During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Central Europe sided with the “coalition of the willing”, supporting the United States. The Hungarian and Polish prime ministers and the Czech president signed the pro-US Letter of Eight. There was controversy in Czechia over this signature, but the pro-American President Václav HavelHavel, Václav left office before the war began. The government of Vladimír ŠpidlaŠpidla, Vladimír, which had opted for a careful, rather passive stance, agreed with the new president, Václav KlausKlaus, Václav. Thus, an internal executive consensus prevailed despite the political distance between them. Relations between the politically close leaders of the Polish executive, President Aleksander KwaśniewskiKwaśniewski, Aleksander and Prime Minister Leszek MillerMiller, Leszek, were generally harmonious on the issue of Iraq and supported the US invasion. The Hungarian attitude was influenced by the passivity of President Ferenc MádlMádl, Ferenc, leaving the Péter MedgyessyMedgyessy, Péter government with a free hand. Slovak Prime Minister Mikuláš DzurindaDzurinda, Mikuláš took a strongly pro-American stance, driven by the desire not to obstruct Slovakia’s entry into NATO. Although President Rudolf SchusterSchuster, Rudolf kept rather in the background, his statements did not question the prime minister’s position.