In my view the anniversary of the military repression of the Prague Spring, should be recalled with a few more, notably: 9.11.1989, the fall of the Berlin wall, 1.01.1993, independence of the Czech Republic, 1.05.2004, the Czech Republic becomes a member of the European Union. So, from sunset to sunshine!
But, as European history teaches us, geopolitical situations may change very quickly; it is a major reason to be vigilant: peace and the development of fundamental human rights are never guaranteed for ever and that is why the democratic political struggle in favor of further European political unity should be pursued today with much more determination.
Pierre Jonckheer, Former member of European Parliament, Ecolo; Honorary Professor, UCL, Belgium.