Luboš Palata not happy about Czech-Slovak friendship

The new Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will visit Prague today, his first official trip since taking office. The leaders of the two countries traditionally pay their first visit to each other to stress their close mutual ties. Both nations were part of the same state for almost 70 years. Commentator Luboš Palata laments in the conservative daily Lidové noviny that their relationships with other neighbours are considerably less friendly: "Many obstacles block the rekindling of ties which are far deeper rooted in history, for example between Czechs, Germans and Austrians or between Slovaks and Hungarians. Different ideas on the future of Europe mar our relations with Germany. In the case of Austria it's the past. ... At the same time, one can't exactly rejoice at our extraordinarily good relations with Slovakia. In today's Europe they seem like a remnant of the past. And we're not able to forge new bonds of friendship. Neither we Czechs nor the Slovaks."

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