The personalities of Czech political life have been reacting since the morning to the death of the former foreign minister and former presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg. His death was reported on Sunday night by Miroslav Kalousek, with whom Schwarzenberg founded the TOP 09 party 14 years ago.
On social networks, politicians have been publishing their memories of the noble-politician since morning.
“For me, he has always been a symbol of the return of freedom, democracy and other traditional European values to our country,” Jiří Pospíšil, one of Schwarzenberg’s successors at the head of the party, said on the X social network.
“I’m sad,” wrote briefly the chairman of the foreign committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Marek Ženíšek (TOP 09), who published an older photo of himself with Schwarzenberg on the X social network.
“He served. Nobly. He will be missed, there is no one to replace him. Thank you. For every conversation that made me think and ask how I could be more useful. It always paid off to listen to his every word. A full life. A gentleman,” wrote Jan Farský, vice-chairman of STAN, about Karl Schwarzenberg.
Member of the STAN movement Barbora Urbanová also added a small parliamentary memory. “Mr. Schwarzenberg used to send out cards with goodies at the meetings. I know politicians who kept those tickets as souvenirs and still have them today. That’s how big he was.’
Karel Schwarzenberg died
A member of a famous noble family, he was born on December 10, 1937 in Prague, but spent a considerable part of his life in involuntary exile.
After returning after 1989, he worked as chancellor of Václav Havel, was a senator and foreign minister. He died on November 11, 2023 in Vienna.
Her party colleague Petr Gazdík also recalled. “One of the greatest statesmen and visionaries I have ever met. He taught us that ‘you have to help yourself!’ A wise, kind, classy and perceptive person. He had a fulfilled life,” said the deputy.
“It can’t all fit in here. That’s why, perhaps, he will be an inspiration to me until the end of my life, because he was one of the most important post-revolutionary politicians and the greatest characters of our nation,” said the newly elected deputy chairman of the party, MP Matěj Ondřej Havel, on the X network.
The head of the State Office for Nuclear Safety and politician Dana Drábová also reacted: “The Czech Republic will miss Prince Karel Schwarzenberg. We don’t have many such personalities. I will miss him too. His insight, knowledge of life and the art of enjoying it were always inspiring. I am grateful to have met him. I liked him.”
We update continuously.
