I take this opportunity to thank you for inviting me to the monthly meeting of the wider editorial circle of The New Presence during my most recent trip to Prague. It was depressing, because I saw a marked increase in tolerated graffiti and dirt in the streets.
National pride seems to have gone to sleep.
All that one heard on loudspeakers and on the radio was Rock and more Rock. A visitor could easily become convinced that the Czechs had been musically illiterate until the West gave them Rock. To say nobody wants it is hogwash. We will be offering weekly news and views concerning currents events and culture in Central Europe. For this, we will be relying on the contributions of new colleagues in the media and at universities around the world.