The values associated with November 17, 1989 are not self-evident. It is the duty of all of us to remember them. This was stated by the President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini in a special speech at STVR with the fact that freedom, democracy, the rejection of violence, the effort to reconcile society and the natural desire for a better life are associated with the Gentle Revolution. In this context, he called for an end to the spread of hatred.
“If there was something we rejected together and resolutely on the November squares, it was violence. But what is today’s Slovak reality? More and more aggressive verbal violence, which more and more annoys the political and social debate, and through social networks and media spreads to every area of human life. But unfortunately, there is also real physical violence with a political background, which we have not known in 35 years of democratic life,” he declared.
In this context, the Head of State pointed to the assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in Handlova. She criticized the fact that the political and civic scene lives on even after the incident as if nothing had happened. “Therefore, on this day I strongly remind, if we do not stop the spread of hatred, it can become one of the biggest threats to the loss of what we won in November 1989 in a non-violent and peaceful way,” she noted.
Pellegrini also spoke of belonging as one of the messages of the events of November 1989. In this context, he pointed to the polarization of today’s society. He urged people to get out of their “bubbles” and try to understand other attitudes. He also recalled the need to remember the values of the Gentle Revolution. He regrets that the government has not prepared any official celebrations for the holiday. “Just like the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Slovak National Uprising or the Duklian Operation, November 17 marked a fundamental change in our lives,” he stated.
In addition to the government, he also criticized the opposition. According to him, both resigned to remind the importance of the Gentle Revolution for the whole of Slovakia. “The seventeenth of November is not a day to which we should give a party or political label. It is not a day when we should remember our own political achievements, or on the contrary, protest against the current, democratically elected government,” he said. According to him, the seventeenth of November belongs to all citizens of the Slovak Republic.
He thinks that the significance of what November ’89 was able to change must be evident not only in the scope of freedoms and democracy, but also in the progress of the state and its social amenities. Therefore, according to him, the state must also offer a realistic vision for the future.
“We not only need to complete basic infrastructure projects and finally bring our hospitals, schools, roads, railways and factories to a higher level, but we also need to know where our efforts are going and where Slovakia’s place is on the world map in the 21st century.” he emphasized the role of current and future governments.
He pointed out that if we are unable to define this vision for the young, emerging generation and then effectively fulfill it, the consequence may be a long-term and serious disappointment of people from the democratic political establishment. “And this can be a serious problem for everything that November 17 brought to our lives and that we do not want and cannot give up under any circumstances,” the head of state warned.
