Hlavní strana » Knihy » Václav Klaus: In Defence of…

Václav Klaus: In Defence of Normalcy

Knihy, 14. 4. 2025

This small book, a collection of articles and speeches, is a follow-up to a similar book of mine, published at the beginning of 2023 under the title “Brave New West: Is It Avoidable?” by the Václav Klaus Institute in Prague. While the first book included texts written mostly in 2021-2022 (and was therefore heavily influenced by the bizarre atmosphere of the Covid era), this publication covers the years 2023-24 and the first months of 2025. As a result, its main topics include the Ukraine war, the Green Deal, and, in recent months, Donald Trump’s election victory.

Its title, “In Defence of Normalcy”, reflects my overall scepticism as regards the possibility of an easy or quick return to freedom, free markets, and democracy, and traditional conservative values.

The title of the first book reminds us of Aldous Huxley’s famous book and discusses “the fate of the West”, which I followed with great pessimism. The second book, on the contrary, ends with Donald Trump and his radical entry into office. He continues to surprise us every day – attacking many long-standing habits and traditions, challenging globalism and globalistic institutions, and the almost sacred ideas of progressivist and woke doctrines. In recent days, he has moved beyond mere rhetoric as regards the Ukraine war.

In a few weeks, he has already succeeded in changing the world. It is up to us not to waste the unique opportunity offered to us by his victory. In the preface to the first book, I stressed that we must stop being silent. We must be more active, more open and more courageous. Donald Trump serves as a great source of inspiration. I hope that reading this book will inspire some readers to look at the world in the same way, or at least motivate others to look at it from a slightly different perspective.

Václav Klaus, March 13, 2025