President: Let's Reject Hatred Together, Decency Must Remain Standard

Bratislava, February 23 (TASR) – President Zuzana Caputova together with more than 30 personalities from various areas of social life have called on the Slovaks to reject hatred and appealed that decency in Slovakia remains a standard, TASR learnt on Wednesday.
According to the head of state, it has been felt in society that Slovakia has set out on a path from which there may be no return because the next step is only physical attacks and rudeness in the public space.

“We can see that we’re going too far when people who do their job to the best of their knowledge can’t feel safe even at home. Doctors, scientists, police officers, paramedics, politicians, MPs,” she said.

The president pointed out that the attempt to intimidate or punish opponents of opinion is leaving the territory of democratic rules. She spoke of an attack on the cohesion of society and the risk of trying to establish an undemocratic or directly totalitarian regime. The head of state therefore called on the Slovaks to respect one another. According to her, everything needs to be done to reach agreement.

According to the president, the difference in attitudes should also be seen by people as an opportunity. “The same holds true in society as in families and in interpersonal relationships, namely that problems don’t escalate into a crisis as long as we can talk about them with mutual respect. Because when we talk, we not only hear a different opinion, but we mainly see a person behind it,” said Caputova.

According to the president, democracy today again needs an active, vibrant civil society. “Let’s have a dialogue in our neighbourhoods, communities, in our cities and update our own arguments about who we are, where we belong, why we are democrats and why we appreciate the values we appreciate,” she said, declaring that she herself will continue in the dialogue much more intensively.