither the city nor its inhabitants are prepared for the nature of our weather. And how ready is society for other threats? What are the actual risks that threaten us which have faded into the tumult of information we are assaulted with every day?

Do we fully appreciate Czech higher education? From my discussion with ambassadors, I have received only words of praise. Let us be proud of our universities and their students, because in fact we are doing much better than one might think from the frequent complaints in the media. My interview with the professor concluded with a passionate introduction to the Smart Landscape project, which not only has global potential, but is also an excellent example of co-operation between universities and the commercial sector. I recommend this discussion of important issues as compulsory reading for all those who are not indifferent to the future.

Our Smart Landscape project is attracting attention around the world How do you perceive the course of this summer? First it seemed wet, then August saw the return of heat, which long-range forecasts had not predicted.

If you look at the long-term average, in the Czech Republic we’re missing a year of precipitation, some 500-700 mm of precipitation depending on the region. In terms of rain, the first half of summer might appear to be above-average, but in terms of replenishing the deep springs which allow water to flow in our streams and rivers during dry periods, it still isn’t enough. We’d need rainy summers for two to three years in a row. It is common to find one normal year in between dry years, but this shouldn’t reassure us. I’m glad that in contrast to 10 or 20 years ago when we only focused on extremes, flood or drought, and in-between when the responsible ministers did not show much interest, today I can see great interest all the time. We can see that we have learnt our lesson, and we aren’t just living with the short term in mind. And I always stress that droughts and floods are two sides of the same coin.

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Do we know what we need to do in terms of maintaining our landscape or not?

In the previous issue of our magazine, I interviewed the President of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, who claims that we know how to restore the natural character of the landscape, and that we only need to apply the solution in practice.

The Senate President and I have had substantive discussions on this issue, and I would have to disagree with him. We don’t know what we need to do. I would even say that you won’t find an adequate response to climate change and how to adapt to climate change in Europe, nor elsewhere in the world. Perhaps we have ideas about reducing our carbon footprint. Perhaps at the level of the utterances of ministers and prime ministers, we know what to do. But amongst experts we are fumbling around to determine how to systematically adapt our landscape to withstand harsher climatic conditions.

I particularly stress the word “systematically”

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here. What we’re doing now is like travelling on a canoe with ten holes in it, and I’m trying to plug them with my two hands and two feet; we’re only plugging the largest holes. What we’re doing now is dealing with particular elements, copses or hedgerows. We’re also building ponds; the Agriculture Minister speaks of one pond per day, but this only impacts its immediate surroundings.

It does not resolve the wider picture.

So what should we picture from the term “systematic measures”?

Systematic measures are mutually conditional, they are multi-objective and together they produce a synergistic effect. I can achieve a greater effect with the same money, or the same effect with less money. I often talk about a sophisticated water management network. If this increasing drought is going to continue, we may need to manage even the water in the open countryside in a more sophisticated manner than we do for drinking water. We need to build up

a network of reservoirs to capture rainwater, as happens in Israel for example. The English term “stormwater harvesting” is what we’re looking at. Our future forecasts show that an increasing amount of water is going to be coming from flash storms, something the landscape today is unable to deal with. We therefore need to construct a water management network which can capture water when there is a surplus, and retain it for dry periods. We’ll be collecting water in spring, and returning it to the land as irrigation in summer. For a sophisticated solution like this, just building ponds or basins isn’t enough. We first need to build the system and test it out, but as yet not one has been built anywhere in the world. At our university, we are investigating four types of landscape. We’ve gone furthest in our research of the agricultural landscape, and if we succeed – and we are succeeding – people will be travelling here from around the world to view our solution. We’re constructing a landscape in the Rakovník district which secures smart water management. The Rakovník district currently

experiences a third less rainfall than the rest of the country. We’re co-operating with partners who are at the very cutting edge in this project; our irrigation system, for example, is supplied by an Israeli company.

For the sake of completeness, I would add that the other three types of landscape we are investigating are forest, urban and post-mining.

We need dozens of pilot projects in which we can implement methods for planners, and the planners will then be able to incorporate comprehensive land modifications into individual projects, so we can transfer our research into standard practice.

You’ve led me into my next question.

Will the post-COVID era lead us to begin believing scientists more?

I think it may well do. Let’s talk about the serious issues this pandemic has revealed. These are food security and drought. Luckily, this was not an issue here, but rather in Spain and the USA. In future, we’re going to have to be prepared for all

the possible threats which can affect humanity.

A combination of threats can create a crisis. There are threats we know how to prepare for and for which we can make estimates, and these include drought, climate change and securing food in a sufficient amount and quality. And then there are threats we cannot predict, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why we’ve got to preventively grapple with the threats we know are coming. Although the leaders of individual countries have spoken of solidarity, the pandemic has shown that our countries behave poorly toward each other, closing borders, not exporting PPE and, in the event of an emergency, there would even be a ban on food exports. We must be ready for this reality. It’s not about being self-sufficient in food, or the percentage of Czech food in stores, as the media is currently debating.

I’m talking about food security, and ensuring food security for the next 50 years. Drought may reduce yields by a third to a half. In 2018, we witnessed herds being culled because there was not enough fodder for cattle. We must

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be preventively prepared for combinations of these factors. Let’s focus our attention not only on whether we have enough facemasks stocked up, but also on ensuring we have enough stocks of food for a year or two, and that we have the ability to produce food for our people under trying circumstances.

Let’s now look at Czech higher education.

Often only shortcomings are spoken of. In contrast, when I talk to foreign ambassadors, I receive positive feedback about our high-quality regional education, new research centres and laboratories paid for through EU funds. So let’s give praise here; this is a skill Czechs still need to learn.

I entirely agree. We should give praise where it is due. Let’s go back to the start of the pandemic, when we were truly afraid, and I know what I’m talking about here, because the first case was here at the Czech University of Life Sciences. We were worried that schools and universities might become hotspots. This is now happening during the second wave underway in Israel. Campuses which are international in nature, frequent trips abroad, the social lives of students – all these predispositions feed the spread of the infection.

Not only did these fears not come to pass, but universities and colleges also proved that they are a part of the state’s strategic infrastructure. This was the wording used in a resolution of the Czech Rectors Conference, and we were also praised by the government of the Czech Republic. The course of the Covid-19 pandemic would have been entirely different if not for the students who worked in laboratories, in hospitals, in fields and in care homes. The Czech Republic can truly boast of its high-quality regional education system. The

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only region missing a higher education institution is the Karlovy Vary Region. Universities and colleges become not just centres of education, but also of culture. I am extremely pleased that we have managed to build up a network of regional universities of a very high quality. We are always pointing out that we don’t have any universities amongst the top one hundred in the world rankings, but we forget to appreciate that we have ten universities in the top thousand. A few years ago, there were only half that number. Czech higher education institutions are qualitatively improving. It isn’t easy to hold your position in the world rankings of universities, never mind climb up it. We’re competing with hundreds of new Asian universities that are trying to break into the rankings.

And weaknesses in Czech education?

I perceive two core weaknesses to be insufficient internationalisation and commercialisation.

I’ll start with the massification, or excessively high student numbers, at universities and colleges, which began ten years ago. The rise to achieve 25 % higher education graduates within the population has brought with it a decline in the quality of students. We used to take on 100 well-qualified candidates, but now during a demographic dip we’re also taking students who would previously have fallen well below the line. At the current time, two-thirds of the students we’re taking on at universities and colleges are coming to us from secondary technical and vocational schools. Personally, I would take the path of reducing the numbers of accepted students so we can prioritise quality over quantity.

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In terms of funding, we could have made use of this demographic dip to reduce the number of students per teacher; we’re falling behind in this criterion compared to advanced universities.

From an internationalisation perspective, I’ve got the latest statistics to hand – in 2000, we had 4 % international students, while in 2020 we have 18 % foreign students. Here at CZU, we actually have 20 % foreign students, which is of great benefit to the university. We’ve still got a lot to catch up on in terms of the internationalisation of teachers and scientists. Too many universities practise so-called “in-breeding”, the practice where a student begins at a particular institution and remains there as professor. Abroad, practice from a number of countries is supported; some expert programmes are only offered in English.

We could spend hours discussing commercialisation. Even the Prime Minister has said that if anyone here comes up with an idea, then it is bought by foreign companies who then monetise it to their advantage. We’re not lacking in infrastructure; we’ve got commercialisation departments, start-ups and spin-off companies at every university. But compared to Israel, for example, our companies seem to me to be rather half-hearted. I’d begin by changing the Czech mentality, so we’re not afraid of failure. In Israel, it’s a given that failure is a part of life. We perceive failure to be entirely negative. Israelis, in contrast, perceive it as an experience they are willing to share and to put in their CVs. Let us encourage each other to seek out and discover those issues of true import.

You’ve already achieved some great milestones; you’re rector at a very successful and dynamic university, and President of the Rectors Conference. What are the important issues for you?

If I set myself some goals, then they’re always in the academic arena. I still enjoy working on our Smart Landscape project and adaptation to climate changes, although I don’t have so much time for this now. If the project does well, people from around the entire world will come here to learn. We’ve surpassed Europe and the world in this project. Seeing the project through depends above all on funding. Because the issue is a popular one, and politicians and journalists know what Smart Landscape means, whenever we don’t get funds from the government budget, representatives of medium and large companies come to me and offer to co-operate, because they want to link their names to a positive project. This is the path for future worthy research; to get figures within notable businesses, banks and agricultural co-operatives on our side.

By involving various subjects, projects acquire much greater meaning. I’m looking forward to being able to successfully present our Smart Landscape project not just within the agricultural landscape, which is the furthest advanced, but in time also within the forest landscape, urbanised landscape and post-mining landscape.

Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

EU

Did you know that?

of pesticides or fertilizers and improve the labelling of healthy foods.

New plan to restart European economy

New specific recommendations for the Czech Republic

The European Commission unveiled its plan to restore economic growth in the EU, based on a new instrument called Next Generation EU. The budget for the newly proposed instrument should be € 750 billion, with the budget for the future Multiannual Financial Framework 2021–2027 set to increase to € 1.85 trillion.

The new instrument will be based on 3 pillars, namely supporting Member States in investment and reforms, kick-starting the economy through incentives for private investment, and lessons learned from the crisis. The Commission reiterates that economic recovery should focus on ecological and digital transformation in particular.

New EU program focuses on health As part of its economic recovery plan, the European Commission presented a new EU4Health program, which will be part of the future Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 and will focus on improving the resilience of health systems in Member States, developing innovation in the health sector, cross-border cooperation and addressing shortcomings, which have shown themselves in the current coronavirus crisis.

The Commission has proposed a budget of € 9.4 billion for this program.

New strategies on biodiversity and sustainable food system The European Commission presented two strategies that are part of the Green Deal for Europe – a biodiversity strategy to 2030 and a strategy that aims to improve the sustainability of the food system in the EU called "Farm to Fork". The biodiversity strategy aims to stop the loss of biodiversity and to integrate this issue into strategies to promote economic growth.

The "Farm to Fork" strategy aims, among other things, to reduce the environmental footprint of the EU food system and strengthen its resilience, reduce the use

As part of the European Semester process, the European Commission issued specific recommendations for Member States, assessing their situation and recommending areas to focus on in the short and medium term. In the short term, the Commission is primarily committed to mitigating the effects of the coronavirus crisis, and in the medium term to ensuring sustainable growth and supporting digital and environmental transformation. Apart from that, in its recommendations to the Czech Republic, the Commission mentions the need to support employment through active labour market policies, skills acquisition with a focus on digital, and support SMEs. In addition, the Commission recommends encouraging investment in digital and energy infrastructure and improving public-private R&D cooperation.

Fit for Future platform to focus on administrative burdens The European Commission launched a new platform called Fit for Future, which will bring together high-level experts to focus on simplifying existing legislation and reducing administrative burdens for citizens and businesses. The platform will bring together local, regional and national experts and other experts, and will consist of two groups - governmental and other stakeholders. According to the Commission, legislation needs to be simplified and the administrative burden reduced, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Let´s talk numbers!

European industry down by more than 10% in March

MATTERS BUSINESS

10.4% in the EU in March, compared with the previous month. The largest declines in industrial production were recorded in Italy (-28.4%), Slovakia (-20.3%) and France (-16.4%), while the increase in production was recorded in Ireland (+15.5%), Greece, Finland (both countries +1.9%), and Lithuania (+0.7%). In the Czech Republic, production decreased by 8.7% in the given period. Year-on-year, compared with March 2019, industrial production fell by 12.9% in the euro area and 11.8% in the EU as a whole.

Czechia recorded highest inflation rate in April in the EU27 The annual inflation rate reached 0.3% in the euro area in April 2020 and 0.7% in the EU27. Compared to the previous month, this is a decrease of 0.4% in the euro area and 0.5% in the EU as a whole. The lowest inflation rates were recorded in Slovenia (-1.3%), Cyprus (-1.2%), Estonia and Greece (both countries -0.9%), the highest in the Czech Republic (3.3%), Poland (2.9%) and Hungary (2.5%). Compared with April 2019, inflation fell by 1.4% in the euro area and 1.2% in the EU as a whole.

First quarter GDP down by more than 3% According to the flash estimate of the European Statistical Office Eurostat, in the first quarter of 2020 the GDP decreased by 3.8% in the euro area and by 3.3% in the EU27 compared to the previous quarter. Year-on-year, compared with the first quarter of 2019, GDP fell by 3.2% in the euro area and 2.6% in the EU as a whole.

The number of persons employed was also estimated to have declined in the first quarter of 2020, by 0.2% in the euro area and the EU27.

Brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

The European Statistical Office Eurostat released data showing that industrial production fell by 11.3% in the euro area and

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As we collectively face the uncertainty ahead due to COVID-19, it is clear to me that art plays such an important role in our lives. The recent events have forced us to spend more time in our homes, apartments and studios, wondering in many cases, how we are going to spend the rest of days under quarantine, until we can hopefully go about our normal lives again.

Speaking to many art lovers and collectors, everyone seems to be appreciating their art hanging in their homes and they are enjoying having the time to admire the pieces they have or dream about pieces they would like to have one day.

My life with art started a long time ago. I remember buying my first piece of art in my mid-twenties and 35 years later, I am happy every day to admire my collection. It started piece by piece: once a year I treated myself to something that caught my attention and followed my intuition that it was the right piece for me. I am particularly thankful for a gallery owner in Montreal, who let me pay by installments, it was an expensive piece at the time. I did not buy because it was an established artist or because I was told the piece would gain in

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Gerhardt Bubnik, Lawyer and author of The life Odyssey of Harvard’s first Czech Graduate and Louise Beer, Owner, PragArtworks

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Louise Beer, Owner, PragArtworks and Helena Leisztner, Artist and Designer

value over time, but simply because I had a connection with it and appreciated it.

I urge you all at home to take the time, to admire the pieces that you have at home or imagine a piece you would like in a room with space available. For me, a home can be a refuge, a cocoon, a peaceful haven where one can feel safe and at peace. I have always been lucky to be surrounded by lovely art, wherever I have lived. Having art at home should be something to lift your spirits, your soul and your morale.

So many people are intimidated by contemporary art and often express their lack of knowledge or understanding about it. I always share the same advice; if you are attracted to a piece of art and you like how it makes you feel, don’t ask any other questions and get it. There is too much complication about art interpretation. One should connect with a piece of art; its colour, its composition, its movement and the overall feel should speak to you. If it does, then it is worth it to study the artist a little more and understand their point of view or what they were thinking when they were painting or creating a piece.

When I opened PragArtworks Gallery last year, I followed my own advice and decided to represent local Czech art that I had a connection with. This was also reinforced by the relationships I had built with the artists I started to represent. I am proud of the #50 painters, sculptors and photographers I represent since they range from their notoriety and medium. I am happy to represent well known and established artists such as Pavel Roucka, Vaclav Blaha and Milan Chabera but also up and coming artists and young art school graduates.

As an art lover and supporter first, I cannot help but think of our local artists, who have been deeply affected by this ever so difficult situation. Many have shared sad stories of upcoming exhibitions delayed indefinitely, new gallery openings cancelled and complete loss of possible income this year, and that, only after five weeks into this impediment. I cannot help but wonder how to turn it around and give hope to an upcoming artist who will not have many guarantees for the rest of the year.

The positive out of this situation will likely offer an opportunity for creativity and innovation in the field of art. It will provide

opportunities for many to reinvent themselves. I know the artists at PragArtworks are working hard at their studios and taking advantage of this time to create and innovate. Many of them have been busy during this period and are eager to share their new works.

At PragArtworks, our job is to connect you with the art and artists of our time and place, and although our gallery is closed for the foreseeable future, we will continue our mission online. PragArtworks is a showcase for a number of Czech Contemporary artists whose work I most admire and I firmly believe should reach a wider audience. My website was created in order to easily view art and promote local Czech art.

There has never been a better time to acquire a piece of art and surround yourself with something beautiful in your home.

Whether a poster, a painted canvas, a glass piece, or a sculpture that is available at every price level. So my advice and main takeaway out of all this is to go online, do virtual museum tours, explore art galleries and dream a little about what you can put on that white wall of yours to raise your spirits!

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Students, Changemakers and the Rise of Czech Creative Solutions during the Pandemic and the First Online University Hackathon in the Czech Republic 100

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P HOTO : T OMÁŠ H EJZLAR

This segment of our series on Covid-19 heroes will be dedicated to students and changemakers - to all those who view the crisis as an opportunity and offer their capacities, expertise and energy to ensure that the Czech Republic deals with the pandemic efficiently.

The Czech lands have a long history when it comes to innovation. To name a few: the sugar cube, contact lenses, the lightning rod or the propeller, even polarography or the famous “Remoska” (a mini electric oven popular especially in Great Britain) are all Czech inventions. In recent years, there have been many attempts and even government initiatives to boost the Czech innovation again. However, as experience shows, the bottom up approach and grassroots activities are the ones that bear real fruit in the long term.

Many students have become engaged in a variety of activities during the pandemic. Medical students have been working and supporting nurses and medical doctors in hospitals or at the Covid-19 testing centers, students studying chemistry kept distilling disinfectants and students from pedagogy faculties helped in kindergartens.

The Czech Technical University team has already made the headlines with its own invention and production of the lung ventilator Corovent which was funded by money donated by public. In the beginning of May Corovent won the second prize in the EU vs. Virus Hackathon “Health and Life”, organized by the European Innovation Council.

The Technical University of Liberec, specializing in fibers, has not only expanded its research in the nanofabrics area, but it also has developed the so-called melt-blown technology to produce special filter layers for face masks, which is cheaper and easier than the nanotechnology from the point of mass production.

Students of economics from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice have, amongst many activities, founded a counselling center that advises individual entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises and organizes webinars with experts.

To continue on the positive note of applied creativity, the Czech Technical University, together with prg.ai, CEE Hacks and UNICO.AI decided to organize the first on-line student hackathon during the first weekend in May. When I was approached by David Pešek, one of the organizers, on behalf of the Czech Technical University, with the request to spend a weekend mentoring an on-line hackathon, I said yes. Like many of the other counsellors, I did not know what to expect but mentoring is simply my passion. Little did I know that my upcoming Labor Day long weekend could be characterized by a headline: Are you tired of zoom meetings during your working days? Hop on and spend a weekend on Slack to get some energy!

More than 160 people joined the event from literally all over the world, from countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Finland, Russia, Czech and Slovakia. About 60 mentors, experienced professionals, offered help and guidance.

The energy, spirit, and the legacy of the first virtu-

al on-line university hackathon left a long-lasting impression almost on everyone who participated. After two months of functioning on Zoom, I never would have imagined how much can be achieved by communicating on Slack in parallel threads, combined with group calls and mobile phone messaging.

Thumbs up to all the organizers for the thorough preparation of the event. The coordinating team of a dozen individuals was outstanding, in particular, the originator of the idea Ondřej Brém, co-managing the event from Finland; Tomáš Studeník, a famous innovator, hacker and organizer of both hackathons and Fuck Up nights; Pavel Kordík, Alča, Eliška Novotná, Jiří “zub” and David Pešek on behalf of Czech Technical University; Lenka Kučerová with Julie Kovaříková from prg.ai; Vojtěch Kadlec from UNICO.AI and Sara Polak from Startup Disrupt.

Five distinct challenges were announced for teams to work on: The city serving people, Education for the future, Future and stability of companies, Artificial Intelligence and the data potential and Smart Healthcare. Each of these areas was coordinated by an expert. Both public and private companies had representatives on the ground or on calls the entire weekend to make sure that solutions would be then put into practice and any viable ideas would have proper follow up.

The city of Prague, Technology Agency, Chamber of the Commerce of Prague 1 were just a few participants from the public sphere. AstraZeneca, Uniqway or ICT joined as partners from the private sector.

The kick-off took place on Labor Day. We started working at 10:00 a.m. first announcing the challenges, followed up by an excellent presentation

by Tomáš Studeník on ideation, creativity and hacking tips. Team formations continued and by Friday night the teams started to announce the topic they would work on. Mentors had a checkin call to find out how their teams were doing and were encouraged to look out for teams or to start working on their own challenge. While students and mentors were working, I just crashed in bed. The Slack communication continued beeping all night long.

On Saturday morning, Anton Titov gave a presentation on prototyping. Saturday afternoon was dedicated to testing the solutions offered.

Teams were encouraged to look for real users and to get feedback. I facilitated a call between a team working on eHealth with my mum, a medical doctor. It was interesting to facilitate a true “inter-generation dialogue” and great to see the students communicating with the potential end user, with light years different ICT skills and expectations than the millennial generation. In the evening, Nathan Gold, a US based sales pitcher and TED Speakers coach, offered a presentation on how to prepare for high stakes virtual presentations. A 10:00 p.m coordinating call for mentors served as a check that teams were progressing towards a prototype that they would be ready to present by the next day. Sunday seemed to just fly by as the teams were to submit their video

pitch presentation by 6 p.m. Monday was a busy day for the evaluators. On Monday evening, the winning teams from each category were expected to deliver a final “pitch” to all participants on live stream. Which solutions made it to the final?

What can be accomplished over a weekend? Let me share my three favorite projects.

The overall winner was the project Createachers (Tvůrčitelé). This web platform is for teachers who desire to approach education differently.

Until now, a lot of effort has been dedicated to learning materials and worksheets but the personality of a teacher has been overlooked.

Through the platform, teachers can share best practices, tools, ideas and experiences. Teachers can become influencers. The fact that education was the category chosen by most teams says a lot about the potential of the Czech educational system with regards to technological advances.

GreenPlace by GreenTeam is an app that allows the public to take an active part in supervising the condition of greenery, particularly trees. The user can take a picture of a tree, which is then sent to a database and AI analyzes the condition of the tree. If the tree is in poor condition, the authorities are notified.

Potrebujulekare.cz (Ineedadoctor.cz) was the solution that won the smart healthcare category.

Patients, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies will benefit from this product that will provide a list of specialized doctors offering free capacity, after the practitioners will open their offices.

The winning teams received cash awards, Uniqway rides and vouchers for law consultations. However, I believe that the main motive for the first Czech university online hackathon was the desire to bring about change in Czech society. The good news is that most partners were interested in continuing to work with the teams on their proposed solutions.

For me, the hackathon was a great experience.

Next time, I hope more students from humanities and economics will join, as the best teams are the most diverse ones. It was very comforting to see how many mentors offered their help for free. I also believe that over the weekend all the students experienced what would normally take several months in an accelerated program. For the Czech universities, I suggest that this experience should be an integral part of the curriculum.

All people I met thanks to the on-line hackathon were amazing. In fact, as most mentors agreed, we learned a lot ourselves. If one person stood out from the crowd with regards to their energy, enthusiasm, support, and ideas, it was Sara Polak. I am pleased to introduce her to the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine readers.

I am sure you will hear a lot about this young woman, whose motto is “Turning Czech Republic into a dynamic, innovative, AI superhub”. Sara is a co-founder of Innovation Disrupt Startup and responsible for Communication at prg.ai. She is an Oxford University alumna, holding a BA in Archeology and Anthropology and a MSc. in Cognitive Evolutionary Anthropology.

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Sara, what was your overall experience with the first online hackathon?

My experience was overwhelmingly positive.

I’m someone who works well in bursts of energy and creativity, so the hackathon format is ideal for me. I was blown away by the collegiality, friendliness, and passion despite no in-person contact, and I am in awe of the ideas that came out of this. Frankly, I can’t wait to do another one (after I’ve recovered slightly…)

How do you perceive the outcomes?

Hackathons rarely produce end-end solutions.

Given that this was online as well, it was more of “an ideathon” rather than us expecting working outcomes out of this. However, the ideas were truly excellent, and I’m glad follow-ups are being made with certain projects as it will enable them to head towards the completion and scale they deserve.

Having this experience, have you changed your mind about the efficiency of on-line events?

I’ve always been a huge proponent of working from home and doing things online.

Frankly, I was a bit scared of an event of this size and complexity running fully online, but I was blown away by how well it worked and how smoothly it ran. There was definitely a slight issue with commitment and ‘going all the way’ in the case of some participants (i.e., you’re not in a physical space together and it’s psychologically easier to give up on a project sometimes), but this is something that can be worked on by setting of expectations and clear rules. The online format isn’t a fatal hindrance in this respect.

What are the next steps?

We’ve carefully evaluated all the valuable feed-

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back, followed up with winning and interesting projects to help them to the next stage, and might or might not be planning another one...stay tuned!

What positive impact with regards to the pandemic do you see in the Czech Republic?

Czech people are incredibly resourceful and love to ‘tinker’ with technology. There’s also a profound sense of community and grassroots movement building as well as self-reliance and adaptability. The population has coped with the pandemic extremely well and the adoption of new technologies has been overwhelming and hugely encouraging. I’m personally really optimistic about the agile and effective changes this wave of solidarity and digitalization can bring and how it will help the Czech economic resuscitation.

I also asked Valery Senichev, who was a mentor and evaluator of the Future of Education Section, to share his experience.

Valery is a psychologist and a career consultant with a focus on future skills and the future of jobs. He is co-founder & partner of Jobs 2030, a consultancy company focused on getting people and companies ready for the changes of work which come hand in hand with new technologies, and a cofounder of Educamp.cz platform focused on training and consultancy.

Why did you join the hackathon?

A lot of people that I know were among mentors, so it was a nice opportunity to e-meet during the COVID-19. Moreover, I see education as a key factor of the future success of people and society, unfortunately education has been underestimated for a long time.

It was my first experience of being a mentor at a student hackathon.

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During the 3 days of Hackathon I realized how good this idea is - to bring both young and experienced career professionals together and to give them three days to solve some key challenges. I see huge impact of such projects, because they bring together motivated people with a need to help practically.

During many sessions, I witnessed both good ideas and bad ideas, but that is a natural process of brainstorming and prototyping the solutions.

Most mentors agreed that this was also unique experience for them. What were your main take-aways?

Innovation can be an "almost ready" and clear product or service with a high probability to be sold or capitalized in the market. At the same time, an innovation can be an idea or a project, that needs more time and input.

Projects such as Createachers (Tvůrčitelé) has a great potential after three days of boosting, a great "shape", but it can´t be sold as the "almost ready" product.

Innovations are a process of creating something in business, culture, education and other areas, that either didn´t exist before or improving something already existing. I am grateful to help great young talents to work on their innovations.

The Czech Republic has a history of being innovative with one of the first definitions of innovation coming from Josef Alois Schumpeter, a Czech born Austrian Minister of Finance who became a famous economist and a lecturer at Harvard University.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

On women, children, missing computers and long shopping lists Heroes of Covid-19 Interview with Nora Fridrichová

PHOTO: ARCHIVE

For many, the undisputable heroes of these days are the medical doctors, nurses, social care workers and shop assistants. I would like to write about those who have been forgotten…single mothers or parents. There are about 200 000 incomplete families in the Czech Republic and most single mothers have lost employment due to the quarantine measures. Many of the single parents (both men and women) were working part-time, contract based only, so the Czech government’s compensation scheme designed for workers and entrepreneurs does not cover this vulnerable, yet specific group.

Labor offices as well as social institutions are mostly closed, so there is no access to temporary relief funds or services. Alimony from ex-spouses has stopped. Many of the single mothers live in rented flats, which is an additional stress. Then add in the pressure of uncertainty, stress from the future, missing income of the second parent and the troubles with home-schooling as well as being in lock down for most of the day. Instead of partially subsidized lunches, they cook two meals per day.

How many dishes are you able to cook for about a half euro per day? Single mothers belong to the most economically deprived group, one-half having less than 20 000 Czech crowns per month, and one-third less than 10 000 Czech crowns. Join the Single Mothers’ Facebook group, which has more than 11 000 members, to get a real picture of daily life and some inspiration. And, as the day comes to a close, recipes are mostly exchanged for solutions of algebra homework.

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One-way Czech frontal education has switched to on-line learning, and mostly it remained one-way communication only. Traditional Czech schools started to send out homework and assignments, expecting that every household is equipped with several computers, computer savvy parents and super-fast internet connection, printers and scanners included, of course. One computer per household is not enough, as most Zoom and on-line sessions run simultaneously. Ideally, each child should have their own device, which is not a standard even in many middle-class families, let alone the lowest income ones. Children from vulnerable social groups have started to lag behind their peers or were penalized for delivering homework late or for sending them via mobile not scanned (as teachers considered this cheating).

By the way, if you think that helping providing PCs is an ideal CSR activity for some popular retailers, the most popular on-line store offered to provide five (sic!) computers via its foundation, with a cumbersome paperwork process. Further, it offers a monthly lease for 300 CZK, which is a sum that single parents cannot afford.

When Tereza Vohryzková, an activist and a mother of two, started a Facebook appeal to collect computers to help single mothers and their children, I decided to help her. Let me thank all my friends who donated their old computers, those who helped with on-line advice regarding maintenance and my daughter, who became a part-time PC upgrade expert. Until I became involved, I did not imagine that delivering four upgraded devices would take me almost two weeks.

So far, Tereza has helped to distribute more than 100 notebooks, computers and printers. When I sent her a thank you note I got from a single mother, sharing that not only did I deliver the computer but I was the only one who bought Easter eggs and chocolates for her kids, Tereza remarked, “It feels sad how little people believe that someone would help them.” When asked to make an appeal regarding her experience with this charity project she continues, “I wish people would start to pay more attention to others and start asking if someone actually needs help. Many people are willing to help, they just do not know that someone, maybe a next-door neighbor or a family of their children’s classmate, is in need.”

It is true that single mothers have often been let down by their partners, families, officials, government representatives, teachers, school directors and many others. However, they do have one fervent supporter.

Nora Fridrichová, a famous Czech TV investigative journalist, is known for protecting the most vulnerable ones in the society. Her most popular reports during the Covid-19 crises dealt with single mothers and seniors. She has been supporting single mothers for more than two years. Last year, she started a collection of clothing for single mothers. Later, she managed to turn the basement of the Czech Television into a storage with winter clothes and equipment for children. Now, during the Covid-19 crisis, she is organizing shopping with delivery for single mums. Her appeal raised more than two million Czech crowns within one week. Nora herself was surprised that the appeal attracted the attention of men as, up to now, mostly women were concerned about helping women.

I had the privilege to ask Nora a few questions regarding single mothers and the current situation for the Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine.

Nora, how would you compare the situation of Czech single mothers to the other states in the EU? Financially, single parent families are not in a good position anywhere, but in the Czech Republic, single mothers easily fall into the group endangered by poverty. You have already mentioned the daily income of less than 10 000 Czech crowns. Only every fourth mother has the means to buy fruits and vegetables regularly.

I see two problems – low alimony and the lack of affordable housing. The average alimony is about 2000 Czech crowns, which is the price of one pair of quality shoes. As only one-half of single mothers owns their own housing, they are forced to spend a substantial part of income on rent. I see that most packages go to tiny villages where the rent is low. However, without a car, children are not able to participate in any afterschool activities and thus social exclusion is passed on to the next generation.

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Based on my information, there is no woman represented in the expert crisis management circle of the Czech government. Is this one of the reasons why the most vulnerable groups, such as single mothers, single parents, pregnant women or seniors were overlooked or forgotten during this pandemic?

Well, there are two women ministers in the government, Minister of Finance and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. Both could be actively engaged in this issue; in reality, help to single mothers comes as the last priority.

I personally explain it through a political pragmatism - single mothers do not represent an interesting or influential voters’ group. Only six weeks after the crisis, were some financial schemes provided for contract workers, many of them working exactly under these schemes. Instead, the government kept providing more security for

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employees, which was already at a sufficient level. It is useful to remind everyone about the upcoming elections in the fall.

You mentioned that you were quite surprised by the engagement of men in this issue. Next to finance, is there a possibility that men will continue their interest in other issues related to gender gap?

I cannot say. At least male politicians have stopped sending unwanted advice to single mothers about “finding a better partner or a sponsor”, which was the case of one politician from the Christian-Democratic party. The fact is that my fundraising for single mothers truly took off after Karel Haring, a sport journalist, supported it. I thanked him on social media, as I always do, and others started to write that they wanted to join.

Until now, I have had experience with women donors. Currently, the ratio is 50:50. It is very

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important that men began to be involved in the issue of single parents. It is proven that once an issue for a group becomes an issue for the whole society, there is a bigger will to find a permanent solution.

Covid-19 has shown many positive stories of mutual help, solidarity and assistance. Personally, I am worried about the widening of the scissors between the poor and the wealthy in our society. What are your thoughts?

Single mothers are truly strong. They can manage with so little. 1000 Czech crowns represent a big sum and they can make miracles. For me, they are the true heroes of these days and the smartest group in terms of saving and economic thinking. For example, if they have a chicken, they find ways to use every last bit. If these women were asked to think about some investments, I believe that it would be money well spent. Despite being in an economically detrimental situation, they will manage somehow. The question to ask is about the quality of life when you are permanently worried and afraid of what tomorrow may bring.

Many individuals are trying to help in many ways. Donating clothes, food, cosmetics

or even time for distance learning. Any help counts. My daughter has helped with installing upgrades on computers. She also finally cleared her room and donated a pile of clothes to a less fortunate teenage girl. My friends started to supply me with older but functioning phones, tablets and computers.

My very dear friend, and a former mentor of mine, Brigitte Lintner, an Austrian living in Prague, for more than two decades, offered English or German language lessons online to children. “Soon after the state of emergency was declared, I noticed a request published by Nora Fridrichová, asking for volunteers to run schooling sessions on TV. Since I am not a teacher and since I do not speak Czech well enough, this request did not seem to be for me. A few days later, I changed my mind. I got inspired by various volunteer activities of my friends in Ireland; I realised I could offer some English or German conversation classes for students, to make sure they don’t lose their courage and ability to speak and to bring a bit of “fun” into their days of isolation at home. I got in touch with Nora, she liked the idea, posted the news on Facebook and very quickly I had kids contacting me via various social media. They are all wonderful youngsters, at different levels, calling in from different

parts of the country. I can see that they are eager to speak, learn and try to be creative in getting their message across. They are all very brave to have the courage and talk to me as a complete stranger, in a foreign language.

Yes, I am not a teacher, nor am I a native speaker but I have tutored English for many years; for me English is the second “mother tongue”. A few days ago, I expanded the offer and now started to include English for Moms as well - let’s see how that will develop. I am ready to listen to them as well, I am ready to help them get out of their comfort zone and brighten up their days by doing something else than cooking, checking homework or worrying about things we have no influence over. I find on-line tutoring truly rewarding, I enjoy meeting these promising youngsters on-line, meeting some of the mothers and knowing I can make a difference for a few people at least - and YES, we all CAN do that!"

Any ideas how to help single mothers?

Contact us at linda.stucbartova@czechleaders.com and we will be happy to provide the connection.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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From the Summer Depository of World Classics

5. 7. – 20. 11. 2020

BRAQUE, Georges DENIS, Maurice DERAIN, André DIX, Otto FAUTRIER, Jean CHAGALL, Marc

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KIRCHNER, Ernst Ludwig LÜPERTZ, Markus MIRÓ, Joan PENCK, A. R. PICABIA, Francis PICASSO, Pablo

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I NTERVIEW WITH H. E. D OMINIK F URGLER , THE A MBASSADOR OF S WITZERLAND IN P RAGUE

Crises happen UNEXPECTEDLY The relations between the Czech Republic and Switzerland are excellent. The 1968 post-Prague Spring Czechoslovakian wave of immigration to Switzerland being one of the key reasons. More than 14 000 Czechoslovakians immigrating to the Helvetic cross country created strong interpersonal, cultural and economic bonds that are still active today. Switzerland is also in a very unique situation regarding the European Union. It is not a member country but on the other hand, it is very closely related to the EU, as it is a member of Schengen, and has more than 120 agreements with the EU, including on free movement of people, goods and services.

Switzerland was one of the countries most hit by the coronavirus pandemic if you consider per capita statistics. The Czech and Slovak Leaders Magazine wants to show solidarity by providing an interview with the Ambassador to Prague, H.E. Dominik Furgler. Additionally, as a proud alumna of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, I have always regarded Switzerland a country very close to my heart. In fact, my family was planning to spend our Easter holidays there, so I could show the Institute to my children and my science-oriented daughter was looking forward to visiting CERN. Perhaps next Easter?

As of April 26, 2020, there have been 29 000 people tested positive for coronavirus and 1 337 deaths due to Covid-19 in Switzerland.

On a positive note, Switzerland has been ranked as the 4th (out of 20) most innovative countries during the coronavirus pandemic. The Swiss’s efficient response in regard to assisting small and medium enterprises is another best practice to follow. The Swiss have also been successfully testing 16 000 people per day, which puts the rest of the often praised nations (such as South Korea which is typically given as an example) into the second-tier category. Furthermore, the testing has focused on the category of senior citizens, the extremely vulnerable group, unfortunately forgotten in many other countries, including the Czech Republic.

Our interview took place after Easter. On Tuesday, April 14, the Czech Republic had announced their exit strategy with regards to the pandemic measures and Switzerland was to announce its strategy on Thursday, April 16. We discussed how the nature of diplomatic work has changed with the Covid-19 crisis, Swiss responses to the pandemic and ‌

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Mr. Dominik Furgler received a doctorate in law and subsequently joined the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in 1985. Since then, he has held various positions, dealing with economic affairs, and bilateral and multilateral relations. He held the posts of head of missions in Egypt, the United Kingdom and since 2017 he has been serving in the Czech Republic. Ambassador Furgler is married to Mrs. Hayam Furgler and they have four children.

Mr. Ambassador, my opening question very much reflects the Covid-19 reality.

Instead of strategies, visions and future plans, I will ask a very simple, yet important question - how are you doing today?

I am spending these days like many people who have an office job that you can perform on-line.

I divide my time between home and office. Like many enterprises and embassies, we work in two teams that do not meet. Every second day I come to my office, the other day I work from my home, nevertheless following and supporting the other team closely. We need to securely provide information to the capital which is quite intense these days. During the first phase, our main business was to secure the repatriation of Swiss citizens. We were organizing this also with the help of Czech authorities. On the organized flights to Prague, there were also Swiss citizens.

Reciprocally, we organized flights to Switzerland on which we transported Czech citizens. We focused on helping people to get home and answering questions to both Swiss citizens and double nationals concerning not only travels but also other safety and security provisions. We cooperate closely with the crises center in Bern working around the clock. We had to set new priorities, since all the activities that embassies regularly organize, such as events, workshops, discussions, had to be postponed.

I presume that there is still some movement of people.

You cannot enter Switzerland at your own discretion. Strict conditions apply. In order to enter Switzerland, you need to present either a work or residence permit. Visiting for shopping or tourism is not allowed. The Czech Republic had a tough ban in the early stage of crisis and the soft opening in the middle of April created a lot of expectation from businesses. Many enterprises started asking about the possibilities of working permits.

The Czech Republic had special permits for cross border workers, but these did not apply for Swiss companies, as we are not neighboring countries.

Exceptions are still applicable for people who work for critical infrastructure. A top-level expert from a pharmaceutical company might be critically needed in the Czech Republic. Then it is up to the Czech company to deal with Czech authorities to present its case and I cannot interfere. On the other hand, if a Swiss company needs a Czech IT or nuclear energy specialist, the Czech authorities require a diplomatic note confirming that it is the case of critical infrastructure for Switzerland.

I also need to confirm that the hygiene rules, such as wearing masks and enforcing social distancing, will be in compliance with the Czech laws. If I provide such documentation, the person can return back even without entering a quarantine. This concerns visits up to 14 days.

Let me discuss with you the new nature of diplomatic work. Events and networking cancelled. The repatriation is almost over, so your main agenda has concentrated on contributing to the exchange of information regarding the Covid-19 fight or is there more to it?

Fighting the pandemic truly requires international co-operation, so closely following the exit strategies of various governments has become crucial. We are following all EU states and the EU as such, even though we are not an EU member.

I can say that with regards to the Covid-19 crisis, we are fully integrated because we are a Schengen zone member and this pandemic has a lot to deal with regarding free movement, borders, and its control and protection. Even though the cases differ from country to country, there is certainly a lot of inspiration. The fact that the mass repatriation ended does not mean that we do not have citizens in need of assistance, albeit in smaller numbers. Now, we are addressing the issue of slowly opening borders, particularly when it concerns people critically needed for the infrastructure. Many enterprises demand experts from other countries to visit and this requires our guidance and support.

Who would have guessed six weeks ago, that this administrative nature of work, very often underestimated when compared to classical diplomatic work, in form of public diplomacy, trade relations or cultural diplomacy, would gain such prominence?

From this point of view, it is the classical crisis management. This is not the first crisis for me, as I was the ambassador in Egypt during the Arab Spring. Crises happen unexpectedly. And yet, crises also happen due to accidents and terror attacks which evolve very quickly, within a couple of hours, and require immediate attention and reactions to various groups, such as the headquarters, media and families. The Covid-19 crisis was not expected, but it has evolved at a relatively slower pace. On one hand, it was easier to handle but on the other hand, it is going to last much longer.

If we are to compare and contrast the Swiss and the Czech response to the Covid-19 crisis, one major difference that Switzerland deserves to be praised for is the efficient help to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

I think the Swiss response is a very good one.

Not only with regards to the availability of the funds, but also about the rather unbureaucratic nature of processing. It took less than a week for the government to present a package helping SMEs and also big organizations. SMEs represent 99% of Swiss economy, so it is the true

In reality, only the Czech Republic and Belgium have closed their borders completely, while Switzerland kept them open.

backbone. SMEs could access money within half an hour. They went to their banks, filled in a very easy form which took less than 10 minutes and within the next 30 minutes, the bank would release the money. Up to 500 000 Swiss francs interest-free for five years, above this sum there is an interest rate 0.5%. The banks provide the money, so there is no burden on the actual state budget, with the state guarantee backing them up. The prediction of the Finance Minister is that 90% of the credits will be paid back after five years. For the rest, the state would guarantee. The overall package is about 40 bn Swiss francs. 10% of unpaid debt corresponds to 4 bn over five years, which means 800 million Swiss francs per year.

How do you think the Swiss society is responding to the situation? In the Czech Republic, we have seen entrepreneurship thriving, incredible solidarity, people sewing masks, shopping for seniors and many other activities.

Our society’s response is similar, except for the masks which are not compulsory in Switzerland.

There are many initiatives by private companies, artists, collecting funds. We have the organization called The Chain of Happiness. Whenever there is a catastrophe in the world, they collect. Within just one day, they managed to collect 25 million Swiss francs for immediate help, now they are at 35 million. Even with all the state assistance, there are always people who fall through the safety net.

Roger Federer himself donated 1 million Swiss francs for the most vulnerable families. Many activities are designed to boost the morale of the people. Last but not least, the government was very pleased with the responsible behavior of people during the Easter holidays.

Let us look forward to the post-Covid-19 period. What are the main activities and events that you will pursue?

On the political level, I truly want to secure a bilateral exchange visit of the ministers of foreign affairs. Mr. Petříček was scheduled to visit Bern on May 5. We have not had such a bilateral exchange for many years. The ministers had met during multilateral meetings. I am looking forward to securing a visit where we can more deeply explore the potential for mutual relations and further identify future projects for cooperation. Our excellent relations tend to overlook the importance of bilateral meetings simply to discuss various issues. I see many areas where the Czech Republic and Switzerland are like minded, such as the rule of international law or human rights and these could be further expanded in bilateral political cooperation.

By Linda Štucbartová české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

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INTERVIEW WITH TOMÁŠ PROUZA, PRESIDENT OF THE CZECH CONFEDERATION OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM AND VICEPRESIDENT OF EUROCOMMERCE

Tomáš Prouza

graduated in economics, diplomacy and journalism. As a journalist, he founded the largest financial server Penize.cz.

In 2004-2006, he was a Deputy Minister of Finance, responsible for fiscal policy, financial services, European and foreign relations. At that time, he was also responsible for Euro introduction in the Czech Republic. After his engagement at the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, he worked in the banking sector and as an expert of the World Bank. From February 2014 to March 2017, he was the State Secretary for the EU, while also holding the position of coordinator of the digital agenda of the Czech Republic. In 2016, he was awarded the highest French state award - the Order of the Legion of Honour - for his tireless work in favour of the European project. He has been President of the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism since October 2018, and in 2019 he was elected to the Board of Directors of EuroCommerce as one of its Vice Presidents.

Your confederation represents big retail and wholesale companies as well as SMEs in the Horeca sector. While some are doing quite well these days, the others are very much suffering from the COVID-19 crisis.

What measures should be taken in order to save tourism?

It's not only tourism that needs saving. After a slight jump of about 4% in food sales in March due to stockpiling, April has already seen a drop compared to April 2019, not to mention plummeting revenues of non-food retailers as high as minus 81% of clothing retailers.

Restaurants also keep fighting significantly lower revenues even though many managed to jump on the home delivery train rather quickly.

And it seems that even after the restaurants are officially open again, many Czechs still stick to delivery. The hotel industry has seen the hardest hit as the borders closed and the domestic travel has not picked up yet. The favorite tourism hotspots for Czechs will do well enough in the summer but destinations dependent on foreigners are currently seeing booking rates of 2-18% for the summer. There are two seemingly simple things that could be done to stimulate

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We have had TOO MANY Le Pens and NO Macron demand and save the tourism sector – build confidence and have smart government. How can you convince people to spend on summer holidays when the government keep saying a next covid wave is coming? Several countries have introduced vouchers as a financial incentive for their citizens to travel – while the Czech government paid only lip service to such a simple and fiscally effective incentive to jumpstart domestic tourism while negotiating a travel corridor for Czechs to Croatia, a favorite summer destination.

What can be done at EU level?

First of all, we need coordinated border opening, both for the internal and external borders. We should also look for ways to make travel to the EU easier for people from third countries that need visas. Secondly, the European Commission should push preparation for a possible next wave (or another pandemic) – we should understand what worked and what was unnecessary. Was it really necessary to close down shops or would face masks be enough? Was it really helpful to close even internal borders or was it rather a political gimmick for domestic audiences?

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And thirdly, the Commission must quickly and decisively put down its foot on all the new protectionist measures member states have dreamed up in the last three months.

Is there anything appealing for retailers and Horeca sector in the new MFF and EU recovery instrument?

Anything that will help restore people's confidence is appealing – and the recovery plan seems to be on track to target the most important areas. However, we see some member states jumping on the "Us first" bandwagon, failing to see that there is no prosperity if some member states are left without help. More specifically in the context of the Czech Republic with its low unemployment and healthy public finances I appreciate the push for green investments and modernization of the European economy. My country is the most industrialized EU economy and the push for its greening will be painful in the short term – but it would be stupid to undergo the pain now when there is (financial) help available. If we postpone the changes, they will hurt more later and endanger our industry that will no longer be competitive.

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The crisis pushed many shops to go online overnight. Do you have any fresh numbers for the Czech Republic in this respect?

Czechs always loved shopping online and have been among European e-commerce leaders even before the crisis. The last three months have seen further significant e-commerce inroads not only among retailers but also for restaurants or for the online sale of tickets for tourist attractions. Retail sales in April, the first full lockdown month, dropped by 11% while the online sales grew by 48%! Food delivery services have seen year-on-year increases of over 100. More importantly, e-commerce and digitalization have finally become the priority throughout the economy. Projects that would take a year or more for corporations to plan, approve and roll out have been completed in days or a few weeks. And if the corporations manage to keep this flexible approach, we will see more and more e-commerce services very soon, partly driven by changed consumer behavior as shoppers now prefer to avoid physical shopping or at least limit their store visits to a minimum.

In some countries, such as France or Belgium, people preferred organic and local food during the lockdown, even though these articles are a bit more expensive than others. Did you record the same trend in the Czech Republic?

We definitely did, especially as schools were closed and many families had to cook lunches at home seven days a week. It has focused their attention on what they eat. And all the discussions about risk factors such as obesity focused people's attention to their eating habits hopefully more effectively than the usual New Year's resolutions.

What is the driving force of the Czech government to set up the mandatory introduction of 85 % of Czech food in

stores when people are not ready to pay more?

This proposal, heavily lobbied by the largest domestic agricultural and food production conglomerates, had a simple goal – give the current government a pretext for increasing domestic agricultural subsidies. They know that the Commission would have to step in and sue the Czech Republic for breaching the single market rules – but it would take time and once the subsidies are paid out they will never be recollected. The government already tested this plan in late March when it sent over 166 mil. euro (4.3 bln CZK) to the largest agricultural and food producing groups to support selfsufficiency as an anti-pandemic measure.

What kind of alternative measures could be taken to incentive people to buy local food?

First of all, it must be competitive. People are willing to pay more for truly local food as very successful farmers markets throughout the country show. They are willing to pay more for bio quality or "food with a story". But food produced by large Czech food producers must be competitive with imported products – and it often isn't. It is cheaper to import German butter, Dutch cheese, meet from Poland, etc.

So it would make sense to focus on two areas: support the local producers to improve the volume of their production. And help the larger farmers and food producers to become competitive.

Is the dual quality still a problem?

Not really – many producers changed their recipes to avoid the problem. Most large retailers have been pushing for this change, demanding guarantees from the international producers that they do not split the European single market into areas of different quality.

We have also managed to work with the European Commission on these territorial

supply constraints and the internal market and competition units of the Commission take these attempts of large producers to divide the EU market to unfairly profit from the lack of competition very seriously.

How do you perceive the new farm to fork strategy?

I really like the idea and it hits many targets very well. But as with anything negotiated by the member states we will see watering down the proposals as some of the reforms would be very painful. However, Europe has always been the leader in food safety and food quality – and we should find courage to push further, especially as we see the impact of bad eating habits on the health of too many Europeans.

You are a tireless supporter of the euro and EU integration which is pretty logic for someone coming from an open mid-size economy oriented to exports, placed in the heart of Europe. How can you explain the negative perception of Europe by Czechs who are benefiting so much from their EU membership?

The Czech Republic has been among the top countries profiting from European integration and will continue to profit significantly even after we become a net payer into the EU budget. And we should be proud we managed to move from the recipient group of countries into the group of the richer countries.

However, we always had an abundance of EU-bashing senior politicians and nobody courageous enough to defend Europe. In other words, we have had too many Le Pens and no Macron.

Thank you!

By Alena Mastantuono české znění naleznete v elektronické verzi magazínu na www.czechleaders.com

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EU

MATTERS BUSINESS

Let´s talk numbers!

Emissions of sectors covered

by EU ETS down by 8.7% in 2019 The European Commission has published data on the greenhouse gas emissions of all entities covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which show that last year these entities produced 8.7% less emissions than in 2018. Emissions in industry decreased by 2% year-on-year.

A more significant decrease in emissions was observed in the electricity generation sector, where the transition from coal to renewable energy sources managed to reduce emissions by 15%. In the aviation sector, on the other hand, emissions increased slightly, by 1%. According to the Commission, the EU ETS will be an increasingly important tool for meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal in the future.

Electricity prices up by 1.3% last year According to Eurostat, in the second half of 2019, compared to the second half of 2018, electricity prices for households in the EU increased by 1.3%. 100 kWh of electricity was sold for an average of 21.6 euros. However, the differences between Member States were significant.

While in Bulgaria 100 kWh was sold for 10 euros, in Denmark, Belgium and Germany it was for 30 euros. Gas prices increased by 1.7% over the same period, with 100 kWh sold for an average of 7.2 euros. Gas prices ranged from 4 euros in Romania, Hungary and Latvia to 12 euros in Sweden.

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In the world!

EU intensified trade defence in 2019 The European Commission issued a report on the effectiveness of trade defence instruments in 2019, which shows that the measures in place have led to an 80% reduction in unfair imports. The Commission launched 16 investigations in 2019 (compared with 10 in 2018) and introduced 12 new anti-dumping measures (6 in 2018). In addition, it carried out a further 18 investigations related to the expiry of the anti-dumping measures. A total of 140 trade defence measures were in place at the end of last year. According to the report, around 23,000 jobs in the EU that were threatened by unfair imports were protected last year.

WTO Appellate Body successor begins to operate The “Multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement” (MPIA) has become operational at the end of April, replacing the currently paralysed Appellate Body within the World Trade Organization (WTO). It will be available to any WTO member that decides to join and apart from the EU Member States, 15 other countries decided to do so until now. 10 arbitrators to judge disputes under this new system need to be selected now, which should take about 3 months. As soon as the WTO Appellate Body resumes to be functional, this temporary system will cease to operate.

EU-Mexico trade deal negotiations concluded At the end of April, the European Commission agreed with Mexico on a new bilateral trade agreement, as it resolved the issue of access to public procurement markets with the Mexican side, which was the last key point to be negotiated. Under the new agreement, virtually no tariffs will be

CZECH&SLOVAK LEADERS II/2020

imposed on goods. In addition, the agreement contains chapters on sustainable development, such as the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement commitments, investor protection measures or measures to simplify customs procedures.

After the process of legal scrubbing, the text of the deal will be translated into all official EU languages and submitted to the Council and the European Parliament for final approval and signature.

EU supports global food supply chains EU Member States and 21 other members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) signed a joint statement in support of maintaining open and predictable world trade in food and agricultural products.

States have committed themselves to supporting the functioning of supply chains in order to prevent the negative effects of current measures against the spread of coronavirus on food security. In addition, the signatories call for the development of targeted, temporary and transparent measures to support global supply chains that comply with WTO rules.

EU-Vietnam trade deal finalized At the end of March, the Council adopted a decision on the conclusion of an EUVietnam free trade agreement, the last step on the part of the EU in order for the agreement to enter into force. However, the ratification process still needs to be completed by the Vietnamese party, and the agreement is expected to enter into force in summer 2020. The EU has also negotiated an investment protection agreement with Vietnam, signed in June 2019.

In order for it to enter into force, ratification by all EU Member States is required.

Brought by CEBRE – Czech Business Representation to the EU

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