A new book by the closest colleague of outgoing Czech president Vaclav Klaus sheds light on the fraught relationship between Klaus and his predecessor, the late Vaclav Havel. Petr Hajek, vice-governor in Klaus’s office, writes that Havel was a constant source of lies and mystification. “Vaclav Havel, whether consciously or not (but certainly actively) was an instrument of lies and hate. He was successful in his mission. And yet he lost.” On the other extreme, he claims that Vaclav Klaus was always an instrument of love and of truth.
Hajek’s rather extreme views are well-known: he doubted the existence of Osama bin Ladin, called homosexuals “deviants” and cast doubt on evolution, saying he didn’t evolve from the apes. Klaus was not present at the renaming ceremony of Prague international airport (now named after Vaclav Havel).
