President of Czech Republic Gives Brunel Lecture

European ambassadors rubbed shoulders with students at the lecture by Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, at Brunel University, in Uxbridge, last week [Oct 20].

It was one of the first public talks in Britain by President Klaus - who was in the UK for a three-day visit - about the problems of being a new member state of the European Union, after having been under Communist rule for the second-half of the 20 th century.

The Czech Republic is one of 10 new countries which joined the EU on 1 May. The others are Malta, Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia and Latvia.

The Brunel Autumn lecture, entitled   "Problems of Freedom and Democracy in the EUropean Context" was attended by more than 300 people including ambassadors from other new European Union states, and local mayors, Brunel University staff and students.

President Klaus expressed "serious concerns" about the implementation of freedom and democracy within the European Union and "the growing pressure to place individual rights and responsibilities below and behind group rights and entitlements."

He also discussed how freedom can   weaken   "attempts to suppress the role of nation-states and to internationalise public issues and public choice." He spoke of "the ideology of Europeanism," a concept, which he said, had become influential without our expressed consent.

President Klaus, who has written more than 20 books on social, political and economic subjects, also received an honorary doctorate in Social Sciences from Brunel University Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Wakeham, in recognition of his outstanding service to the international community.

Guests who attended the lecture included: His Excellency Mr Stefan Fule, Ambassador of the Czech Republic; His Excellency Mr Akin Alptuna, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey; His Excellency Mr Zbigniew Matuszewski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland; His Excellency Mr Josko Paro, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia; Dr Lachezar Matev, Deputy Ambassador and Head of the Political Department of the Republic of Bulgaria and representatives from the Hungarian Embassy, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, the Embassy of Romania, the Embassy of Ireland, and the Federal Republic of Germany.

Other guests included Lord Shahin Mounir, Vice President of the Arab Academy of Science and Technology; Group Captain Paul J. Hughesdon, of Headquarters Strike Command, at RAF High Wycombe; Group Captain R. Harding, from RAF Uxbridge, the Mayor and Mayoress of Hillingdon, Cller David Payne and Mrs Patricia Anne Payne; and the Mayor and Mayoress of Ealing, Cller Ian Potts and Mrs Hilary Potts.

Notes to Editors

Photo: His Excellency Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, who received an honorary doctorate at Brunel University