Abstract
The views and policies of the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which became known as Thatcherism, were mirrored in the newly democratic Czechoslovakia. Democratic left respected her for the principled critique of the Soviet bloc, but it was the Czechoslovak, or more accurately Czech right, which was directly inspired by her programme.
Under the leadership of the Finance Minister and later Prime Minister Václav Klaus Czechoslovakia undertook the most radical economic reform of all post-communist countries. British conservatism inspired the Czech right, partly indirectly, as the Czech politician read similar conservative thinkers and economists as the people surrounding Thatcher, but there is also direct inspiration.
Czechoslovak officials closely studied British privati- sation. The British provided advisers, money and organised conferences, all to achieve a smooth re- form process.
The result was a clear imprint of Thatcherism on the Czechoslovak economic reform and on the newly constituted Czech right.