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The current (myth)making of ex-presidents
Vaclav Havel sat down with reporters Feb. 17 to discuss his first year since leaving the presidency. Among other topics, he discussed the founding of a presidential library, something that will help cement his legacy and further his influence, which remains sizable on both the Czech and international stages.
During the discussions Havel briefly and pointedly referred to his longtime rivalry with his replacement as president, President Vaclav Klaus. He recalled a 2002 comment by Klaus to the effect that as president Havel had served his own interests. It was a rare acknowledgment of the rift.
Havel's mention of the library likely prompted a groan that could be heard from Prague Castle, where Klaus now holds court. Klaus has long felt that Havel's role in the transformation of the country since 1989 has been overstated and, by contrast, his own minimized. So we can imagine the eye-rolling that went on behind the Castle's closed doors, and Klaus' muttered charges of self-mythologizing on Havel's part.
· Excellent Presidential Library