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Velvet Revolutions: Heaven and Hell

Velvet Revolutions: Heaven and Hell
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One-year anniversary of the revolt in Ukraine dubbed as the EuroMaidan Revolution coincided with 25-th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia that ended four decades of communist rule and triggered the process of political change in Eastern Europe.

The two dates sparked new debate on the role of the popular uprisings in the history of post-communist world, which some see as a solution while other describe as disaster.

Studio guest Ernest Sultanov, expert from MIR-initiative, independent think-tank from Moscow, Anatoly Gromyko, scholar, prominent author and the son of the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, Michal Mocek, Political observer of Pravo newspaper, Prague, and Pavel Novotný, Editor of Slovak main economic newspaper Hospodárske noviny, Bratislava, shared their opinions with Radio Sputnik.

Where is Ukraine now, one year after the EuroMaidan events?

Ernest Sultanov: Still missing the compromise. We unfortunately have the bad situation on the ground there. We have the superpowers struggling to have influence on the ground, but we have to find a compromise. That is what happened in Italy and that should happen in Ukraine.

What is the reason for colour revolutions around the world, especially in the Eastern Europe?

Anatoly Gromyko: In my humble opinion they were and still are unwise. They remind of a blinker that often shows you the wrong way to follow in the international relations. Mr. Havel was a noble man. His dreams partially came true. But, at the same time, what the results are? The result is a simple one – Czechoslovakia does not exist as a state. One may like or dislike such turn of events, but the disintegration of any country is wrong and dangerous, in my opinion as a scholar of international relations.

The Soviet Union also disintegrated due to the actions of the Russian Havels. It is a wishful thinking that revolutions and wars will lead us to peace and prosperity, on the contrary. They do great harm to humanity. They disbalance the international relations, undermine the possibilities of cooperation and trade between the countries.

As all of us know, the 20th century was an era of revolutions and of many wars, including the two world wars. They lead to huge losses of human life and material wealth. So, let’s not make the same mistakes and by all means avoid a new war.

The civil war in Ukraine is very dangerous and one shouldn’t use it for the geopolitical reasons. Kiev nowadays uses the brutal military force against the people of Donbas and we must, especially the scholars of international relations and politicians and diplomats, we must use all the potential of the international law to avoid the danger of sliding into an uncertain situation which may then get out of hand.

I'm really afraid that this situation may get out of hand, as it often happened in the past, by the way, in such kinds of situations. So, let us cooperate and remember that we live in a nuclear age and must behave in accordance with its rules.

The situation in Prague is getting heated, what is going on at the moment? What lessons can be learnt from the 25 years since the Velvet Revolution in the former Czechoslovakia?

Michal Mocek: There is the discussion of the events in the last days, namely of the events on the 17th of November this year. As for the anniversary, we look at the day in 1989 as a radical change, as the overthrow of the regime which was not able to reform itself and which had to be overthrown.

How would you assess the situation in Slovakia now and how has the Velvet Revolution changed the things in the former Czechoslovakia and in your country now?

Pavel Novotný: This week we have celebrated 25 years after the revolution, but I think that the people are a little bit disappointed. 25 year ago, on the 17th of November people were very optimistic, they had some dreams. But the development after it was very complicated and not only in Slovakia, but in the Czech Republic also. There is a lot of corruption in the political circles. We are still lacking economical development. And I have to say that in the newest polls the Slovak people said that they are disappointed; it was one third of the Slovak people. And the bad news is also that the young people born after the revolution know nothing about it.

Last year people at EuroMaidan in Kiev were saying “where is our Havel?”, a year after it turned out that there is no any Havel, there is no effective managing. What is the reason for that?

Michal Mocek: That’s precisely the question. The EuroMaidan won, but we haven't seen any reforms that would push the society in one direction. We rather saw the collapse of the society and, I must say, with the participation of Russia. And that’s why I ask whether this kind of radical change is an appropriate solution for a society where there is a way for reforms – a way where you need to find the compromises, where you need to find agreement, but to look for a compromise where it is possible. And this was not possible in 1989 with the communists. But I think it was possible with Yanukovych in Ukraine and it was also possible with Shevardnadze in 2004.

What is you take on that?

Pavel Novotný: I think that almost all the revolutions are the same. And what I said about the Velvet Revolution, it is also about the EuroMaidan. We in Slovakia and in the EU are a little bit disappointed by the developments in Ukraine. One year ago, when the EuroMaidan started we had the idea that Ukraine will go very quickly towards Europe. We supported this development. Then Yanukovych went away. And now we see that instead of this development there is a war just next to our borders. And I know that we have to support Ukraine and not only by the sanctions, but by the political discussions.

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