On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia was passing through history. The Czech Republic and Slovakia proclaimed their independence after a peaceful "divorce". Are lessons learned about Brexit?
Deutsche Welle puts it to question when the Czechoslovak state was dissolved 25 years ago, in Czechoslovakia and Slovakia there were similar questions as it is today in view of Brexit: what about the customs union? Who will take over the pensions of federal civil servants? Can Slovak students attend free of charge in Czech universities?
Similar questions posed today for Brexit employed Czechoslovakia in 1993 / Photo: Pixabay
Unlike the bloody dissolution of the former Yugoslavia and the disagreements surrounding Brexit or Catalonia, the Czech and Slovakian divorce on January 1, 1993 was "exemplary" and "peaceful", says former Czech Prime Minister Vassal Klaus.
In his estimation, the division of Czechoslovakia was "inevitable". This is in agreement with the former Prime Minister of Slovakia Vladimir Metsiar.
From the demonstrations of the era / Photo: AP
On January 1, 1993, Slovakia and the Czech Republic proclaimed their independence. On the streets of Bratislava the citizens celebrated. The peaceful "divorce" of the two countries now was a common consensus: the customs union and the free movement of products, individuals and services remained in force.
Eleven years before joining the EU in 2004, citizens of one country had the right to work and live without restrictions in the other country. Even today, in Slovak public services, citizens can carry out their affairs in Czech too. Students from Slovakia have the possibility to study for free at a Czech university.
Slovakia is the big winner of the division
For Professor of History at the University of Prague, Jan RyhlÃk, who has published a book on the coexistence of Czechs and Slovaks and who is a sought-after interlocutor on the television of the two countries, the precondition for peaceful division was the desire for a good and close cooperation the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. "This is missing today in the Brexit talks mainly on the UK side," the expert says.
Former Czech Prime Minister Vassal Klaus expects Slovakia to take advantage of dismantling / Photo: Pixabay
But which of the two countries was more profitable than the division 25 years ago? Czechs Vlaslav Klaus thinks it was Slovakia. This view is also agreed by economists. In recent years, Slovakia has managed to fill the gap between the EU and the neighboring Czech Republic in the economic sector, says Sberbank analyst Vladimir Vano, adding that this progress has increased the confidence of the Slovak population.
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