On Monday, January 13, President Peter Pellegrini attended the presentation of awards for the success of 35 high school students, who won gold, silver and bronze medals in international subject Olympiads. Social networks were flooded with a video of student Simon O. flatly refusing to shake hands with the head of state.
This act divided society into two camps. While one side praised the young student, others considered it ill-mannered. The Slovak president did not react to his refusal, he just nodded his head and smiled.
Now, however, Pellegrini has revealed how he perceives Simon’s gesture. “I invited our Olympians from mathematics, physics, geography and other Olympiads to the presidential palace, and for the first time in the history of Slovakia, a minister came with them to the presidential palace and I just wanted to highlight and draw attention to and support all those who are studying professional subjects today,” he explained his intention.
“I wanted to pay such respect to the educators who prepare them, and to the participants of these Olympics themselves, to show that it deserves even the president’s attention, because the greatest wealth and the greatest foreign currency of the Slovak nation, the Slovak Republic, are precisely educated and successful people. What more can I do as president than to thank these people who study and those who contribute to their education right in the presidential palace,” he continued.
“Well, of course, it happens that the young man may have taken it a little differently, maybe he didn’t notice what the meeting was going for and what its tone was, which was purely apolitical and, on the contrary, should have been an expression of gratitude and respect to all those. He decided that he would carry some political message or express his political opinion in some way, maybe about his election, he was probably already a voter, because I think he is 19 years old, so he probably already voted in the presidential election. I can do nothing but respect it,” commented student Simon’s gesture.
“But on the other hand, I will say this much that I have been brought up in such a way that so far in my political career I have shaken hands with every single one. Also to my political opponent, with whom I may never have agreed in political battles and I will never agree, but decency and upbringing force me to always behave politely to my political opponents and greet them when they return the greeting in some way. I am sorry that it overshadowed the beautiful event, which is thanks, respect and highlighting of our top students and teachers who achieve international success,” added the president at the end. You can watch his entire statement in the video above the article.
