The Czech and Slovak political representatives were unsuccessful in finding a suitable bilateral model for the coexistence of the Czech and Slovak nations. This resulted in the organized and orderly split of the joint state.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia have existed separately since January 1, 1993. Integration with the European community and European security structures became an objective of both states. Mutual relations were kept above-standard due to the immixture of citizens after almost 90 years of coexistence in one state.
The Czech Republic was accepted as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization March 12, 1999. The Czech Republic is now a formal member of NATO and the United Nations, and its units have participated in missions to Iraq, Croatia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and many other countries.
An affiliation agreement between the Czech Republic and the European Community was concluded October 4, 1993. This took effect February 1, 1995. The process of convergence with the European Community culminated with the Czech Republic becoming a member of the European Union, along with nine other states, May 1, 2004.
Currently, the Czech Republic is a fully democratic country with a stable political culture and growing economic power. The positive results of economic transformation and democratic administration are easily apparent: The increasing living standards of inhabitants are noticeable and are approaching the levels of some standards of the European Union.
In June 2006, parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic. The equal division of the lower house, or Chamber of Deputies, made it impossible to form a government.
Prime Minister and ODS Chairman Mirek Topolánek was twice asked to form a government.
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CHARLES UNIVERSITY
Charles University in Prague is the oldest university in the Central Europe. It was established April 7, 1348, and today is attended by 42,000 students.