Interview with Ladislav Hejdanek, since 1980, and a small debt to the
Czechoslovakia's debts to the West former spokesperson are estimated at around 2 billion dollars, as against a total indebtedness of the Warsaw Pact countries that stands
In 1968, the Kremlin ended the bring together socialism and democracy in a brutal way.
wake of this, the bureaucracy moved with a similar brutality to re consolidate its threatened positions. A million party A couple of hundred thousand people lost their previous profes-
Corruption is in full swing in getting housing,
"approval stamps"
The reaction of the population? Apathy, inner emigration, and Svejkism (2). On the "Lennon Wall" in a part of Prague, it says in a resigned way, "Vy mate Lenina nam ("You have Lenin, leave us Lennon")
A former journalist, now a porter in a hotel said, "Among fellow workers people talk quite openly about the machinations of the rulers. Of course, everyone is in the party and they all give their lip service on May 1. But no one believes in the swindle at the top."
of Charter 77
The economic situation in Czechoslovakia does not seem to
Answer. It seems so on the surface. The economists, however, say the reality is far worse. A lot of data are just dreamed up. Even the government has no clear view of the whole thing. Seven different kinds of crowns the national currency are used as a means of accounting, which makes the situation totally unintelligible.
Q. Politically, it's the ice age.
big shock of 1968, there is a general lack of perspec-
Most people concentrate on personal questions. situation, the Charter has begun to show that it is possible to express a protest.
In comparison to the Polish Solidar-
"dry." our activity may seem rather
But given the fact that there is no strong pressure from below, it borders on a miracle that there is still any activity at all.
Q Is there only latent discontent?
A. In certain situations, criticism comes into the open. This happens above all when a lot of people come together, as in a train or bus. Then remarks are made whose meaning is quite clear.
Q. There is the classic Sueik. Brecht's Sueik in the Second World War. How does today's Suejk operate?
A. For example, the measures dictated from above are so undermined, that after two or three weeks, it seems as if the orders had never been given. In a factory a hundred people regularly come late, but some fellow workers punch in for them. The management finds out about it, and sets up a special check at the workplace door. For maybe two weeks, the slackness is over. Sudden-
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ly, somewhere else in the factory "difficulties" turn up. The checkers are ordered there, and the old cycle starts again.
Q. The Charter has just published a document on the cultural situation
CANADA maintenance of the living standard. No one knows the extent of our debts in the East, and it cannot be foreseen how long the Kremlin will be bear the burden of the prepared to satellite countries. Without external changes, say, reforms in the Soviet Union, the present situation could in Czechoslovakia.