Reconstruction already underway” “

Economic damage, hardship for thousands of families, the expense of reconstruction. These are some of the consequences of the terrible floods that devastated central and eastern Europe in the middle of August. The Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Russia were the countries hardest hit with numerous deaths and tens of thousands of people homeless or displaced. Now the time has come to rebuild, thanks also to the solidarity of many European countries. We interviewed Zdenek Werner , a citizen of Prague and head of “Prague House” in Brussels, and Hans Dorr , director of RKW in North Rhine-Westphalia, the German consulting agency for small and medium-size companies. Mr Werner, how is morale among the people of Prague? “In Prague as elsewhere, what struck me most was reading in people’s eyes their bewilderment at not being able to save their homes, their furniture and their fields from the flood waters. A feeling of impotence and discouragement. Considering the scale of the damage, thousands of families will find it difficult to return to their homes soon, even in the city. Nonetheless our people are used to working, and to suffering, to looking forward. Indeed, the first moves towards reconstruction began before the water and mud had completely gone”. Have you made any forecasts as to how long reconstruction will take? “The first steps have already been taken., especially by individual citizens who have rolled up their sleeves and trousers and begun work. Fortunately, both the European Union and the national administrations have shown the necessary flexibility by quickly allocating funds for the emergency. Not much if one considers the overall estimate of the damage, but fundamental for facing the emergency. The removal of mud from streets and fields alone will require weeks of full-time work. The Czech Republic is sufficiently healthy from a financial point of view but presently all efforts are concentrated on joining the EU, in other words on ‘economic rigour’. Moreover, rebuilding today means taking into account possible future floods. I was also struck by other European nations’ solidarity with the Czech people; from that point of view, the expansion of the European Union is already a reality”. Mr Dorr, what have been the consequences of the flood on the German production industry? “The flooding struck almost one in seven German firms. In some eastern regions, this proportion rises dramatically to one in two; not to mention cities such as Lipsia where the disaster was almost complete, especially for agricultural and artisanal firms located in the country or along the rivers and lakes. There are one and a half million families temporally without work until reconstruction, without an income, or even without a home. Together with the federal and regional governments, we are working to restore normality”. What are the most urgent needs? “Those who have lost their farms need everything; livestock, seed and machinery, but also computers, archives, means of transport, telecommunications. Television images, however powerful they may be, do not fully render the dimensions of the catastrophe. Many small and medium-size companies must start again from where they were, perhaps thirty or forty years or perhaps just a few months ago. Together with banks, we have begun a programme of soft loans for companies. Nonetheless, the primary need is to have faith in the future, though this is not easy considering the performance of international markets and the worsening climate. Now, when it rains for more than a day, people are afraid”.