World Lauds Spirit of Deceased Czech Dissident, President Havel

World | December 18, 2011, Sunday // 14:44|  views

Worldwide reaction has started to flood after Sunday it was reported that former Czechoslovak and Czech President and pivotal Eastern European dissident Vaclav Havel has passed away.

"Havel was one of the greatest Europeans of our age," wrote Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt on his Twitter page, lauding Havel's struggle for freedom and a united Europe.

This has been echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who dubbed Havel "a great European", stressing that "his efforts for freedom and democracy will never be forgotten, as well as his deep humanity."

"Vaclav Havel was a friend of America and all of us who fight for freedom and dignity. His words will resound for long," stated US President Barack Obama.

Current Czech President Vaclav Klaus, once a key political rival of Havel's, lauded his role in the democratic transition of their country and described their disputes as productive.

Czech PM Petr Necas's reaction was especially strong: "I am grieved as a human. Havel has done so much for this country! He was a symbol for our republic and opened it to the outside world."

Former Slovakia PM Vladimir Meciar has said he heard the news of Havel's death with "great grief", notwithstanding past deep disagreements with Havel regarding Slovakia's role in the former federal Czechoslovakia.

"With both his writer's pen and active position, president Havel relentlessly defended the rights and freedoms of citizens, the well-being of the Czech people," wrote Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov to his Czech counterpart Klaus.

Former Bulgarian President and fellow dissident Zhelyu Zhelev has also expressed his grief at the news, recalling the days when both he and Havel worked for democracy in their countries.

French newspaper Le Monde has dubbed Vaclav Havel "the eternal dissident", while Italian Corriere della Sera has described him as "the absolute protagonist of the 1989 revolutions."

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Tags: democracy, dissident, Bulgarian, European, corriere della sera, Le Monde, Italian, French, Swedish, Czechoslovakia, Czech, Slovakia, Vladimir meciar, Petr Necas, Carl Bildt, Vaclav Havel, German, Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, US

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