Before I disappear

It is not only the war in Ukraine that shows that we are living in a turning point. Liberal democracy is in crisis, with populist, authoritarian and extreme political parties and movements on the rise. In her interviews with journalist Petr Šabata, Magda Vášáryová describes this pivotal period in a way that is original and colourful, and she also brings a number of surprising insights and not entirely well-known facts from recent history or behind the scenes of politics. Vášáryová worked closely with Václav Havel and Karel Schwarzenberg, ran for Slovak president against Vladimír Mečiar, was a member of the National Council for ten years, Havel's ambassador to Austria, and then Slovak ambassador to Poland. She has met many political figures throughout the region and is able to combine incisive analysis with remarkable stories that sometimes tell the story of politics better than long analysis.