Czech President Vaclav Klaus Examines EU Crisis in Roosevelt House Address

Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic, examined the economic crisis affecting the European Union and introduced his new book at a luncheon meeting held at Hunter's Public Policy Institute at Roosevelt House on September 24.

In his speech, part of a Hudson Institute-Hunter College Forum, Klaus analyzed the problems affecting the euro, discussed the recent bailout of Greece, and examined prospects for the future. A trained economist widely known as a critic of monetary union, Klaus has been the Czech president since 2003. His address at Roosevelt House was the first event celebrating the publication of his book Europe: The Shattering of Illusions (Bloomsbury-Continuum, 2012).

Introducing Klaus, Hunter President Jennifer J. Raab noted that he was to meet with President Obama later that day, and she added: "There could be no better venue to precede the meeting between these two presidents than here in Roosevelt House, which is so full of presidential history." Raab also likened Klaus to FDR in several ways, especially in their "fierce dedication to liberty, democracy, and the right of people everywhere to be free."