Monika MacDonagh Pajerová

Monika MacDonagh-Pajerová is currently the chairperson of the pro-European organization ANO pro Evropu (YES for Europe) and professor at NYU in Prague. During the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, Pajerová served as the official spokesperson for University Strike Committee and was a founding member of the Civic Forum. Before the Revolution she was editor of a student newspaper which promoted actions against the regime and an organiser of an influential debating forum.

Following 1989 she was a diplomat, serving at different times in the Czeckoslovak embassy in Paris, member of the Minister's private office and official spokesperson for the Ministry (Director of the Press Department). She spent four years as principal official responsible for cultural matters in the Council of Europe for four years. Subsequently she presented programmes on European affairs on Czech television and Czech radio.

During the 2003 Czech referendum on accession to the European Union she headed the principal Yes campaign.

Born in January 1966 in Janov, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), Děčín district to photographer father Ota Pajer. She was awarded masters and doctoral degrees from the Charles University, Prague specialising in literature. She has edited and contributed to various books on art, the Velvet Revolution and Europe. In 2000 she received a national book prize for a work with Czech Artist Jiri Kolar. Her sister, Katerina Jacques is a dpeuty chairperson of the Green Party and member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament.

Website: [http://www.anoproevropu.cz link title]