Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the state banquet during the state visit to the Czech Republic
Mr President,
Mrs Pavlová,
ladies and gentlemen,
My wife and I are deeply grateful to be your guests here in beautiful Prague, the Golden City. This is the very first state visit from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Czech Republic. That’s hard to believe. Because our two countries have a close and long-standing relationship.
That’s not just our opinion. The Czech people think so too.
Like the famous writer Karel Čapek, who visited our country in 1931 and wrote a delightful book about it. The English version is entitled ‘Letters from Holland’.
Of course he expounded on the meadows with grazing cows, the windmills, the tulip fields, the canals and the great swarms of cyclists. All marvellous sights that you’d rarely – if ever – see in Czechia.
But more important than these superficial differences were the underlying connections between our nations. He observed that what the two countries had in common was their ‘Europeanness’: their focus on economic cooperation and on social and humanitarian solidarity.
In Čapek’s time, that solidarity was under immense pressure in Europe. We all know what transpired in the years that followed…
History showed no mercy, and the people of your great and proud nation suffered countless injustices and torments.
For many decades, that same history kept us apart, cruelly separated by the Iron Curtain.
But eventually, it brought us back together…
We cherish the ties that bind us – as NATO allies, EU partners and friends. It feels like the natural order has been restored, and that’s something we must treasure and protect.
At the same time, we are all too aware of the threats we face.
We see how Ukraine is suffering under Russia’s aggression and cynical power politics.
We see how the international legal order is under threat.
We see the looming danger of ‘might makes right’.
As Czechs you will recognise the historical parallels. And perhaps you feel old wounds reopening. You know what’s at stake.
In your long and impressive career, Mr President, you have made it your mission to defend freedom, peace and human values.
Literally at times, like during the war in the former Yugoslavia, when you managed to rescue our French allies from a perilous position. Your career also brought you to the Netherlands, where you spent three years at NATO’s regional command headquarters in Brunssum.
Later you served as chair of the NATO Military Committee, the first from a former Warsaw Pact country.
You know better than anyone how vital the transatlantic alliance is for our security and our future.
But at the same time you are calling for greater European self-assurance. And you see a leadership role for your own country. In your inaugural address, you said: ‘Let’s not wait for the larger states to bring in their solutions. Where does it say that those largest are also always cleverer and more apt?’
We couldn’t agree more. Mid-sized, like-minded countries like Czechia and the Netherlands can make all the difference. Especially if we join forces.
And not just in theory. We’ve proved it in practice!
Take your initiatives to supply Ukraine with heavy arms and ammunition and to facilitate allies in their efforts to support Ukraine. The Netherlands was one of the first to sign up.
Or take the way we worked together to find an alternative to Russian gas, which your industry relied on almost entirely. Supplies of LNG via the Dutch port of Eemshaven were a big part of the solution.
This state visit is an excellent opportunity to explore new avenues of cooperation. And there’s so much we can build on together!
For example, we admire and respect your achievements in manufacturing. The Czech people have long been known for their ‘golden hands’.
For its part, the Netherlands has a strong tradition of trade, and long experience of creating ecosystems for high-tech and innovation.
Imagine what we could do if we brought these traditions together. Europe and the rest of the world would be amazed!
Building a strong and sustainable economy is a priority we share. But prosperity alone is not enough.
It’s also essential to keep listening to voices from the past – wise people on whose shoulders we’re privileged to stand.
Like the voice of John Amos Comenius, a defender of humanity, tolerance and good education for everyone.
And the voice of your illustrious predecessor Václav Havel.
In 1978, when he was a defenceless dissident in a totalitarian system, he wrote ‘The Power of the Powerless’, an essay that got right to the heart of the matter.
I quote, ‘The issue is the rehabilitation of values like trust, openness, responsibility, solidarity and love.’
Let us uphold these values together with all our hearts!
Let us be proud of our ‘Europeanness’, our close partnership as free democratic nations.
And let us remember that, even after the most brutal and cruel winter, Spring always prevails, and brings new life! In Prague, in Amsterdam and everywhere else.
May I now ask you all to raise your glasses with me.
To your health, Mr President and Mrs Pavlová!
To the close friendship that unites the Czech Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.