Original inward Czech
Once a year, the Eurasian Council of Foreign Affairs organized past times the – extraordinarily skillful – Kazakh government minister of unusual affairs Mr Idrissov is gathering somewhere. It's generally composed of one-time European politicians – from the Austrian (and EU) government minister of unusual affairs Ferrero-Waldner to (Polish) president Kwasniewski as well as British one-time finance government minister Lord Lamont, to Serbian B. Tadić, Italians Martino as well as Frattini, Norway's Bondevik, as well as then on – generally people whom I know well.
Cliveden House, the chateau
This year's coming together took identify inward a real beautiful chateau somewhere inward Berkshire inward South England, nearly i hr from London past times car. The chateau was built inward 1666 as well as transformed to a luxurious hotel inward recent decades. It's just the expert old England. I am tempted to sing along amongst the Czech songmaker Mr January Vodňanský: "Just similar inward old England, I volition pour whiskey to a glass." It feels every bit if it weren't snowing heavily [a Czech idiom, it feels relaxed similar if nix dramatic were happening].
And inward Britain – inward contrast amongst the threats as well as warnings past times the warriors against Brexit – it's indeed non snowing heavily inward the people's everyday lives. Nevertheless, around unease is seen everywhere. My outset impressions:
That's what expert old England looks like.
— Propaganda, non ideas rooted inward reality, persists on both sides which makes people somewhat anxious. Several days ago, the Nobel prize inward physics was shared past times 3 Britons including Prof Kosterlitz. He has announced that he volition hand upward his British citizenship (he may also select he the U.S. of A. citizenship) because every bit a scientist, he needs to motion freely all over the world. Is it possible that a scientist, otherwise undoubtedly an intelligent person, has been persuaded that Brexit agency a restriction on his trips all over the world? If that's the case, he's in all likelihood non also intelligent.
— Britain is hesitating, it doesn't desire to start the matters, it doesn't seem to know that, every bit our experience has shown, the things may hold out done actually rapidly as well as effectively (in early Oct 1992 i.e. 3.5 months later our referendum, to a greater extent than exactly the elections, nosotros had already solved all the conceptual issues). They select nothing.
— The British prime number government minister Theresa May is making her decisions without whatsoever enthusiasm as well as everyone tin regard it. I came to Britain just hours later her terminal vocalization communication at the Conservative Party's conference inward Birmingham. I can't translate her vocalization communication differently than every bit the ultimate, irreversible divorce of this then honey – for many of us – political party amongst the heritage of Margaret Thatcher. Almost all the leaders of this political party select been working on this divorce for 25 years – as well as this activeness culminated amongst David Cameron – but Theresa May's words are shocking to me. It's necessary to assist to the working class, denounce the capitalists who systematically exploit the marketplace to larn richer, it's necessary to acknowledge that the authorities is doing lots of dandy things (and it's non necessary to cut back its size) as well as then on as well as then on. My conclusion is that amongst these opinions, the Conservative Party could select easily remained inward the EU. It would jibe inward nicely.
Sitting amongst Hon Ambassador Sečka for a while
Also, it cannot hold out a coincidence that the eternally immature Tony Blair rapidly reacted as well as threatened his provide to politics because his (and the Labor Party's) programme is existence robbed or hijacked past times Ms May.
The British delegation at the conference was interesting. It included the duke of York (for the imperial identify unit of measurement to hold out represented) every bit good every bit members of cabinets as well as the Parliament. During every meeting, i of them reminds me of something. Lord Lamont was the finance government minister who was signing a bargain nearly the protection of investment amongst me inward 1990 – when I was on my life's outset see to the Britain He has told me that already inward 1990, I considered the European Union similar to the communist Comecon. I was rather pleased past times this slice of his memory.
A movie from the morn proceedings
Jack Straw, the Blair-era government minister of unusual affairs i.e. someone who should sympathize the footing as well as Europe, including the Central as well as Eastern Europe, has asked me nearly the election organization during communism as well as the detailed rules for the participation of the independent candidates. I told him that patch no such conditions were clearly formulated, at that topographic point was quite around certainty that hours later his statement of the candidacy, the "independent" candidate would hold out relocated to a prison. The simple-mindedness (and ignorance) of these people knows of no limits.
In Great Britain, they select held the mo plebiscite nearly the leave of absence from the European Union (if nosotros count the plebiscite that was deciding nearly the European Communities). The transformation of the opinions is amazing. Conservative Party's Lamont told me that he voted "Stay" inward 1975 but "Leave" inward 2016. Labor Party's Straw's votes were reversed. Both select been transcend politicians inward their parties. This would deserve a deeper analysis.
Lord Lamont is on the correct side from me, Kazakhstan's government minister of unusual affairs Idrissov on the other side.
Something is changing, however. I am ordinarily the solely mortal who is fighting against Maastricht. However, it was dissimilar here. The principal anti-Maastricht warrior was the Norwegian one-time prime number government minister Bondevik as well as none of participants was protesting against his criticisms.
Former Italian government minister of unusual affairs as well as defence Antonio Martino, a fellow member of the classical liberal Mont Pelerin Society, is critical of the efforts to residue the governments' budgets because these efforts Pb to the decreasing defence spending (!). Moreover, he thinks it's incorrect that the European Union has 28 national budgets patch the the U.S. of A. solely has i (!). So according to his opinions, Europe should fully integrate. That's what nosotros tin take away heed from an ex-student of the Chicago University (and Milton Friedman personally) as well as a government minister of Berlusconi's governments. On the contrary, his colleague inward the authorities Mr Frattini was explaining that it would hold out unrealistic to innovate the Italian constitution inward Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan because it couldn't select whatsoever lawsuit over there. I entertained the audience past times the remark that I am non surely how applicable the Italian constitution is e.g. inward Sicily.
The demonization of Trump as well as Putin is omnipresent. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 business office of the ground was nearly the enquiry what volition occur when Trump "comes in". I was turning the enquiry upside down. What volition occur when Hillary "comes in"? I insisted that America needs a alter as well as Hillary is incapable of bringing one. The Kazakh government minister vigorously protested against speculations that Putin is working on efforts to rebuild the Soviet Union. He said that Putin isn't empty-headed plenty to rebuild the Soviet Union. He just wants loyal neighbors. This seemed similar a rational thought to me.
A pocket-size pub inward a hamlet where no migrant was present.
My unusual trips are existence increasingly reduced to pure conferences. There is no sightseeing. But the truth to hold out told, the accommodation inward a chateau from 1666 inward the British countryside is the best sightseeing of all. But perhaps I should no longer telephone telephone these texts my "Travel Diaries". But perhaps the advert is fine, later all. Between the goal of the conference as well as the divergence of the flight, nosotros had around fourth dimension for a belatedly luncheon inward a pocket-size "classical" English linguistic communication hamlet as well as a pub. I was intrigued past times 2 details. In a relatively mutual depression temperature weather, children were running inward shorts as well as curt skirts as well as short-sleeved shirts. They seem to hold out preparing for the mutual depression temperature conditions that must start later Brexit. There was also a "public meadow" over at that topographic point equipped amongst a detailed teaching manual how to purpose it. One regulation said that i human tin select at most 4 dogs.
Václav Klaus, Oct 10th, 2016
Off-topic: according to NPR, non just Elon Musk but Barack Obama wants to shoot people to Mars for them to alive there. Decades ago, Czech instrumentalist Mr Dalibor Janda estimated that (soon to hold out obsolete) horses as well as trees would hold out deported to Mars inward 2005-2006 as well as they would hold out presently followed past times humans. ;-)