"By the time I returned to Czechoslovakia, I had an understanding of the principles of the market."
"It is what makes the reform process an art, not just a science. You have to develop a strategy that tells you what reform measures you should follow and in what sequence."
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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More quotes by Vaclav Klaus
"As someone who lived under communism for most of my life I feel obliged to say that the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity at the beginning of the 21st century is not communism or its various softer variants. Communism was replaced by the threat of ambitious environmentalism."
"Global warming is a false myth and every serious person and scientist says so. It is not fair to refer to the U.N. panel. IPCC is not a scientific institution: it’s a political body, a sort of non-government organization of green flavor. It’s neither a forum of neutral scientists nor a balanced group of scientists. These people are politicized scientists who arrive there with a one-sided opinion and a one-sided assignment."
"I was paid to read Western economic texts. In a way, the regime paid for their own undermining."
"What is concisely referred to as global warming, is a fatal mistake of the present time."
"The development of European integration can be divided into two phases. The first era ended with the Maastricht Treaty. It was a liberalization phase, with the main goal of European integration at the time being the removal of various barriers and borders in Europe. The second phase is a homogenization or standardization phase, one that involves regulation from the top and growing control over our lives. This no longer has anything to do with freedom and democracy."