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Institute for Liberal Studies (Czech Republic)

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Coordinates: 50°6′16.75″N 14°23′26.05″E / 50.1046528°N 14.3905694°E / 50.1046528; 14.3905694
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Institut Liberálních Studií
Institut Liberálních Studií logo
Non-Profit Think Tank
PredecessorLiberal Institute
Date of CreationJuly 17, 2020
Legal FormInstitute (CS: ústav)
PurposeEducation
LocationPrague
ScopeCzech Republic
DirectorMartin Pánek
Official Websitehttps://inlist.cz/
Tax IDCZ09324194
coordinates50°6′16.75″N 14°23′26.05″E / 50.1046528°N 14.3905694°E / 50.1046528; 14.3905694

The Institute for Liberal Studies (Czech: Institut Liberálních Studií) is a Czech public policy think tank based in Prague, which aims to promote the principles of classical liberalism. It is currently led by Martin Panek. Previously known as the Liberal Institute, it was founded in its current form in July 2020 by Tomáš Pajonk to continue the tradition of the defunct Liberal Institute founded in 1990. The institute publishes research promoting the ideas of classical liberalism as applied to the Czech and European political system.

History

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Liberal Institute

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The F.A. Hayek Liberal Association was founded by Jiří Schwarz, Tomáš Ježek, and Miroslav Ševčík during the early stages of the Velvet Revolution in 1989, and was registered on February 6, 1990, as the Liberal Institute. The institute has been led by Miroslav Ševčík, Petr Koblovský and Dominik Stroukal. Ševčík was deposed as director in 2013, and later expelled from the institute following controversy related to his tenure as dean of the Faculty of Economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business.[1] He sued the institute to be reinstated.[2]

During this period, six of the institute's fellows served as economic advisors to the Czech government: Jiří Schwarz and Miroslav Zámečník (to the Topolánek Cabinet),[3] and Dominik Stroukal, Mojmír Hampl, Aleš Rod, and Libor Dušek (to the Fiala Cabinet).[4] Hampl, a former editor of the institute's magazine Laissez Faire, went on to become a vice-governor of the Czech National Bank and a president of the Czech National Budget Council. Petr Mach, also a former editor of the magazine, was elected a member of the European Parliament after parting ways with the institute. Jiří Schwarz and Josef Šíma were elected presidents of the Anglo-American University and the CEVRO Institute, respectively.

Institute of Liberal Studies

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Having been re-established in 2020 by Tomáš Pajonk, the institute has existed under its current name since August 2024. The first and current director is Martin Pánek, the former director of the Liberal Institute.[5] After the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the institute established a humanitarian mission directed by Vít Samek.[6]

The institute is a member of the international think tank networks Economic Freedom of the World Network[7] and 4liberty.eu[8].

Activities

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Research

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The institute's activities and publications are centered around the ideas of classical liberalism, libertarianism and anarcho-capitalism, with emphasis on the reduction of taxes, deregulation, the promotion of competition, reducing the size of the state, and Euroscepticism. In recent years, the institute has begun promoting social liberties including immigration,[9] same-sex marriage,[10] abortion,[11] and free speech.

The institute does not receive or ask for public grants or subsidies.[12]

Events

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Since 1991, the institute and its predecessors have organized summer schools for high school and college students, which promote the institute's ideology through lectures and discussions.[13]

The institute also organizes a public relations event to mark Tax Freedom Day in the Czech Republic, to highlight the extent of government spending and its cost to Czech taxpayers.[14]

Every year, the institute organizes a lecture with a prominent international figure of classical liberalism, who is awarded a prize for "contributing to the proliferation of ideas of liberty and free competition, for honouring private property and the rule of law."

Publications

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In addition to its own publications, the institute has published a number of Czech translations of foreign books, including The Wealth of Nations, Theory of Moral Sentiments, Economics in One Lesson, Man, Economy, and State, and Free to Choose.[15] A team led by Josef Šíma translated many seminal books on classical liberal economics in the 1990s and 2000s, including works by Adam Smith, Ludwig von Mises, Frédéric Bastiat, Mancur Olson, Milton Friedman, and Gary Becker.[16]

The institute also publishes its own journals, Terra Libera and Laissez Faire.

Operation "Kyseláč"

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Under the leadership of Vít Samek, a former Prague paramedic, the institute launched its humanitarian mission to Ukraine on February 25, 2022, under the satirical name Operation "Kyseláč" (Sour Ale), which the mission has retained.

The mission initially focused on bringing humanitarian aid to the Slovak-Ukrainian border and transporting refugees back to Prague or other destinations. Since April 2022, it has worked intensively with the First Volunteer Surgical Hospital in Lysets, near Ivano-Frankivsk. The humanitarian mission has its own dedicated website and a transparent account for fundraising.[17]

In April 2022, thanks to a controversy with Hnutí pro život, a Czech pro-life movement, Operation "Kyseláč" raised CZK 2.3 million to buy abortion pills.[18][19] In April 2023, the institute organized a happening at the DOX Prague Gallery for Ukrainian children in the Czech Republic by having them paint a new van with Ukrainian motifs.[20] In June 2023, Vít Samek received the third place award for Volunteer of the Year among small and medium-sized foreign organizations.[21] The institute reports that it has already delivered more than $1 million worth of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Ševčíka vyloučili z Liberálního institutu. Nechoval se jako slušný liberál". iDNES.cz. 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  2. ^ "Liberální institut může vyloučit Ševčíka, rozhodl soud". Novinky.cz (in Czech). 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  3. ^ Němcová, Veronika (2009-01-08). "Topolánek představil tým na záchranu ekonomiky. Je v něm Jahn či Dlouhý". iDNES.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  4. ^ "Členové | Vláda ČR". 2024-01-28. Archived from the original on 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  5. ^ "Liberální institut mění název | Institut liberálních studií" (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  6. ^ "O nás". Operace Kyseláč (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  7. ^ "Ekonomická svoboda v ČR mírně klesla, Hongkong nejsvobodnější | Institut liberálních studií" (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  8. ^ "Think Tanks". 4liberty.eu. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  9. ^ 2021 Annual Lecture Bryan Caplan: Open Borders, April 2022, retrieved 2024-01-28
  10. ^ "Liberálním počinem roku 2023 návrh na manželství pro všechny, antiliberálním blokování ukrajinského obilí, Bludný balvan ekonomie získal Aleš Michl". Liberální institut (in Czech). 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  11. ^ #46 Potraty, v Polsku a v Česku – Katarzyna Byrtek, 2022-08-19, retrieved 2024-01-28
  12. ^ "O nás | Institut liberálních studií" (in Czech). Retrieved 2025-04-02.
  13. ^ "Misesova akademie Liberálního institutu". misesakademie.cz. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  14. ^ "Den daňové svobody". dendanovesvobody.cz. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  15. ^ "Liberální institut". Liberal Institute (in Czech). Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  16. ^ "NKC/Knihy - Výsledky vyhledávání". aleph.nkp.cz. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  17. ^ "Operace Kyseláč | humanitární pomoc Ukrajině". Operace Kyseláč. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  18. ^ "Hnutí Pro život ČR: Když praskne bublina". Týdeník Respekt (in Czech). Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  19. ^ "Samek: Je nechutné, když musí před tím fašistickým prasátkem zdrhat dvouměsíční dítě". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). 2022-04-28. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  20. ^ "Pomaluj dodávku pro Ukrajinu! Operace Kyseláč", YouTube (in Czech), 9 May 2023, retrieved 2024-01-27
  21. ^ "Переможці Національного конкурсу «Благодійна Україна-2022» – «Благодійність на захисті України» нагороджені! | Громадський Простір" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  22. ^ "Vít Samek & Martin Pánek about Operation "Kyseláč" 💛💙", YouTube (in Czech), 7 January 2024, retrieved 2024-01-27
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