Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit. 10+ years in marketing and data.

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Richard Golian

Hi, I am Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories — and what I am working on. I hope this article brings you some value.

Andrej Sámel — The First to Speak Out Against Mečiar and Warn Havel About Czechoslovakia’s Breakup

Vladimír Mečiar versus Andrej Sámel

By Richard Golian

“Unforgivable, unjustified. It can never be forgotten.”

These are the words of Fedor Gál, who led Verejnosť proti násiliu (Public Against Violence, hereafter VPN) — a civic movement that emerged during the Velvet Revolution as the main democratic opposition to the communist regime in Slovakia. He was referring to the story of my great-grandmother’s brother, General Andrej Sámel. My family has not forgotten — my grandmother even found old newspaper articles that include his quotes.

Article: The Mečiar vs. Sámel Case — Dispute Before the Finale

Velvet Revolution and the Fall of Socialism in Czechoslovakia — November 1989

This story takes place shortly after the Velvet Revolution. Because of its outcome, I can write freely today. That is something worth remembering as we mark the anniversary of the events of 17 November 1989.

With great hope often come people who do not mean well. Some are ready to use energy and momentum for their own benefit. Slovakia after the fall of socialism was no exception.

Shortly after November 1989, a lawyer from Nemšová began gaining popularity — Vladimír Mečiar. In the euphoric atmosphere of the early 1990s, it was very difficult to confront him or question his methods. What followed is now well known: increasing nationalism, concentration of power, pressure on institutions, controversial privatisation, and Slovakia’s growing isolation from the West.

At the time, however, this was far from obvious. Andrej Sámel, then Deputy to the Federal Minister of the Interior, recognised the direction early — at a time when very few did.

Andrej Sámel was not without experience: during the Prague Spring in 1968, he supported a pluralistic political system and openly opposed the invasion of Warsaw Pact troops, led by the Soviet Union, which brought those reforms to an end. He was subsequently pushed out of political life and persecuted by the regime.

Summary

After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, Andrej Samel warned President Havel about Meciar's nationalist agenda — more than two years before Czechoslovakia split. Meciar's circle retaliated by labelling him an agent. This article traces what happened and invites the reader to judge whether Samel was right.

Sources

Andrew K Milton: The Rational Politician: Exploiting the Media in New Democracies
Andrej Sámel
Fedor Gál: Čriepok z mozaiky
Fedor Gál: Ešte raz a naposledy: Koniec príbehu
Luciano Antonetti: Arrestato Bilak Aprì Praga all'Urss
Andrej Sámel
SMER-dnes (Slovenský východ, Mladá fronta dnes, Práce, Slezkomoravský den): Andrej prehovoril
Pavlík Vladimír: Ako Mečiar a Kňažko gen. Sámela žalovali
sme.sk: Generál Sámel sa označuje za jednu z prvých obetí nežnej revolúcie
The New York Times: Evolution in Europe; Czechoslovakia Detains Ex-Communist Party Leader and 4 Others
Andrej Sámel
Zamudio Martínez, R.: La revolución de terciopelo en Checoslovaquia: cronología 1988–1990
Andrej Sámel
Richard Golian

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.

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Common questions on this article's topic

What was the Velvet Revolution?
The Velvet Revolution was the peaceful overthrow of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, beginning on November 17, 1989, with student protests in Prague. Within weeks, the one-party system collapsed without a single shot being fired. In Slovakia, the main opposition movement was Verejnosť proti násiliu (Public Against Violence), led by Fedor Gál, which organised mass demonstrations and negotiations that ended four decades of communist rule. The revolution is celebrated annually on November 17.
Who was Vladimír Mečiar?
Vladimír Mečiar was a lawyer from Nemšová who rose to political prominence after the Velvet Revolution. He joined Public Against Violence, was appointed Minister of Interior in January 1990, and went on to serve as Slovak Prime Minister three times (1990–91, 1992–94, 1994–98). His governing style — known as Mečiarism — was characterised by increasing nationalism, concentration of power, pressure on institutions, controversial privatisation, and Slovakia's growing isolation from the West. Under his leadership, Slovakia was excluded from the first wave of NATO and EU enlargement.
Who was Andrej Sámel?
Andrej Sámel was a Slovak political figure who served as Deputy to the Federal Minister of the Interior after the Velvet Revolution. During the Prague Spring in 1968, he had supported pluralistic reforms and openly opposed the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion — for which he was persecuted by the regime and pushed out of political life. After returning to public service in 1989, he became one of the first people to warn President Václav Havel about Mečiar's nationalist agenda and his efforts to weaken Czechoslovakia as a federation — more than two years before the country split apart.
What happened to Czechoslovakia and why did it split?
Czechoslovakia dissolved on January 1, 1993, in what became known as the Velvet Divorce. The split was driven primarily by political negotiations between Czech and Slovak leaders after the 1992 elections, in which Mečiar's nationalist movement won in Slovakia and Václav Klaus's party won in the Czech lands. No referendum was held — public opinion polls at the time showed that a majority of citizens in both countries opposed the dissolution. In the article, Andrej Sámel warned about Mečiar's intentions to weaken the federation as early as March 1990.
What was the Prague Spring of 1968?
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalisation in Czechoslovakia under First Secretary Alexander Dubček, beginning in January 1968. Reforms included loosened media censorship, greater freedom of speech, and movement toward political pluralism. On August 20–21, 1968, the Soviet Union led a Warsaw Pact invasion with approximately 500,000 troops to crush the reforms. The occupation ended the liberalisation process and ushered in two decades of normalisation — a period of political repression that lasted until the Velvet Revolution in 1989.
What happened to Andrej Sámel after he warned about Mečiar?
Mečiar launched a public campaign against him. Sámel was placed under intense pressure and labelled an agent. He submitted his resignation, which was initially rejected but later accepted. After leaving office, he published information he had gathered about practices in Slovak politics. In response, both Vladimír Mečiar and Milan Kňažko — a founding member of Public Against Violence who later became a minister and remains a public figure — sued him. In the article, the reader is invited to judge whether Sámel was right by considering what followed in Slovakia after 1991.