On 15 April 2024, the Institute for Politics and Society held a conference on the topic of the Czech Republic's twenty years in the EU at the ARA Palace. There were four panels. I was interested in PANEL 3: The story of the EU member states that joined in 2004 with the panelist Jana Hybášková, head of the personnel department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Questions could not be asked directly, live, but sent in advance to the SLIDO app (at the end of each panel they were answered, of which there were a record 16). There was limited text in the app, so I divided one question into three. Only this panel was closed without a single question from the public and an explanation from the moderator. The public was silent, I was the only one who spoke, traditionally - see the audio recording of the "public debate", which was only allowed to listen, in both senses of the word. I had to run away to even manage to address Director Hybášková and to hand her questions, she did not accept them - not even the "opposition" panelist, MP Dostálová. Decent behaviour does not need to be documented, politicians can play it well in the media, when they "bury their nose between their eyes". This "unified flight" from the citizen and accountability of the opposing politicians, I have noted for the public and taxpayers. Illustrative of how politicians are afraid of direct democratic debate. In the media, they are fine - the viewer behind the screen is no Langer:-)
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