Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the US in 2025 (Culturally, Economically, Internationally) with Martin Bútora and Michal Žantovský
Meet the Hosts:
Miroslav (Mirek) Konvalina is a seasoned public diplomacy professional with extensive experience in the Czech Republic and the U.S. He served as director of Czech Center New York and led the American Center at the U.S. Embassy in Prague for seven years. Konvalina studied journalism in both countries and holds a degree in economics. He has worked in government communications, as a Czech Radio correspondent in Washington, D.C., and as director of Czech Radiojournal. He also held a marketing leadership role at Newton Media. An author, documentarian, and curator, Konvalina has hosted a talk show in Prague and is fluent in Czech, English, Russian, and basic German.
Pavol Demeš is an independent foreign policy analyst, civil society expert, photographer, and TV anchor based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Before the 1989 Velvet Revolution, he was a biomedical researcher at Comenius University. He later served as executive director of the Slovak Academic Information Agency, Slovakia’s minister of international relations (1991–1992), and foreign policy adviser to the president (1993–1997). From 2000 to 2010, he directed Central and Eastern Europe programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He hosted a TV program on international relations for TASR and has authored numerous works on civil society and diplomacy.
Meet the Guests:
Martin Bútora is a Slovak sociologist, writer, and diplomat. One of the key figures in Slovakia’s democratic transition, he co-founded the Public Against Violence movement during the Velvet Revolution. He served as an adviser to President Václav Havel and later as Slovakia’s ambassador to the United States (1999–2003). Bútora has been actively involved in civil society, co-founding the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) and contributing to policy analysis and democratic development. Throughout his career, he has focused on human rights, foreign policy, and civic engagement.
Michael Žantovský is a Czech diplomat, writer, and political figure. A former spokesperson and political advisor to President Václav Havel, he later served as the Czech ambassador to the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Žantovský was the leader of the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA (and has been active in journalism, literature, and translation. He was the director of the Václav Havel Library 2015-2023, dedicated to preserving Havel’s legacy. He is the honorary chair of Aspen Institute Central Europe and a foreign policy adviser to Petr Pavel, current Czech president. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in Czech politics, diplomacy, and cultural affairs.
