Czechs and Slovaks - 20 years after Velvet Divorce
(Vatican Radio) Czechs and Slovaks have begun observing the 20th anniversary of the
break up of Czechoslovakia into two independent states. Just after midnight on January
1, 1993, fireworks illuminated the skies over Bratislava as firebrand Prime Minister
Vladimir Meciar declared Slovakia an independent republic. The ceremony marked the
end of Czechoslovakia, a politically stigmatized state founded on the ashes of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Slovakia, with just over five million people, divorced
itself from what would become the Czech Republic, with a population of more than 10
million. At a televised debate on New Year's Day the prime ministers both nations
sounded upbeat about their separation, calling it the only option. SLOVAKIA GAINED MORE
Yet Czech president Vaclav Klaus said Slovakia gained more from the separation than the Czech Republic.
He explained that "unlike the Czech economy and Europe's economy as a whole, Slovakia is booming."
Klaus noted that, "Slovakia's economic growth stood at some 2.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 2012, which doesn't resemble a crisis."
The Czech Republic's economy shrank by nearly one percent last year.
Slovakia's economic growth has been linked to its fiscal policies and booming car manufacturers and other industries.
CZECH REPUBLIC SAVING
In the Czech Republic, however, analysts say many people prefer to keep money on the banks, rather than spending it, despite near zero percent interest rates.
Additionally, Slovakia adopted the euro currency while the Czech Republic held on to its koruna, under the Euroskeptic President Klaus.
Slovakia's President Ivan Gasparovic understands the reluctance to join the 17-nation eurozone. "Today's financial crisis shows that the eurozone is not perfect," he admitted. "But the goal of Slovakia and other countries is to save both the European Union and the eurozone."
Their currencies different but their languages similar, Czech and Slovak parliaments will meet in Prague next week to discuss 20 years of cooperation and their nation's changing roles within the European Union and the NATO military alliance
They seem to agree that their Velvet Divorce shows that countries in the former Soviet-dominated region can solve historic disputes peacefully, at least in some cases.
Listen to the report from correspondent Stefan Bos:
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