Condolences of the Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka to the death of Árpád Göncz

Your Excellency,
Dear Prime Minister,

It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing of one of the most inspiring and important Hungarian politicians and intellectuals of the 20^th century, Mr Árpád Göncz.

During his long and rich life, Mr Göncz was personally involved in major events and milestones of the modern history of Hungary and Europe. As a dedicated freedom fighter and democratic intellectual, Árpád Göncz side by side with Václav Havel and other dissident leaders profoundly contributed to the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe and became a founding-father of the idea of Visegrád cooperation. Elected as the first democratic president of Hungary in 1990 and re-elected for his second term five years later, Mr Göncz was a true symbol of the new start for Hungary after decades of totalitarianism and rule of fear.

The demise of Árpád Göncz is a profound loss of a great European. I hope that his legacy, teaching us about the immense power of humanism and the value of freedom, will continue to inspire many generations to come.

Dear Prime Minister, on this sad occasion, please accept my deepest condolences. Please extend my sympathy also to the family of Mr Göncz.

Yours sincerely

Bohuslav Sobotka, Prime Minister of the Czech republic