The Prague Post Online: News: Generation gap widens, highlights change

May 10th, 2008

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Generation gap widens, highlights change

Senior citizens are missing out on the 'Czech dream'

March 26th, 2008 issue

By James Tressler

Sonia Černohorská, like many other youths, takes advantage of today's opportunities. enlarge

Berta Maršálová lived through the hard times of the past century. She approves of current society, saying there's lots on offer. enlarge

For the Post

At age 96, Berta Maršálová has survived two world wars and lived under at least five political systems. Known by relatives as “Babička,” or “Granny,” she recalls her father heading off to fight for the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I, and later arguing with her late husband because he supported the communist takeover in 1948.

Asked what she thinks of today’s society, Maršálová nods in approval.

“It’s good,” she said during a conversation at her Prague 2 flat, with her daughter-in-law Jiřina acting as translator. “In the shops there are lots of things to buy.” But many are out of reach considering her state pension of about 9,000 Kč ($550) per month, roughly the average received by retirees, who comprise about 20 percent of the country’s 10 million citizens.

Another 65-year-old pensioner, who gets about 8,000 Kč a month, talked about economic difficulties. He picked up a decorative menu from 1985 while at a Prague 10 restaurant, which listed the price of a pint of beer at 1 Kč.

“And now, shit!” he exclaimed, pointing at today’s prices. But, after a moment’s reflection, he relented. “Beer for 1 Kč, but no democracy.”

Meanwhile, today’s younger generation is enjoying the benefits of an economy growing at record levels, snapping up mobile phones and iPods, and jet-setting off to the West — all of which was impossible just 20 years ago.

Take Sonia Černohorská, who is in her 20s and works for a U.S. translation company in Prague, making above the average salary of 20,000 Kč a month. She speaks fluent English while learning Portuguese, attends Brazilian dance classes and has traveled in Ireland, France and Australia.

Černohorská concedes that her generation has had a better deal, but she’s looking forward, not backward.

“I’m open, and I like the possibilities,” she said. “I respect what the older generation had to go through, but there’s no reason I should live that life.”

Help for the aging

Inflation has hit seniors particularly hard, with prices on average rising nearly 8 percent in January alone. In reaction, the state recently voted to raise pensions almost 500 Kč. Prague Mayor Pavel Bém feels that such increases are needed.

“There definitely is a big generation gap,” he told The Prague Post. “Our pensioners are a measure of the health and wealth of the state. I would be happier if they were higher and looking at the … realistic expectation for pension growth.”

But have such policy efforts and good intentions been enough so far?

Hardly, says Matěj Lejsal, director of the Sue Ryder House in Michle, which offers care and services to seniors.

“Imagine you make the average salary, say, 20,000 a month, then cut it to 9,000,” he said. “It’s clear your opportunities to participate in society will be very limited. I mean, you know how much tickets to the theater cost?”

Lejsal said the prosperity and opportunities available in society today are great — if you’re young. The Velvet Revolution and resulting change — the mobile, go-and-get world of capitalism — left many seniors suffering what he calls “systemic discrimination” in which society is geared toward the young generation. The latest mobile phones, for example, are virtually impossible for the older generation to navigate. Also, banks increasingly want customers to use online services, and charge for face-to-face service, which the older generation prefers.

Fortunately, there are dozens of organizations in Prague that cater to seniors by offering Internet training, language classes, and 24-hour help lines.

For its part, the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry has released The Quality of Life in Old Age National Program for 2008 to 2012, which includes five initiatives to help the aging population. The action plan seeks to increase offerings of life-long education, encourage municipalities to strive for “age-friendly cities” in which officials meet the specific needs of seniors, establish affordable long-term health care, increase relationships between young Czechs and their aging family, and help seniors to become more active as volunteers.

These days Maršálová herself is still quite active — last year she walked to her local polling booth to vote in the parliamentary elections. But she certainly couldn’t get by on her own.

“Of course,” she said, reaching for the hand of her daughter-in-law, who had just brought a sack of groceries and reviewed the next day’s pill schedule, “I could never survive without my Jiřka.”

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Reader's comments:

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[17:07 28/03/2008] : I hope that the younger Czech generation will learn from one of America's errors (yes, as an American I admit that this error exists for many). Do not spend all of the new-found wealth on shiny things and trips. Save for retirement. For even if the state pension increases with inflation, it will still be a reduction in living standards for the young once they have aged.

Richard Elliot
Charlotte

[13:29 01/04/2008] : >>Meanwhile, today's younger generation is enjoying the benefits of an economy growing at record levels, snapping up mobile phones and iPods, and jet-setting off to the West -- all of which was impossible just 20 years ago.

Snapping up mobile phones and iPods was impossible everywhere 20 years ago. And going to West was never impossible, just harder than is is at present.

Margot Winston
Prague

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