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7/1/1990 - Czechoslovakis’s Return to Europe: A Rocky Road. by Dagmar Obereigner

WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTE OFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS DO Pod Drinopolem O0 Praha Czechoslovakia Tel July CZECHOSLOVAKIA S RETURN TO EUROPE A ROCKY ROAD Peter Bird Martin Institute Current World Affairs W Wheelock St Hanover N H 03755 Dear Peter friends Post Velvet Revolution Czechoslovakia embarked leaders promotional posters happily Return Europe It appears journey smooth It going years damage Jaroslav Kloubek taking another cigarette maneuvering Skoda compact around pothole The fixed brakes Czech automobile squeaked loudly The plumber spewing buses around traffic midday Friday Prague residents their weekend cottages The pollution stung No catalytic converters I smelled burning somew familiar smell In winter overpowering The Kloubek blames country troubles Communists whose years power wreaked havoc Czechoslovakia economy environment spirit This Big Brother domination finally ended wiped velvet cloth thousands Czechoslovaks peacefully streets Enough A changed To visitor remembering Czechoslovakia repressed closed society changes dramatic Dagma Obereigner institute Fellow studying Political social change Eastern Europe focus Czechoslovakia Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young adults outside United States write about international areas issues Endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals founda tions In Prague books political figures writers until recently banned imprisoned prominently displayed state owned bookstores Next stands selling melons tables offering editions works emigre authors No faded samizdat anymore Conspicuous absence omnipresent Soviet flags haughty socialist slogans praised value state party Prague albeit dirty dusty disrepair Golden City treasure trove lovers history architecture Tourists clutching backpacks cobblestones Old Town Prague watch street musicians puppeteers On Charles Bridge young people speaking cornucopia languages statues saints songs Czech English On recent balmy Friday Vltava River swans napping below under nearly played Pink Floyd rebel anthem The Wall On The street tough lyrics We education thought control brought throat softly young voices bridge revolution Prague Last Velvet Revolution students actors dissident writers playing roles captivated cynical observers toppled totalitarian regime elected often jailed playwright president Remnants Cinderella story still A living memorial revolution struggle freedom St Wenceslaus Square center modern Prague several government protests There majestic statue Bohemia patron saint horse tourists pictures island filled flowers Czechoslovak flags surrounding photos martyrs Jan Palach student immolated himself January protest Soviet invasion Th display ringed melted hundreds candles people Prague constant support during tense weeks revolution Wide visitors still expectantly nearby headquarters Civic Forum umbrella group activists dissident President Vaclav Havel mobilized nation captured majority seats Parliament spring Campaign posters featuring Havel picture still country Cartoon Vaclav Svenna SKRT magazine June Havel remains powerful symbol Czechoslovakian people hesitate criticize They still sport Havel buttons pictures homes offices buses windows But Havel mania abated Some weary idealism direction pragmatism action They happy Civic Forum members former Communists The revolution oldrums brought higher prices crime government still search identity ability People Kloubek drove through Prague apartment burglarized The victims which ripped crowbar standing hinges The saying Retirees We nothing pragmatic about state their republic But others starting grumble despair Some nostalgic about under Communists saying better Hardly anyone mentions basic freedoms revolution brought People secret police They travel They about anywhere Europe without They access newspapers magazines world They Cable News Network The removal sinister security blanket totalitarianism means people worry about security making about whether transition market economy That seems daunting sometimes overwhelms Many possible Communists return power during elections before They could capitalize people confusion disillusionment hardships accompany economic reform We going difficult economic problems predicted Ludek Miller computer programmer I afraid because government elected years years benefits economic reform They acting constructively government sociologist Lubomir Brokl revolutionary Communist Party But setting advantage havoc It So travel Where You speak French anyway Brokl February returned about others Sociological Institute Czechoslovak Academy Sciences after Soviet takeover Communists tried again there would civil It children generation overthrew And would fight Right civil something discussed afternoon coffee summer cottages Most country including Parliament vacation Many people virtually their summer homes coming collect supplies Apartment houses opportunity water Many offices either answer their phones staffed morning Many those report morale productivity higher before revolution In people because uncertainty times In shops still greeted often disinterest rudeness Looking basic consumer goods continues tiring consuming chance Most eating establishments saying booked solid reservations though remain empty When I friend Prague Greek restaurant recently I greeted across As surly waiter manning spotted shook indicate there possibility getting We admitted quickly indeed reservation The waiter served other couples entire evening The unused place settings perfectly place framed photo Havel looking The Czechoslovaks We forgotten Indeed Communist controlled years breed disincentive Extra effort productivity rewarded discouraged It appears Czechoslovaks endure familiar routine lines shortages basic consumer goods service sector seems understand meaning until governing private enterprise change until entrepreneurism rewarded security people performance Today would entrepreneurs still boggling bureaucracy shortages materials office space nonconvertible currency Foreign businesspeople forays Czechoslovakia often leave frustration without contract It possible people hoped believed revolution somehow would transform Czechoslovakia overnight prosperous Western style democracy Instead month their first taste rebuild their country The first visible toward economic reform Monday July major overhaul prices An estimated prices affected Virtually percent The price changes designed eliminate annual subsidy about billion Czechoslovak crowns which resulted abnormally prices items reflect costs The government funneling subsidy amount people monthly payments crowns country million inhabitants The government payments should responsible spending Officials money windfall families several children That perhaps price infant formula doubled criticized price because young families Many Czechoslovaks dismiss discussion crown payment impatient They saying absurdly crowns amounts about hours wages average person although course government anything Food price increase remained topic conversation nearly month The Czechs their portly When there trouble Czechoslovaks affair cultural reasons because other diversions After Soviet invasion country standard living remained relatively their stomachs people reward their silence acquiescence The before price increase people began stocking They bought butter price kilogram rising crowns crowns Sugar crowns I0 crowns disappeared store shelves By July shelves The shelves restocked Some items remain short supply compared other East European countries Czechoslovaks In economists Czechoslovakia better chance neighbors making relatively smooth transition market economy But people often think relative terms compare themselves Romanians Bulgarians Poles Czechoslovak consumers warning about their pocketbooks On Tuesday July federal Finance Minister Vaclav Klaus Economics Minister Vladimir Dlouhy announced Thursday July prices would percent crowns crowns liter The chief reason imports crude Soviet Union expectation further problems there coupled trouble domestic production Czechoslovaks planning vacations Austria Germany their country houses began lining pumps before Wednesday price increase could their tanks At afternoon Thursday first higher prices snaked around corner Benzina station Prague The young waited shorter Some people behind slumped their steering wheels napping Children windows bored It government fault Natasa Kasalova about reading newspaper beside husband Miroslav We believe government We agree price increases outlook better Her husband lawyer speaks languages Czechoslovak Academy Sciences presidium until retirement income crowns month But couple worried So Mrs Kasalova brightly Czech Prime Minister Petr Pithart later expressed disappointment lines assured people country enough He noted West money although understood Czechoslovaks their reasons doing things their still worth anything He might taken Parliament making statement The Parliament elected June several weeks country spent great grandstanding voted itself monthly salaries crowns before recessing summer The representatives monthly salaries amount about annual salary average person country exactly leading example country tighten collective months Czechoslovakia moves toward convertible currency other economic reform I wondered students front lines revolution think I found vacation studying working abroad And iunderstandably power struggles ideological differences split their ranks Martin Vacek editorial staff independent student paper S tudentske Listy product revolution affiliated independent daily Lidove Noviny predicts student activism revive But doesn extent Now everyone talks about waiting three hours wants journalist after graduates Charles University Prague He worried people would afford newspapers usually crown issue quite inexpensive typical crowns prices newsprint everything I choose between extra slice salami newspaper which choose Vacek worried people publications magazines substance And worried would because other media other activities compete their attention I realized start initial concerns Western urnalists struggle every I tried encouraging Of course people continue Yes probably different things But least choose After Vacek I goodbye I headed department store blocks continuing Quixotic search shower curtain I bumped people longest I country known lines I followed around corner It stopped front bookstore When I asked people waiting Black Barons parody military banned since 1960s A I smiled walked thinking Martin Vacek All Dagmar Received Hanover