Chris Bowlby
BBC telephone lines 4: Profile

RADIO 4 PROFILE: VACLAV KLAUS
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When you are cranium of royal of the realm concerning headed for clutch the EU presidency, you force generally be present looking ahead headed for a nibble of the intercontinental limelight, plus a busier, extra influential schedule than usual.

But Vaclav Klaus, head of the Czech Republic, may possibly be present relishing his realm s best guess of EU leadership clothed in January representing self-same discrete reasons - because an chance headed for publicise views which additional EU leaders willpower not have hearing.

For Mr Klaus, a steely, bespectacled economist who came headed for hasty projection following the Czechoslovak revolution next to communism, is a passionate Eurosceptic. He believes the EU has echoes of the older Soviet union he worn headed for aware under.

And he is too an enthusiastic competitor of European plus intercontinental rule taking place all commencing climate adjustment headed for relations by Russia.

Constant dissidence

Mr Klaus gave a taste of come again? the EU bottle look forward to taking place an bureaucrat holiday at headed for Ireland clothed in November. disappointing his Irish hosts, he flamboyantly visited Declan Ganley, chief of the victorious Irish thumbs down run for election next to authorization of the EU s Lisbon reform treaty.

Klaus compared Ganley plus his supporters headed for dissidents clothed in the older Maoist union - which infuriated countless previous Czech dissidents who suffered harrying plus custody representing their views.

But Mr Klaus likes headed for ponder of his living because a sort of unremitting dissidence next to come again? he sees because the erroneous views of the majority.

He was natural clothed in Prague clothed in 1941 all through the wartime Nazi occupation.

As an economics learner clothed in post-war Maoist Czechoslovakia, he was allowable headed for learning clothed in Italy plus the United States all through the supporting liquefy of the mid-to-late 1960s.

But the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia clothed in 1968 wrecked every one aspiration of wider intercontinental opportunities representing intense fresh Czechs.

Klaus, who refused headed for sign up the Maoist Party, may possibly not seek headed for a chief educational before affair job. except he was allowable headed for earn his source of revenue clothed in the 1970s plus 80s clothed in a place of duty next to the Czechoslovak state-owned Bank.

He did not sign up the extra candid run for election of disagreement headed for the Maoist regime led, in the middle of others, via the dramatist Vaclav Havel. except because supporting fetters eased once more clothed in the not on time 1980s Klaus did organise seminars headed for converse free-market economics.

Self-assured genius

He was forever extremely self-confident or, because his critics plunk it, arrogant. According headed for store in print keep on day clothed in the Czech press, a Maoist confidence policeman sent headed for television Klaus s seminars concluded with the intention of "he feels comparable an unacknowledged genius".

But then, clothed in not on time 1989, the opportunity headed for be present respected dramatically appeared because Maoist dictate collapsed. Klaus curved positive next to the appeal storm lantern theatre, nerve center of the public Forum opposition, led via Havel.

His fiscal expertise, safe commandment of English plus aptitude headed for sell the intercontinental media won him brisk advancement.

But he remained self-same discrete commencing Havel plus persons close headed for him.

While the concluding dressed informally, plus liked headed for converse politics philosophically greater than beer plus cigarettes, Klaus wore blazers plus ties, consumed sensitive vegetables plus marble irrigate plus lectured every one plus sundry taking place fiscal theory.

Thatcher fan

He built his supporting career clothed in the first 1990s because a finance minister promoting brisk free-market reforms, founding plus chief a conservative public free political party modelled fairly taking place the British Tories.

Pictures of Margaret Thatcher featured outstandingly clothed in his hype material.

In 1992, following their parties did thriving clothed in central elections, Klaus plus the Slovak chief Vladimir Meciar controversially negotiated the splitting of Czechoslovakia hooked on two autonomous states, exclusive of a referendum. Klaus became principal minister of the Czech Republic.

But he became an increasingly frustrated outline because Czech politics became bogged timetabled clothed in stalemate, by parties of the not here outstanding a great deal extra influential than Klaus had hoped.

There were too corruption allegations surrounding the privatisation programmes he had introduced plus the financing of his supporting party.

Comecon

Klaus resigned because principal minister clothed in 1997, except managed headed for protected selection because Czech head clothed in 2003, clothed in succession headed for Vaclav Havel.

Their feuding was constant. Klaus called Havel elitist - "I am a regular person, he is not," he said. Havel has understood of Klaus with the intention of he solitary has two habits of behaving: "Either he s frightened of someone. before he s outdated headed for disgrace him."

As president, Klaus has had fewer executive power, except has felt freer headed for atmosphere his opinions, markedly towards the EU. "Whenever I glare next to the Berlaymont edifice (European charge HQ) clothed in Brussels," he just the once told the British politician Norman Lamont, "I appear headed for distinguish the statement Comecon" - a location headed for the older Soviet-dominated Maoist trading organisation.

"Vaclav Klaus is doubtful headed for consent to the chance lapse headed for nag next to come again? he just the once called affair caste Eurocrats lording it greater than scaling-down caste Slavs "
While a number of Czechs clap this sort of view, belief polls put forward a preponderance wait a great deal extra affirmative concerning the EU.

The file of Klaus s administration battles by intercontinental convention grows increasingly longer.

He in recent times refused headed for sign up Western condemnation of Russian rule greater than Georgia plus he challenges intercontinental environmental policy.

His hardback disputing with the intention of man-made climate adjustment is phenomenon is allowed sad earth clothed in bottle green Chains.

So all through the future months he willpower fret clothed in his residence clothed in the castle far above the ground on top of Prague, refusing headed for take flight the EU flag, while, his critics hope, the Czech administration is not here headed for have its epoch of European projection clothed in the municipality below.

But Vaclav Klaus is doubtful headed for consent to the chance lapse headed for nag next to come again? he just the once called "business caste Eurocrats" lording it greater than "economy caste Slavs", because this a large amount argumentative of Czechs condemns the slip of Europe s ways. Listen headed for Chris Bowlby s Profile of Vaclav Klaus taking place Saturday, 27 December next to 1900 GMT taking place BBC telephone lines 4. It willpower be present recurring taking place Sunday. 28 December next to 05.45 GMT plus 17.40 GMT. listen in aware before no-win situation positive taking place the BBC iPlayer before subscribe headed for the podcast.