Compromise that raised hopes but nothing more (Portal of Prague)

Rather than discussing the nature of the famous Action Programme that was accepted by the Communist leadership, let’s recognize the fact that accepting of it was in its nature a miracle. On top of it the document was, according to sources, approved unanimously. Why was it a miracle? Because the reform path, that was set in the Action Program, had more antagonists than supporters, surprisingly on both sides of the political spectrum. Conservationists didn’t want any changes in the Communist Party management and liberals on the other hand were after a real democracy and that wasn’t something that the Action Programme was offering.

So what was it that the Action Programme promised to the public? The extensive document defined a concept of reform for next two years in politics, society and also economy. One of the main authors was then secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee, Zdeněk Mlynář, who resigned from his posts after the occupation and in 1977 emigrated to Austria.

The proposal of the Programme was ready already in February and it met with favourable response from public. The document kept the leading role of the Communist Party but some of its parts were relatively progressive and brave for its time. At the beginning the need to overcome crisis in society was mentioned, saying that this crisis was caused by “inconsistent and lengthy correction of mistakes and practices of nineteen fifties”. The crises lead to “a delay in development of the socialistic democracy and the fact that the political and theoretic thinking was falling behind”.

“Socialisms can develop only when it is opened to different interests of people and on this basis we will democratically build unity of all working people”, said the document.

The political part of the programme among others stated that inside of the National Front all parties and organisations should be equal. Personnel management strategy should change and put more stress on qualification and education rather than on class origin.

Solution of damaged Czech – Slovak relationship was found in creating a federative state. That meant that the constitution was supplemented by Slovakian legislative and government bodies that were given necessary competences.

The economic part included two basic targets:

· Implementation of the socialistic entrepreneurship through making companies relatively independent on the state.
(in nineteen eighties this was in Russia called chozrascot" and it was a main idea of the Gorbatchov’s Perestrojka)

· Long – term target included necessary structural changes that would decrease energetic and material demands of economy.

Next part of the document was dealing with the development of science, education and culture. It was build on presumption that socialism has to ensure full freedom of scientific research – “scientific discussions, scientific works and journals mustn’t be subject to any kind of censorship.

In the educational field the main target was to draw a long-term project that would ensure improvement of the quality in educational system.

Stress was laid also on humanisation of culture. Cultural politics was to be rid of bureaucratic manners. The target was to ensure free and uncensored development of culture in all its fields.

Source: dobový tisk