Radičová – Bárdy live: When does a politician fail and why power does not mean ruling, but serving?
What would you ask the first and, for now, the only Slovak prime minister in the history of Slovak democracy, if you had the chance? And what did Peter Bárdy talk about with Iveta Radičová, who, after the titles about Igor Matovič, Robert Fic and Zuzana Čaputová, also wrote a book about the first woman in the prime minister’s chair?
You can answer the first question already today in the Martinus bookstore in Bratislava, where a discussion connected with the presentation of the new book began at 6:00 p.m. . With the participation of the book’s main actress Iveta Radičová and its author, Aktuality.sk editor-in-chief Peter Bárdy.
The author of political bestsellers Peter Bárdy spent dozens of hours with Iveta Radičová in personal interviews and passionate discussions in order to break through the defensive wall built over the years. The book thus often resembles a confidential conversation between two equal partners who respect their positions: a politician and a journalist.
“My task was not to act so negatively that Iveta Radičová considered any confrontational or curious question to be presumptuous. I tried to be an equal partner for her and to maintain integrity,” stated Peter Bárdy in connection with writing the book
In this context, Iveta Radičová admitted that it was not easy for him as the author of a book about her.
“You know it: a journalist asks a question and I answer what I want. It was not easy for Petr Bárdy to coax me, but he succeeded. One thing happened to me – I included Mr. Bárdy in a close group of friends. And a friend can also tell you an unpleasant truth, so unpleasant truths also resonated,” Iveta Radičová evaluated the joint conversations and the process of creating the book.
At the same time, she added that she surpassed herself. “I didn’t rewrite anything – I abandoned what I usually do with the text, leaving no stone unturned. With this book, I was able to respect that the author of the book is Peter Bárdy, and not me. I kept my word, I never once interfered with the text, it is the author’s text of Mr. Bárdy.”
About power and governance
Iveta Radičová is still convinced that a good politician must know one thing: power does not mean ruling, but serving. If it is otherwise, the politician fails.
“If a politician needs to assert himself through aggressive self-presentation, we cannot expect citizens to have their own self-confidence. Such a politician does not even want self-confident citizens. On the contrary, he wants to keep them in fear and worry so that they get the feeling that they are dependent on the politician. But power should not look like this, it has nothing to do with governance, democracy and freedom,” she stated.
In the book and during the discussion, the topic of the government of Iveta Radičová in the years 2010-2012 came up. However, Peter Bárdy emphasized that it was not a key topic for him, as a lot has already been written about it. “I didn’t want to write a book about the end of Iveta Radičová’s reign. I wanted to write a book about Iveta Radičová,” he added.
In this context, the first Slovak prime minister drew attention to a circumstance that she regrets to this day. “Our government was doing the most difficult consolidation ever. And after all, it was all about the end of the government. There wasn’t even a knock on what was achieved in those two years. And at the same time, five prime ministers were in that chair for a shorter time than I was, and no one devoted themselves to them to the same extent as I did,” she noted.
Get under the skin
The author of political bestsellers, Petr Bárdy, was not “only” interested in Radičová – the prime minister who tried to change Slovak politics, which was shaped almost exclusively by men. He wanted to know the true face of a woman – a politician, when the cameras are turned off and the audience disappears.
Iveta Radičová admitted that he had a difficult assignment.
“Being exposed to public pressure, especially in Slovakia, is extremely difficult. As Prime Minister, you have to put up with so much dirt – as Stanko (Stano Radič, well-known humorist and now ill-fated husband of Iveta Radičová, editor’s note) once said that I can go into politics, I have the stomach for it. There were moments when I didn’t have the stomach for it. I absolutely needed to protect myself, that’s why I built a defense wall, such a wall. And Mr. Bárdy tried to dismantle it brick by brick, but he did not completely dismantle it. but you did,” she evaluated.
And what surprised Petr Bárdy about Iveta Radičová? “I have to admit that the recitation surprised me the most. When she recited poems to me,” he remarked. In the book RADIČOVÁ you will also find some of Iveta Radičová’s favorite poems.
During the discussion, there was also a question regarding the turbulent present, populism and a divided society. The first female prime minister and the first professor of sociology in Slovakia has a simple answer to what the next generation should do.
“Try to live according to your conscience. Conscience is the main indicator that life was worth it. Everyone who drives or is a passenger or a passenger is fully responsible for the person to whom they gave the steering wheel. Conscience, please cultivate your conscience. And in moments when you hesitate, when you don’t know how to proceed, follow not only your mind, but especially your heart. I am convinced that then it will give life sense,” she summed up.
The life and death of Stan Radič
The answer to the second question from the beginning of the article can be found in the first biography of the Slovak prime minister, which deviates from the traditional titles about Slovak politicians. And not only with content, but also with graphic processing and a rich photo archive. A change from the past is also the fact that by buying the book you support not only free journalism, but also the Children’s Cardio Center Foundation.
Peter Bárdy wanted to know what his childhood and adolescence were like in totalitarianism, the turbulent years of building Slovak democracy and family life with Stan Radič and coping (not only) with his sudden departure.
“There were moments when I would have sent Stan away – because that’s normal in any relationship. But today I can say that it was an incredibly beautiful, crazy and intense time. I don’t regret anything. Stan had one great aphorism that I have to mention: ‘Try to live so that after you’re gone there’s not the same joy as after you were born.’ I tried to live in such a way that something more would be left behind,” stated Iveta Radičová in the book .
Life in 280 pages
The editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk was also interested in whether Iveta Radičová never regretted her decision to play a clean game not only in life, but also in politics. He also asked how she coped with the fall of the government and her departure from the political scene. And would she be able to be a populist like Robert Fico, if that would mean the end of the system of “our people”.
“My life, which will be for a few pages… It’s a strange feeling. I lived half of it in totalitarianism and half in an effort to help freedom. I won’t say in freedom. I’d rather repeat that in an effort to help freedom. Unfortunately, there aren’t three halves, which I’m very sorry for, because I still need the third. But I don’t have it,” admits the central character of the 280-page book .
A bonus of the first biography of the Slovak prime minister are photos from the private archive of Iveta Radičová, which illustrate turning points from her childhood, adolescence, marriage, political and academic life. Graphic designer and artist Mikina Dimunová and graphic artist Pavel Kordoš took care of the unique graphic form of the cover and the folding of the inside. The author of the title portrait is photographer Branislav Wáclav.
By buying a book you will support not only free journalism based on facts. Part of the sale will go directly to the Children’s Cardio Center Foundation.
