Today's Quote

Bulgaria's first democratically elected President Zhelyu Zhelev recalls one of his first conversations with Vaclav Havel in Prague:

Vaclav Havel: How do you cope with the communists in your country?

Zhelyu Zhelev: Well, we try to cope with them the best we can.

Vaclav Havel: And how do they behave?

Zhelyu Zhelev: They are arrogant and lofty, making fun of the democracy we have built, say we don't have qualified experts and experience.

Vaclav Havel: Oh, this sounds very familiar to me. Here the communists from the old school don't' stop saying they know more, they have good connections and huge clout abroad.