Norman L. Eisen, named temporary Ambassador to the Czech Republic by President Barack Obama last month, was sworn in to office on Friday in Washington, D.C. In his speech, the freshly minted US ambassador — known as President Obama’s ethics czar — quoted Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, who said “real democracy lies in morality” and pledged to live up to that precept. He is expected to officially assume the post on January 28 after presenting his credentials to Czech President Václav Klaus.
“I am deeply honored by the confidence that the President and Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton have shown in me by appointing me to the important post of Ambassador to the Czech Republic,” Eisen said at the swearing-in ceremony, according to a transcript posted on the website of the US Embassy in Prague.
Eisen’s nomination was blocked in September by Senator Charles Grassley (Republican, Iowa), who charged that he had misrepresented facts to Congress about the firing of a federal official. Like the three other ambassadors named by Obama as “recess appointments,” Eisen — previously the Special Assistant to the President and Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform — can only serve for 12 months in the post without Senate approval.
Apart from thanking family and friends for supporting him during the confirmation process, Eisen expressed his gratitude to the US State Department and White House team “that worked on my appointment and on prepping me for my new job.” Eisen is proud of work he’s helped achieve under Obama on ethics issues (lobbying, campaign finance, open government and whistleblower rights).
“I am also grateful for the many former and current colleagues in and outside of government who are here today,” said Eisen, whom the Washington Post has described as Obama’s ethics guru. “I am so proud of the work we have done together over the past two years at the President’s direction on ethics, lobbying, campaign finance, open government, whistleblower rights, and so many other reform issues.”
The freshly minted US ambassador to Prague was joined at the swearing ceremony by his Czech counterpart in Washington, Chargé d’Affaires Daniel Kostoval. “I am deeply appreciative that he can be here, and value the time we have already spent discussing the opportunities that await me in my new position,” Eisen said. “Together I hope that we can help take the strong tradition of US-Czech friendship and cooperation to new heights.”
Strengthening bilateral ties
Eisen said that as US Ambassador to the Czech Republic he is looking forward to broadening and deepening ties between the two governments and peoples. “It is my hope that the enduring relationship between our two countries will remain one of shared values, cooperation and partnership ... Our long friendship is cemented by the millions of Americans with strong family and cultural ties to the region, of which I am a proud member.”
Eisen noted that the US and the Czech Republic work closely together on issues ranging from promoting human rights around the world, to advancing the nations’ “collective security” in Afghanistan, the Balkans and across the globe.
In his July 22 confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Eisen had said he would marshal all of his country’s resources to support Westinghouse’s bid to expand the Temelín nuclear power plant — and on Friday spoke of the desire to expand US-Czech business and economic ties “as well as joint scientific research and development on issues in which our countries are both leaders, such as civil nuclear energy production.”
Czech roots, shared values
“Personally, I feel a deep connection with the region. My mother was born in then-Czechoslovakia and my father in Poland,” said Eisen, whose parents were Holocaust survivors. “My grandparents, like so many others who perished in the upheaval and tragedies of the 20th century, could never have imagined that I would be standing here today speaking these words.”
Eisen said he will work to make the US Embassy and Residence in Prague “a center of discussion and debate” as the two countries work together to forge creative policy solutions for challenges, such as energy security, the battle against terrorism, and the preservation of rule of law. He quoted a famous slogan of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia: “Real democracy lies in morality.”
“I have tried to live up to that precept in my work every day of the past two years, and I promise to do the same in my new role representing our nation in the Czech Republic,” Eisen said.
