The NATO Membership – Ostrava – Mošnov Airport

Fact of the Czech figure „The memorial of cutting the barbed wires of the Iron Curtain”

Part of the „Back to Europe together” topic

For the Czech Republic, joining NATO was, like for the other former Eastern Bloc countries, another symbolic step towards integration with other European states. In Czech memory, membership in the North Atlantic Alliance is most associated with the annual celebration of the Day of the accession to NATO (12 March 1999), which is regularly held in Ostrava.

NATO Days, which showcase military and aviation equipment, have been held here for over 20 years and are among the most visited events. Membership of NATO is perceived in Czech society as a guarantee of external security and stability, although there is some criticism of some military operations.

Nevertheless, the Czech footprint in NATO is visible – a significant moment not only for Czech society but also for the North Atlantic Alliance was the election of General Petr Pavel (since 2023 the fourth president of Czech Republic) to the highest military post in NATO as the first representative from the former Warsaw Pact countries. In recent years, especially in the context of Russian aggression in Ukraine, support for NATO membership and the importance of the organisation as a whole has grown in Czech society.