"But how can you speed up the transformation of society in a country as large as Russia? Those sounding the moral outcry are the ones who are trying to dictate their standards from the outside. Of course, that isn't the right way to go either. One cannot impose democracy from the other side of national borders, which is something we ourselves experienced during the communist era. The West's policies toward Eastern Europe, the Helsinki process - none of that really helped us."

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Source: 'The Past Is the Past'. Interview with Christian Neef and Jan Puhl, Renata Hanusova, www.spiegel.de. March 13, 2006.

About the author

Vaclav Klaus

Politician, Economist

Vaclav Klaus is a Czech economist and politician known for his advocacy of free markets and individual freedom, particularly through his role as former President of the Czech Republic.

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