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Interview for the Valdai Discussion Club website

English Pages, 25. 1. 2017

President Klaus, last week you said in a TV interview that the roots of the migration crisis, which has hit Europe, should be looked for in the Western policies toward the Middle East over the past years. Why do you think Europe failed to adequately estimate the dangers of the Arab Spring?

No, I didn´t say that. I strictly differentiate between the supply side and the demand side of migration. The intentional (not underestimated) European and especially American “export of democracy” to the Arab world destabilized the Middle East. It created not a migration, but “only” a migration reservoir. Mass migration itself was made possible by the demand for it, which came from Europe.

What stood behind Germany’s “Refugees Welcome” policy in 2015? To what extent was it driven by values and by the desire to change the country’s population dynamics in order to have more young and skilled workforce? Has the policy paid for itself?

Behind Germany´s (and the whole Western Europe´s) policies stand the irrational ideologies of multiculturalism, of europeism, of humanrightism supplemented by plans to create a new European society and a new European man. The European political elites consider the migrants a perfect instrument for it, for liquidating the European society as we know it.

Demographic problems or labour-force problems are irrelevant in this respect.

Why do Western European societies choose to downplay connection between migration and rise in Islamic radicalism. Where will this lead Europe?

“European societies” didn´t do this. It was done by European elites, by the European political establishment. Ordinary people would never do such a mistake. European political elites are more interested in dismantling nation-states in Europe than in fighting terrorism. Mass migration, not terrorism, will destroy Europe.

Will the Central European countries, like the Czech Republic, be able to contribute to reshaping the European vision of mass migration or will they have to surrender to the dominant narrative promoted by Germany?

Small European countries lost – because of the Lisbon Treaty – any significant role in Europe. Due to it, we live in a post-democratic Europe now. And I am sorry to say that many politicians in Central Europe – not only in Western Europe – enjoy such a post-democratic state of affairs.

Václav Klaus, January 25, 2017.