Two views, one worldWhat do the Czech and Austrian Speakers of Parliaments agree on?

Wolfgang Sobotka and Radek Vondráček have a lot in common. Both have been Speakers of the Parliaments of their countries since autumn 2017, but both also have similar values in life and love music. TRADE NEWS brings you an exclusive interview with the two gentlemen.

You have both been Speakers of the Parliaments of your countries since the autumn of 2017. What do you see as your greatest achievements so far? Is there anything that needs more improvement?

WS: One of the main goals of the Austrian Parliament is to fight anti-Semitism in our country. It is mainly about raising the awareness among the young generation. We also want to integrate young people who came to us from countries where anti-Semitism is part of the state doctrine. We must make it clear to these people that, as in the case of equality between men and women, there is a clear commitment of Austria to stand up against any form of anti-Semitism. That is why we have introduced the Simon Wiesenthal Prize, we are building the Shoah Wall of Names and hold regular debates as a parliament. What I am particularly proud of is that all European countries’ parliaments will take part in the Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January 2022, also thanks to our initiative. I am also happy that have been able to offer the proven Democracy Workshops to the parliaments of Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Northern Macedonia and also Slovakia.

RV: In the pandemic, our parliament has been put to the test of whether we can maintain parliamentary democracy under these extreme condition, and I think we have succeeded. We have also kept in touch with our neighbours and the EU through videoconferencing. If we had not had systematically built these good relationships before, it would have been difficult to establish them through video calls. I also find it a success that the Czech Parliament has established many close ties with non-European counterparts during my presidency. We have fantastic relations with the US Congress: its Speaker visited our country to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia. At the highest level, we have also visited Japan, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Saudi Arabia with other Czech MPs. A special moment was the audience with Pope Francis on the occasion of the Saint Cyril and Methodius anniversary. Our Parliament has also received many foreign delegations. One country with which the Czech Republic has special relations is Israel. We have supported the Czech government throughout the process of setting up a strategic partnership, we have also supported Israel in the difficult international situation and we have vouched for Jerusalem to become the country’s capital.

When I assumed my office, I made a resolution to enforce anti-corruption measures in particular and to make the Chamber of Deputies more efficient so that we manage to discuss all proposals we receive. I have only been partly successful. We have streamlined the negotiation process on both domestic and international initiatives. I have helped push through the anti-corruption law on the registration of beneficial owners, the Nomination Act, which will make the selection process of managers in state enterprises more transparent, the amendment to the Act on Register of Contracts, amendment to the Act on Free Access to Information, amendments to distress regulations and many more. However, not everything is ready yet. For example, we have not yet reached a vote on the key Act on Lobbying, to which I have devoted a lot of time. I also think that it will be up to the new MPs to discuss a very important amendment to the Rules of Procedure that I have prepared. The same goes for the MP’s code of ethics that I have drafted but the existing MPs were clearly not interested.

What do you think is typical of Central European identity?

WS: As in many other parts of the world, history is a defining element of our Central European identity. Sometimes it is perceived as divisive, but fortunately often also as unifying. Living in a common monarchy, the disintegration of this monarchy, the emergence of new states and the desire to live in a common Europe are just some of the examples that highlight our identity. Also, the division of Europe until the fall of the Iron Curtain definitely continues to be a topic that has had many more specific consequences for Central Europe and still has an impact today.

RV: We share a common geographical area in the middle of Europe and, more than with other nations, a common history, lifestyle and cultural identity. We have also lived on different sides of the Iron Curtain, so we know how easy it can be to lose freedom and how difficult it is to win it back. The division of Europe is not distant history: we are trying to overcome its consequences to this day. To me, respect for freedom and the hard-won democracy are the most important elements of Central European identity. It also encompasses mutual solidarity between neighbours, which we must systematically cultivate.

What do Austria and the Czech Republic have in common? How do they differ?

WS: In my experience, such comparisons are very often burdened with clichés and the perspective of one or the other nation. We should take it as normal for neighbour countries to have different views on certain issues. We should not worry about that.

What unites us? As medium-sized landlocked countries, we both have enormous benefit from our EU membership. We are aware of the history of our bilateral relations with all their ups and downs, and we are able and willing to have a factual debate about it. That is why I was particularly pleased that in 2019 we managed to publish a joint Austrian-Czech book of history. We can thus look into our common history for the first time. In addition, as modern parliamentary democracies, we can use our EU membership as a framework on which we can discuss political ideas and topics intensively in order to try to reach an agreement. EU membership also represents an economic opportunity to ensure the prosperity of our people and to guarantee them a quality of life that was unimaginable a few decades ago.

RV: Today we are two very friendly countries that boast intense, good neighbour relations at all levels. On both sides of the border, we can see a common heritage and a common future at every turn. A great deed was the joint book of history initiated by both our governments. It shows where we have a common view and where it is necessary to understand the past from the other country’s perspective. I have visited Austria many times, not just Vienna. I keep in touch with Czech expats who live there and who represent a bridge between the two countries and cultures. The Sokol movement, the Comenius School in Vienna and other associations and clubs reflect the great tradition of a common national partnership. Also, Austrian German is a little closer to Czech: for example, words like Palatschinken, Zwetschken or Ribisel do not need any further explanation.

What is the biggest contribution of initiatives such as the Visegrad Group (V4) or Slavkov Cooperation (S3) to the future of the EU and international cooperation?

WS: The parliamentary dimension of the Slavkov Initiative brings great value to neighbour relations and cooperation. Meetings at the level of Speakers of Parliaments allow for an exchange of views on topics that require a specific discussion at that level. But what is even more important for me is the opportunity to discuss crucial broad topics such as progress in digitisation, EU enlargement issues and evolution of parliamentarianism.

RV: The Visegrad cooperation has been here for three decades and we are constantly improving its parliamentary dimension. It was my initiative to create a parliamentary dimension of the Austerlitz format with Slovakia and Austria. My goal was to involve Austria in our political Central European debate. I organised the first meeting of the Slavkov Group in the autumn of 2018 in Kroměříž, a town with a special place in the history of Central European parliamentarism thanks to the Kroměříž Assembly.

Let's look for what unites us.

Both of you love music and are active musicians. Mr. Sobotka studied cello, music education and conducting, while Mr. Vondráček sings and plays various string instruments. What are you most proud of in this regard?

WS: Music has accompanied me all my life and is one of my biggest hobbies. I regularly conduct the Waidhofen Chamber Orchestra on a volunteer basis. I had the honour of conducting a number of well-known orchestras. Among other things, I have recorded Mozart’s Little Night Music with Cappella Istropolitana. In 2017, this recording was chosen as the soundtrack to the Austrian film Wild Mouse / Wilde Maus. I must admit that I am proud of this.

RV: I have loved music since I was young. My passion is traditional folk music. Whenever I have the time and opportunity, I like to sing or play the guitar. I am a typical Moravian (laughs). An unforgettable experience for me was the gala evening commemorating the Velvet Revolution’s 30th anniversary. I invited my colleagues from V4 to Prague and I had the opportunity to sing on stage of the Hybernia Theatre with the amazing Jožka Šmukař. I also recall the S3 summit in my hometown of Kroměříž, when my friends Wolfgang Sobotka, Andrej Danko and I enjoyed a concert in the beautiful premises of the Kroměříž Castle.

Mr. Sobotka and Mr. Vondráček were interviewed by Jana Jenšíková

Photos: Archive of Czech Parlament

The full article can be found in the printed version of TRADE NEWS 4/2021 on pages 86-88.