Lubomir Strougal, the former Prime Minister of communist Czechoslovakia, has passed away at the age of 98. Strougal served as Prime Minister from 1970 to 1988, and held several other key positions in the Communist Party, including Interior Minister and Agriculture Minister. He was a senior member of the Communist Party (KSC) for over 30 years and became a symbol of the hardline communist regime that ruled during the era of “normalisation” (1968-1989).

After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, Strougal retired from politics and did not join the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, which was the successor of the KSC. He was facing criminal prosecution over his role in the killing and wounding of people along the Czechoslovak border during the totalitarian regime, but the proceedings were halted due to his health condition of senile dementia. In 2001, he was charged in relation to his failure to correctly deliver documents to a prosecutor, but was acquitted in 2002.

Strougal was born in Veseli nad Luznici and became a part of the upper echelons of the Communist Party after studying law in 1948. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he served as the Minister of Agriculture, then as Interior Minister until 1965, and finally as Deputy Prime Minister in 1968. During the late 1980s, Strougal supported the communist wing promoting reforms but eventually lost the internal battle in the party.

After the November 1989 anti-communist revolution, Strougal opposed the regime’s crackdown on opponents and proposed that the Communists negotiate with the anti-communist movement of Civic Forum. He then left public life and retired. In his later years, he wrote several books of memoirs and contemplations.

According to historian Libor Svoboda, Strougal was a typical communist party official and technocrat who successfully navigated the communist system. He was not involved in much ideological affairs, which allowed him to avoid political purges. Strougal was considered a pragmatic and competent politician and was known for being a fan of Sparta Prague.

In the aftermath of the fall of communism, the police launched a criminal investigation against Strougal for his failure to prevent the use of high-voltage wiring at the western border, but the case was statute-barred in 2006 and the investigation ended. Historian Ludek Navara stated that the top representatives of the regime knew about the happenings along the Iron Curtain and the death of 60 people along the Iron Curtain during the time when Strougal held top posts must not be forgotten.

In conclusion, Lubomir Strougal was a prominent figure in the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and served as Prime Minister for 19 years. Despite facing criminal prosecution over his role in the killing and wounding of people along the border during the totalitarian regime, he was considered a competent and pragmatic politician by many. He has passed away at the age of 98, leaving behind a legacy as a symbol of the hardline communist era.
Article by Prague Forum