Agricultural goods were abundant, consumer goods began to reappear, there was a cultural thaw, and, what was important abroad, he spoke out against the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Jordbruksproduktionen var riklig, konsumentvarorna återkom, det var ett "kulturellt töväder" rådde, och framför allt, talade han mot Sovjetunionens anfall på Tjeckoslovakien 1968.