President Václav Klaus, like his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, has reintroduced a rather ambiguous term into European politics: the notion of "defending the national interest." The idea behind this term, as defined by a new generation of European nationalists, is very simple: Get as much as you can for "your country," but try to give back nothing, or as little as possible, to your neighbors, the European Union or the international community.

Sadly, this is also the very principle that has caused prejudice and bias among Europeans in the past, often also culminating in open conflict, including war and ethnic cleansing.

The policies of Klaus, and other members of the populist Czech right, can be best summarized as follows:

Be the advocate of the most fundamentalist forms of social Darwinism and free-market liberalism if it suits your needs, but squeeze as much money as possible out of EU pockets in the name of fair redistribution and social justice.

Fight for the equal treatment of Czechs in the West European labor markets, but reject the rights of other Europeans to buy agricultural property in your own country.

Play the advocate for human rights in Cuba, North Korea and Iraq but maintain the divisive and inhumane Beneš Decrees and cover up and excuse one of Europe's biggest crimes against humanity — the expulsion of one-third of the Czech Republic's historic population: the Sudeten Germans.

Benefit from an open European market, but do whatever it takes to prevent further political integration into the EU.

Celebrate T.G. Masaryk's democratic Czechoslovak Republic on a national day every year as if you founded the country yourself, but lobby against Karel Schwarzenberg, a highly acclaimed member of an old Czech-Austrian family that stood by the country during Nazi occupation but still suffered expropriation, expulsion and mistreatment for decades.

Klaus, a staunch anti-communist during the 1990s, was elected president with the support of members of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia who disliked the pro-European and moderately "Beneš Decrees-critical" candidate of the Social Democrats, Jaroslav Bureš. During the past couple years, Klaus has spent most of his time traveling around the Czech Republic, Europe and the world attacking the EU and its institutions. At the same time, he has become a strong advocate of admitting as many new countries to the EU as possible, openly admitting his aim to weaken the EU by creating more division.

Although holding an office with a mostly representational function, Klaus did all he could to influence or hinder the EU-friendly policies of the government of former Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek. He celebrated the rejection of the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands as if it were his personal success and a defeat of the Czech government. Any attempt by the government, members of his own party or any other organization to provide the Czech public with unbiased information about the EU, and the associated importance of postwar reconciliation, was met by another fiery anti-European speech or statement.

Not surprisingly, Klaus also strongly rejected Paroubek's rather cautious first step toward reconciliation with Sudeten Germans through the public rehabilitation of the so-called "German Anti-fascists."

While initially a staunch supporter of a center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, Klaus recently turned increasingly "Topolánek-skeptical," anti-Green Party (SZ) and pro-grand coalition. This seems to have happened after he realized that (a) Topolánek was not as anti-European as he expected him to be, (b) the Christian Democratic Union and the SZ have turned the new coalition agreement into something "dangerously pro-European," from his point of view, and (c) to make matters worse, the SZ nominated a member of an old Austro-Bohemian family as the new foreign affairs minister.

But, whatever Klaus says or does, he never fails to remind the public that he has done it for "the Czech national interest." However, the saddest thing about this ongoing crusade against everything postwar Europe stands for is that it does anything but defend the national interest of the Czech Republic. A small country in the center of Europe surrounded by neighbors with which it has a difficult and conflict-ridden history can only secure its long-term future and prosperity by actively pursuing EU integration. Not hardline policies toward neighbors and former population groups, but fair, honest and truthful reconciliation in line with the principals of equality for all, will secure lasting peace and long term security for Czechs and all Central Europeans.

Topolánek, until now mostly perceived as a rather faceless disciple of Klaus, has suddenly become the leader of a new wing within the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) that is looking for a new approach to Europe and the Czech Republic's neighbors. He represents the majority of ODS voters, who continue to be the most pro-European of all Czechs, despite the ongoing anti-EU campaign by party co-founder and Honorary Chairman Klaus.

Topolánek hit the nail on the head when he called Klaus and his anti-European lobby "obsessed by the idea of Czech national revival" and the associated hatred of anything German and aristocratic. Topolánek recognizes the enormous advantage in actively pursuing the Czech Republic's incorporation into the prosperous West European economy. At the same time, he also seems to understand the enormous historical opportunity associated with the EU unification process, and the importance of reconciliation with Austria, Germany and the Sudeten Germans, something Schwarzenberg surely stands for.

Mr. Klaus, your divisive and outdated anti-European nationalism is an ugly form of chauvinism that contradicts the very principles of postwar European reconciliation. Stop talking about democracy. Pursue it if you want to become a political leader worth being remembered for; follow the path of great Czechs like T.G. Masaryk, Václav Havel, Jiří Grůša, Wenzel Jaksch and Schwarzenberg. They are people who represent the long-term interests of a truly democratic, prosperous, diverse and peaceful Czech Republic in a reconciled Central Europe.