ialogue Diplomatica: Est-ce que la réalisation de ce rêve n’a pas d’impact sur votre vie familiale? Autrement dit, comment conciliez-vous vie professionnel et vie familiale? S.E.Mme Michaela Fronkova: Le métier de diplomate est très intéressant. Il nous permet de connaître beaucoup de pays et de Peuples, et de travailler pour les intérêts de son Etat. Mais il exige en même temps beaucoup de sacrifices, notamment au niveau de la vie familiale. Heureusement, pour moi, mes enfants sont maintenant grands. Mon mari gère ses propres affaires à Prague. Nous nous sommes habitués à ce mode de vie, à distance, et avons réussi à en trouver l’équilibre. Nous communiquons via internet. Pour nous voir, nous nous sommes mis d’accord de nous rendre visite, à tour de rôle, toutes les quatre à six semaines. Nous essayons de trouver un mode vie qui nous permet de bien faire notre travail, tout en sauvegardant notre vie de couple. Diplomatica : En dehors de vos occupations professionnelles, quel est votre passe-temps préféré? S.E.Mme Michaela Fronkova : Sans aucun doute, ce sont les activités physiques, telles que l’équitation, le cyclisme. Notre travail exige une disponibilité continue, également sur le plan intellectuel. Les activités physiques me permettent d’assurer l’équilibre dans ma vie. Diplomatica : Quel a été votre première sensation lorsque vous avez foulé le sol marocain ? S.E.Mme Michaela Fronkova : Je suis une personne de premiers sentiments, de premières émotions. Sur la route qui me menait, de l’aéroport à ma résidence, j’ai senti une sorte de parfum magnifique qui se dégageait. Un air tellement agréable, et si différent de celui que j’avais l’habitude de respirer en Europe et au Canada. Et là, je me suis dite : «écoute, cela va très bien se passer !»
be active in these areas, but also increase the number of our companies, mainly in manufacturing industries, particularly production lines derived from phosphates. For our part, we would like to increase our exports of cars to Morocco. Our national «Skoda», very famous in Europe, can certainly find an important place in the Moroccan market. Diplomatica: Excellency, let us talk now about your personal career. Can you briefly talk to us about this? H.E.Mrs. Michaela Fronkova: Morocco is the first country where I held the position of Ambassador. I presented my credentials to His Majesty the King, on April 2. Four months earlier, I was in Canada, where I was interested in issues related to the relationship between Canada and the European Union. Previously, I was assigned, for one year, in Paris, to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs as exchange diplomat. This, after serving at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the French capital. As for my first post, occupied as a public servant in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was in 1999. It was at the time of the first Finnish Presidency of the European Union, which I covered for my country for six months. Diplomatica: You are physiotherapist. Tell us about your transition to diplomacy? H.E.Mrs. Michaela Fronkova: My childhood dream was to be diplomat. But it was impossible to achieve it before 1989. So I turned to science. After my PhD, in 1988, I began to practice as a physiotherapist, while thinking about my childhood dream. Thus I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as I got the first opportunity. So it was both the end and the beginning of my dream! Diplomatica: Does the realization of this dream have any impact on your family life? In other words, how do you balance professional life and family life? H.E.Mrs. Michaela Fronkova: The diplomatic career is very interesting. It allows us to know a lot of countries and peoples, and to work for the interests of one’s State. But at the same time it requires many sacrifices, especially in terms of family life. Fortunately, for me, my children are now grown. My husband runs his own business in Prague. We got used to this lifestyle, remotely, and managed to find balance. We communicate via the internet. For us, we agreed to visit each other, in turn, every four to six weeks. We try to find a lifestyle that allows us to do our jobs, while safeguarding our marriage. Diplomatica: What was your feeling when you first set foot in Morocco? H.E.Mrs. Michaela Fronkova: I am a person of first feelings, first emotions. On the road that led me from the airport to my residence, I felt a kind of magnificent scent in the air. An air so nice and so different from the one I used to breathe in Europe and Canada. And then I said: «Listen, things will be going very well»!
84 Numéro 48 - 2012