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Magda Vašáryová: Ambassador of charm and good will
Written by: Monika Mudranincová

	Photo: archiv

If anyone is a model for Czech-Slovak ties, it is this Slovak woman, who has been sort of adopted by Czechs. Ms Magda has acted in successful Czech films like Radúz and Mahulena, Markéta Lazarová, and Postřižiny, completely enchanting the male population. After 26 years she turned her career about-face and became a diplomat. She is currently the Slovak ambassador to Poland.

"ACTING AND DIPLOMACY have nothing in common, well maybe one little thing - they're both arts," confides Vašáryová (55), whose charm has not diminished over the years. Although nobody believes her, she doesn't miss acting. "But I can imagine returning to film as a Miss Marple. Isn't that a nice idea? I hope I can remember my lines when I'm old," says this cultivated woman with a laugh. It's clear that for years she hasn't had to focus on acting. Besides fifty films, this trained sociologist served as Czechoslovak ambassador to Austria from 1990 to 1993, and also tried her hand as a manager when she founded the Slovak Society for Foreign Policy in the nineties. She approached high politics when in 1999 she ran for the Slovak presidency, unsuccessfully, unfortunately.
But that far from exhausts Vašáryová's actvities. For nine years she's been a member of the honorary board of the Czech Para-Olympics Movement, striving to ensure that handicapped athletes not remain on the fringe and enjoy the same conditions as non-impaired athletes. She drew up a marketing program that helped assemble a strong group of sponsors and sympathizers. "I'm very happy to be a part of it," she adds. Since January 2000 she's been the Slovak ambassador to Poland, working on ensuring that Slovakia takes its place among European countries. Although her Polish assignment is coming to a close, she isn't worried about her future, and is concentrating instead on completing projects in Warsaw. She sees her family only every other month, but she says it's tolerable - there's no other way. Her daughter Hanka (23) is pursuing human resources studies in Manchester, and Žofie (22) is studying at the Vienna School of Economics. Her husband, the popular actor Milan Lasica, lives in Bratislava. Beyond work and family, what more does this renaissance woman want? "A clear mind as long as possible. I'll take care of the rest," she concludes.