Kiska: Evil Must Be Fought and Not Legitimised with Cooperation

Zvolen, May 8 (TASR) – It is our commitment towards people who fought for our freedom to stand up against evil, identify it, fight it and not legitimise it with co-operation in the Parliament as is the case these days [alluding to deals with far-right LSNS party in the House-ed.note], President Andrej Kiska said during the commemoration of Victory in Europe Day in Zvolen on Wednesday.

Kiska commemorated the 74th anniversary of the end of WW2 along with Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) and Defence Minister Peter Gajdos (Slovak National Party/SNS) at the cemetery of the Red Army’s fallen soldiers in Zvolen and the cemetery of the Romanian army’s fallen soldiers. The act of laying wreaths was also attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, state administration and various associations and organisations.

“Particularly today, with extremism on the rise in the world but also in Slovakia, we mustn’t forget that this catastrophe, unprecedented in human history, began with words. The dissemination of hatred against people of different religions, nationalities or skin colour. Words that carried with them hatred, insults and contempt,” Kiska said in his speech.

The spark of WW2 was ignited to life in the heart of Europe and Kiska finds it important to realise, particularly in the run-up to the European Parliament’s election, that the “fantastic project of the EU” laid the groundwork for a lasting peace that transformed Europe into a pocket of stability and prosperity in the world.

“Our gratitude will always lie with the men and women who put their lives at stake, the heroic Red Army, Russians, Ukrainians and members of other nations of the Soviet Union. At this place we extend our tremendous respect to soldiers of the Romanian army, who were liberating our homeland and all those without whom the victory wouldn’t have been possible,” added the President.