Latest blog item
19-08-2009: Summer in Brussels
The streets of Brussels are practically empty – the whole city seems to have gone on holiday. When I go to work in the morning, my neighbourhood feels like a completely different place. The shutters are down on corner shops normally open for business and there are so few cars about, I hardly bother to look when I cross the road. And the city sounds strangely different. It’s quieter, not pulsating like it usually is – breathing more freely somehow. The hustle and bustle is gone, the air’s clean and the people are more relaxed. A summer morning in Brussels. > Read on
Previous blog items
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At the sharp end
If a nurse pricked their finger while taking blood or a surgeon injured themselves with a scalpel while operating, I'd put it down to pure bad luck. And I'm probably not alone in that. Most people, I'm sure, think injuries of this type are the exception, not the rule. This may well be true. But despite that, every year in European hospitals more than a million injuries of this type happen. For sure, most are harmless. But in extreme cases – mostly due to the risk of infection – they can be serious or even fatal. Especially when we're talking about infections like hepatitis and HIV. > Read on |
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Jobs and the environment
It wasn’t the first time in my life that I’d given a speech on a topic that some people thought was irrelevant. This time, an acquaintance even put his head in his hands and asked whether we didn’t have anything better to do than talk about such pointless subjects. That, at any rate, was his assessment of the title of the restructuring forum I recently took part in: “The impact of climate change on employment.” > Read on |
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That European feeling …
I grew up in South Bohemia. To this day, I still feel at home in similar places – places that have lots of woods, fields and lakes. My dad was a theatre director. When I was young, he often used to take me along with him to his work. Ever since, I've been very at home with the whole theatrical milieu and still feel a strong bond with people from that background. Later, when I was a young man, I started getting into environmental politics and during the communist era in my country I joined a number of green groups. In springtime we used to clean up brooks and plant trees, and in winter we fed wild animals. I've never lost this love of nature. > Read on |
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Invisible MEPs?
Having a quiet breakfast, sipping a nice cup of coffee, reading the newspaper or a good book, and then going for a short walk. Just enjoying a nice day. It's as easy as that to get involved in politics. > Read on |
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More on Romas
Today I want to reply to Lidové noviny – which published a reaction to my last blog about Romas, saying that my suggestions were not concrete enough. I wrote that discrimination against Romas could only be tackled by promoting an "enduring social policy". Disappointed, the paper accuses me of stating the obvious and asks, "But how exactly do we do it?" > Read on |
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If I were a Roma…
It's been a while since I last blogged, but I just haven't been able to find the time. Mainly because of the economic crisis – my meetings these days are really time consuming. But I was so horrified by the latest racially motivated crime committed in the Czech republic that I've turned on my notebook after an all-day marathon of meetings and conferences and decided to react. > Read on |
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Superdads and chaotic females
It would be funny – if it weren’t so sad. When people go into a man’s office and see photos of his kids on the desk, they automatically think he’s a good father. But if they see family photos on a woman’s desk, they subconsciously form an idea of her as someone who puts family before work. Another example: if your boss’s table is piled high with papers and files, you tend to assume it’s because he’s got a lot of work on – if he’s male. But, if your boss is a woman, the uncompromising verdict’s likely to be “She can’t cope.” > Read on |
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The big EU expansion – 30 years on
Two months ago, I became a grandfather for the first time. Naturally, my granddaughter’s birth was a cause for celebration. As anyone who’s ever had a child or grandchild will know, you find yourself looking at this tiny creature and wondering what kind of world she’s going to grow up in. And the same thought ran through my head on 2 March, when I was in Prague for a conference marking five years since 10 new countries joined the EU. > Read on |
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Memories of the Great Depression
I know a few people who can still remember the Great Depression of the 1930s. One of them – a pensioner of very advanced years living in Prague – told me that ordinary people didn't really feel the effects of the crisis until about a year after the Wall Street Crash in October 1929. > Read on |
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Entropa – or what made me set up an art gallery
Time for me to comment on the controversial sculpture “Entropa”, hung in the entrance to the EU Council building in Brussels to mark the Czech presidency. I have received so many letters and emails from you asking my opinion. > Read on |
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Western lifestyle
I was 27, with two kids and nowhere to live. Back in the days of communism, everyone was supposed to have a job and a flat – in theory at least. But not everyone did. People who opposed or criticised the regime usually had a hard time finding work and accommodation. The housing shortage meant that young people – even with children – often had to wait years for a flat of their own. That was the situation we were in, finding lodgings where we could and moving on every few months. Something had to change. > Read on |
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Useless souvenirs
In the days before the euro, whenever I came back from a visit to another European country, it was usually with pockets full of unusable coins, spare change in Italian lira, German marks, French francs, etc. All these coins that I was unable to spend on a last chocolate bar or an unnecessary souvenir in a shop at the border crossing or the airport ended up in my drawer at home. With me hoping in vain to use them again during some future trip. Of course, that never happened – even today I still find at home European coins that have long since vanished from circulation. I might as well simply have flung them all straight in the bin. > Read on |
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Out with friends in Brussels
Recently, friends of mine from the Maratonstav Upice sports club visited me in Brussels, unbelievably active people. They may come from a small city in the northeast corner of the Czech Republic, but they have already organised many international marathons and even a world championship – in the unusual discipline of "running uphill". Their love of sport and participation in a number of European competitions have taken them to many countries. They came to visit me because we wanted to run the Brussels marathon together on Sunday 5th October. I happened to be free on the Saturday before, so we went into town together. I wanted to show them where I worked as well as places that I like to go. Here are some photos of our walk. > Read on |
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Talking with Roma about Roma
Passion and fiery character, dancing and music, freedom and travelling… these are all positive things we associate with the Roma. But some insist on branding these people with another, less positive image – centred around poor education, crime and violence. Roma life is usually seen through one of these prisms – either romanticised or condemned, with little room in between for subtler characterisation of any kind. > Read on |
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Black women in Europe
Recently a friend of mine lent me an interesting book on the history of New York. It's packed with historical maps, pictures and photos showing how Manhattan was settled, and its various building booms and economic highs and lows through the ages. What struck me in particular was the gulf in living conditions between the different social classes in the different eras – grinding poverty on one side of the tracks and gilded luxury on the other. > Read on |
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Crossing Europe on foot?
At some point in the future, when I have the time, I'd love to get my hiking boots on and walk across the entire continent of Europe. Hiking is one of my passions and I share the enthusiasm of the Czech poet Karel Hynek Mácha, who in the 19th century walked all the way from Bohemia to Italy. Travelling on foot is the best way to really experience the countryside and get to know locals and their ways. Here in Brussels, I try to make time for a long walk through the town and its surrounding areas at least once a week, usually on a free Sunday. > Read on |
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The less public face of football
Euro2008 – we watched in our millions as Europe’s top footballers wowed us yet again with fantastic playing and some amazing goals. It’s hard not to be a bit jealous of these guys. > Read on |
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WORKING TIL YOU DROP?
In the last few days I’ve had some mixed emotions. On one hand pleasure and relief, on the other: slight disappointment. All because of an agreement that was blocked for years, despite its capacity to affect the lives of millions. > Read on |
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Public Hearing: Combating Child Poverty in the EU
In early April the Committee on Employment and Social Affaires held a public hearing to discuss "combating child poverty in the EU" and since then the debate on poverty has intensified in many Member States. > Read on |
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A Social Europe Fit for Globalisation
Globalisation, delocalisation, economic growth, readjustment funds, winners, losers: these are all buzz words of the moment. Globalisation is a reality of our society and although people debate its precise origins, its presence is undeniable. There is a certain amount of understandable trepidation regarding globalisation and because of that the Commission organised a conference aimed to present the current findings of the study "Is Social Europe Fit for Globalisation" and also to provide the opportunity of a forum to hear, and respond to, opinions and anxieties. > Read on |
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European job fair
I’ve never been a trainee. Apart from work placements we had to do in Czechoslovakia under the socialists, such as hop picking and a few compulsory traineeships at technical colleges. When I was young, traineeships were unknown - you went straight from school into a job. But today, they’re an almost universal experience for young people across Europe, a fact reflected in the new terms emerging in some languages: Generation Praktikum in German, generatione 1000 euro in Italian or génération précariat in French. > Read on |
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Missing €100 000
Injustice makes me really mad. For example, the idea that someone can be cheated out of enough money, quite literally, to buy a car or even a flat. But this is precisely what is happening today to around half of all working people in Europe. > Read on |
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Breaking out
On June 29, I visited a group of young offenders in Potsdam. But rather than talking about why they were behind bars, we mostly chatted about their plans for when they got out again. They told me they wanted to continue with the hip hop group they'd formed during their time in jail. Through their music and self penned lyrics, the boys are working out their personal experiences and learning to work together in a team. > Read on |
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Children in the city
Not that I'm such a rock fan, but I know well the Czech rock group Katapult. When I was in Stuttgart on 25 June, the lyrics of one of their songs from the 80s sprang to mind: "When we're writing 2006, and everyone has moved to the city, it might be too late to ask: What about the children? Where can they play?" In Stuttgart I was meeting representatives of 64 European cities who were setting up a network called "Cities for Children", to promote child-friendly conditions in cities. > Read on |
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Looking for Work
My career began in the theatre – albeit as a worker in a scenery warehouse! Every evening my fellow workers and I got together the decorations and scenery needed for the shows, which was taken by lorry to the theatre and then brought back again at night. There simply wasn't enough room to store all the equipment in the theatre itself. > Read on |
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Eurovision song contest
On 11 May, I was in Helsinki in the run up to the Eurovision song contest. Unfortunately I couldn't stay until Saturday to see the final live, as I was there on more of a political mission. > Read on |
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Family disputes over property
In Germany, the book called the "Methuselah conspiracy" was recently a bestseller. It is a provocative story about the possible consequences of demographic development. The conspiracy part amounts to old people being forced out of society and into retirement, despite still feeling useful and full of energy and motivation. Of course, this scenario is a little exaggerated, but it does point to an important problem – the conflict between old and young. > Read on |
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Anti discrimination truck
I often meet people committed to working for the rights of the disabled, the blind, immigrants or gay people. It is telling how often they belong to those groups themselves, or are closely connected to them. In many cases, you find a member of their immediate family or a close friend is in a wheelchair or affected in some other way. So the people can easily relate to the difficulties being experienced. This is no surprise. Like the Czech proverb, "a full stomach hears not a hungry one", we can only fully understand pain, suffering and grief when we are affected ourselves. > Read on |
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The Colonel
I remember an event from my time as Prime Minister. A high-ranking member of the Czech army visited me, as he was having no luck finding a suitable person to fill an important post. I can't remember exactly what post. Let's say a colonel. I was surprised. Could it be that hard to find suitably qualified people in a nation of ten million inhabitants? > Read on |
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Marathon in Rotterdam
After quite a break I have just run a marathon again. In Rotterdam on 15 April. Unfortunately I wasn't able to train much in the last few months. My work takes up so much of my time. Although I jog regularly, I certainly don't get in the 60 km a week or so needed to train for a marathon. In the autumn, I even bought a headlamp so I could run in the woods at night. I have to admit that I only used it about three times. > Read on |
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WOMEN'S WORK
A man is working on a factory production line, packing television sets. A woman is working on the line next door, doing the same, but her wage is almost a quarter lower. > Read on |
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"YOU HAVE THE WRONG NAME…"
On 21 April I had an interview with the Arab-European TV channel Al-Hiwar. We spoke about discrimination against people of Arabic and African origin in Europe. > Read on |
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ENTERPRISES AND DEMOGRAPHIC AGEING
One of the most famous books in Czech literature is "The Grandmother" by Božena Němcová. It tells the real story of a rural family in the first half of the 19th century. > Read on |
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International Women's Day
Some 25 years ago I myself went on parental leave because my wife fell ill, and I had to take care for my two sons. For several months, I kept saying "be careful", "don't do that", "stop it" or "don't fight" at least thirty times a day. > Read on |
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Work related accidents
In the 1970s, when I was working in mail delivery in the Czech rural area of Jindřichův Hradec, I was taught how to defend myself against dog attacks when delivering mail to rural households: Make a resolute step forward and to try to put your bag into the dog´s mouth. That, at least, was what I was told to do. An easier way out, though, was to simply refuse delivering post to households with aggressive dogs. > Read on |
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Discussions on labour law in Luxembourg
Last Thursday, February 15, I paid a visit to Luxembourg. I like this country very much as it reminds me of the Czech Republic where I come from. Forested hills, valleys, rivers and medieval castles. This time, however, the purpose of my visit was not to admire the nature but to listen to the opinions of the citizens of Luxembourg on one of our documents – the Green Paper on Labour Law. > Read on |
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The support of families and women
Today I have met the Danish minister for family, Carina Christensen. > Read on |
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My trip to the Strasbourg session
Each month, the European Parliament holds one of its sessions in Strasbourg instead of Brussels. Together with the parliamentarians, the college of European Commissioners also moves to Strasbourg and holds its weekly meeting there. For financial reasons, Commissioners are not accompanied by their full cabinet, but by two or three members of their team. This is what our monthly move looks like: > Read on |
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Far from heaven
I looked Lucy in the eyes and was immediately given the sensation of drowning. Any reflection of the sky and diamonds she got from her godfathers of Liverpool disappeared long-ago. And yet they are truly bottomless. Like all things that you can measure only in terms of time. And she is separated from us by more than 3 million years… > Read on |
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Winning the marathon
They are looking for a replacement for Kofi Annan. Six respectable people are in the race. And for months the speculation in the media surrounding them has taken over practically the entire UN agenda. No subject other than the eighth General Secretary has any chance of making the headlines. > Read on |
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Mont Blanc
A boyhood dream of mine recently came true. For me, mountaineering has always held a similar thrill to hot air ballooning. The decisive influence on me in this respect was probably the great Swiss alpinist, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, with his aristocratic origins. And then of course there was Sir Edmund P. Hillary… > Read on |
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High time
A politician has to have visions. Of course, we need courage and patience too - without these we will achieve nothing. But this is nothing exceptional – indeed it’s the key to success in a whole range of jobs and activities. > Read on |
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Reminiscences of Sevastopol
Ideas are like divers; they often surface in your mind and then submerge again. But they do not sink into the depths of oblivion. It is instead a sort of hibernation. Thereafter it does not take much to bring them up again; to take a breath and come to life… > Read on |
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The Dalai Lama
I was late. In so far as someone can be late for an appointment with eternity. How else does one regard a meeting with the present incarnation of the Buddha? I was aware of this as I entered the conference room. > Read on |
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Fairy Tale
Finally spring arrived. It literally burst upon Brussels this year. Perhaps it felt guilty for arriving so late, and in an effort to ease its conscience it arrived with full force… > Read on |
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No taboo
We do not live in the Middle Ages. And yet … Totally incomprehensibly, some barbaric rituals persist, going beyond everything we regard as normal. And so people ordinarily never consider them. > Read on |
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Peking 2008
The Olympics are over. They brought impressive performances as well as successes and disappointments for the athletes. But that’s life. Everyone involved certainly deserves our admiration. However, I have a confession to make. When I was watching the most important contests, I often found myself thinking about the next Games. > Read on |
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A lesson in political culture…
It still constantly surprises me. We live on the same continent, in neighbouring countries – and yet we are so different. Yesterday evening convinced me yet again. I was a guest on a regular discussion programme on the German ARD channel, hosted by Sabine Christiansen. > Read on |
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The domino effect
With the New Year, the European Union finally managed to emerge from its defensive attitude. It did not really take much. The December summit was a turning point. The path to it was opened up by the agreement on the future budget. However, there is still no final decision on this. The European Parliament will have the last word. > Read on |
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A lesson from football
I would bet that the name Bosman is known throughout the world today, thanks of course to football. This is due to the fact that his greatest contest did not take place on the pitch. Nevertheless, he managed to move the number one sport into a completely new dimension. All that was needed was the consistent application of EU legislation. > Read on |
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Chance equals hope
We meet it at practically every step. In Lyon as in Most, in Manchester or Bologna. Everywhere there are people who simply have not been given a chance. The requirements are simple: age perhaps around 50; young children around their neck; a name suggesting their origin or religion, etc. > Read on |
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There is no such thing as a small role (and this goes for more than roles)
Hurrah for technology. Especially the Internet... I have decided to use it to shake off the straitjacket of diplomatic protocol for a moment. A blog is ideal for this. > Read on |