President Andrej Kiska took the podium at the session of the National Council of the Slovak Republic held on Wednesday, June 14 to deliver his State of the Republic speech.

“For the third time I am exercising my Constitutional prerogative to address the National Council of the Slovak Republic in session about the State of the Slovak Republic. As in the previous two years, my intention today is to provide an honest assessment of what is important both for our country and for our people.

I believe that it can be good news for the state of the Republic and an encouraging signal if the President may be allowed to repeat a few things. Once again I have the opportunity to emphasize how our country is doing economically. We are experiencing a period of economic growth that is giving our businesses the space to create more jobs.

The number of people without work has been significantly falling. After years of high unemployment, we are even experiencing in some sectors the phenomenon of acute labor shortages. Besides stressing the importance of education, we should start – maybe cautiously, but nevertheless – to talk about how to take advantage of the people migrating to work in our country and to set reasonable rules for it.

Economic growth has unleashed an argument over how households can feel good times more in what they are earning. Experts comparing Slovakia with neighboring countries say that, even with wage increases, the income of employees should be ten percent higher in light of how the Slovak economy is performing. However, I am convinced that room for more effective representation of employee interests and for the enforcement of their rights in companies is paramount. This is no call for a political battle about who is getting more money from abroad, particularly when the State sometimes neglects its own employees.

Thanks to economic growth and improved tax collection, Slovakia has its public finances under control. We are becoming accustomed to the Finance Minister happily reporting each year that the State’s revenues will be significantly higher than its experts had originally forecast.

The condition of public finances is good news and important for the future of our country. This is telling us that the continued sound budgetary policy will lower the Slovak Republic’s national debt and the public sector will soon see a balanced budget. It is a message that says both national and local governments in Slovakia have enough money available to manage public affairs considerably better, so that national and local government services are able to be more modern and help people in need more effectively.

I venture to say that never in the 25-year history of the modern Slovak Republic have we had so much space to address the major, fundamental problems which we are struggling to overcome. Public policies are providing us with the opportunity to move toward important matters.

We have the money and we are putting concepts and plans together. We have examples abroad that can inspire us. We have successful stories at home to encourage us forward. We have people willing to work toward making changes for the better. But, ladies and gentlemen, my State of the Republic speech has to follow up on my previous reports and so I am continuing to say that there has been a lack of results. There is no capability of concentrating on what is critical. There is no willingness to set an ambitious political goal. There is no courage to move with a clear timetable toward a measurable outcome. There is no political will to take responsibility toward reaching this outcome.

Last year prior to the National Council elections, I was campaigning as President. My campaign was to have our healthcare system and the quality of our children's education become important issues. I kept it no secret why I was getting involved. I considered it wrong that the critical problems facing Slovakia were remaining outside the realm of electoral debate. It was a good signal that both healthcare and education received adequate space in the government's platform. But these issues gradually faded away from the center of debate to the margins.

This is what I am referring to when I emphasize the lack of focus. It is untenable for the political elite to agree on Slovakia’s biggest shortcomings – on education, health, quality of life in the regions, excluded Roma communities, the challenges of an aging population, the country’s innovation potential, and yet the most visible, vocal discussions led elsewhere. Too many times, these were petty issues full of personal rancor. And so it should come to us as no surprise that over the years among society the sense of alienation between what they see in normal life and the politics they are watching on the news has grown stronger.

I regard insufficient ambition to achieve understandable goals to be harmful. The most tumultuous topic discussed last year was corruption at the highest levels of politics. I believe even the greatest optimists would be unable to say that the contemporary form of engagement by our politicians has calmed the public down. That it was showing the people of Slovakia a thoughtful way out of a blind alley. On the contrary, the inability and lack of will to put solutions forward has led us down the only possible path – toward deepening mistrust in the State and in the politicians who represent it.

An important signal to give to the public and a condition for any change for the better is the courage to take responsibility. Even those ministers who are trying, such as in the Justice Ministry and the Health Ministry, are all too often alone. They deserve open political support even when they are taking action that is not so popular. I believe that the leaders of the ruling majority should be more accountable for the results their ministries produce. I also believe that opposition leaders would help the country the most if they tried to return political discussion back to important issues and how to tackle them.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are few issues where political judgment and courage in Slovakia are as desirable as equality of people before the law. In this respect, Slovakia is the country with the worst reputation in the eyes of its own citizens in the European Union. As the European Commission recently reported, we trust our courts the least among all the Member States. Another fresh report puts Slovakia below average, the second lowest in the Union, in the level of trust expressed by people in the job the police do. Of all EU countries, Slovakia has the highest proportion of citizens who say they do not want to expose corruption, because the exposure does not lead to the guilty being punished.

Mistrust in the State’s ability to punish justly those who violate the rules and a barely fought battle against corruption and favoritism are just two of the sources for people’s resignation about politics. They are sources of frustration with how public institutions function and the widespread feeling that we do not live in a fair society. It is a pretense for anyone persuading people in the name of their own dubious goals that democracy in Slovakia is a failure.

At a session of the National Council of the Slovak Republic held a year ago in connection with pressure for the Interior Minister to resign, I emphasized that tracing political responsibility is not the solution to any cause, but rather a gesture to calm the public and allow responsible institutions to work. Last week in Košice and Bratislava and this week in Žilina and Prešov young people organized yet another protest march against corruption, with the departure of the same minister from office still one of their main demands.

For twelve long months we have not moved away from that position. For twelve months our society has received no clear signal that those accountable are honestly looking for a way out of the trap in which the country has fallen. In this respect, the events since the parliamentary election have cast long dark shadows.

To pronounce the Republic to be in such poor shape is not an easy thing to report. I realize that heads of state should make such strong statements prudently. But I cannot soften the blow. Corruption is not the only issue where political declarations run counter to the ability to achieve results. The battle against corruption has plunged Slovakia into a personal war of politics that has paralyzed the country. In this personal war of politics, both the government and its leaders have broken off normal communication with the public and abdicated their responsibility to explain doubts patiently and respond to allegations.

The remnants of any such public confidence in the rule of law then fall victim to such a misguided priority not to show political weakness. The consequence of this attitude is to question any attempt made by honest politicians, decent members of the Government and managers of public institutions, as well as by police officers, prosecutors and judges who have not given up on their ambitions to work in good faith and change things for the better. How can it be enough for people? How can all these changes in the laws to fight corruption be taken seriously? How can these efforts sincerely work when we are so wrapped up in the political fate of people who have long since missed the opportunity to leave on their own?

Ladies and gentlemen, a year ago I gave a warning that if Slovakia were to continue along this path, there would be serious consequences. However, Slovakia has continued on this path, and there have been serious consequences. Therefore, I would like to ask you, especially the representatives from the Government and the governing majority in parliament, not to downplay the efforts of the decent young people protesting against corruption.

They are our allies in the midst of resignation, mistrust and anger. They are the people who are not calling for radical solutions, but believe that democratic institutions under the rule of law are possible and need to be reformed. They want to live here at home in a modern and democratic society. They deserve respect and a signal that the politicians are ready to move on.

It is time to climb off the barricades of this personal war of politics and offer the public a convincing and sustainable solution that will strengthen personal and political independence. Let law enforcement agencies be capable and responsible for results and communication with the public. As President, I am prepared to support such an effort if you – the representatives of the parliamentary political parties – consider it appropriate and necessary.

By annulling the Mečiar amnesties, the National Council demonstrated itself to be capable of overcoming differences in opinion and reaching a political consensus to uphold principles underlying the rule of law. Similarly, it is important to send a politically strong signal on the issue of corruption. It would be the beginning of a challenging journey, and yet a necessary one. Even in this better case, it will take years of honest work, understandable politics and convincing results before public confidence in fairness and justice within Slovakia returns.

Ladies and gentlemen, good not always praises itself. In recent years we have taken Slovakia's membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance for granted. Integration has seemingly become such an obvious part of the Slovak Republic’s background that we no longer remind people about its strategic importance. The fruits borne by integration have so excited us that we have lost perspective of how fragile our success might be.

The overwhelming majority of people among us remembers only peace, and has never directly experienced the horror of a war in Europe. And yet not so very far away from us in the Balkans, people not long ago were dying in a war. And today they are dying just across our border in Ukraine. The security guarantees NATO provides us are a precious currency in today’s uncertain world. But the guarantees will only be as strong as what we are willing to contribute toward them. Therefore, I welcome the commitments both the government and most of the Parliament have made to the North American Alliance and that we are beginning, as a country, to take them seriously.

Today I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance is an essential condition for security, prosperity and a better life for our people. It is an alliance in which even a small country can flesh out a concept of "national sovereignty" with real content. The greatest security risk for our country today is the political forces and opinions pushing Slovakia to the edge of, and potentially beyond, the frontiers of Western political, economic and defense groupings.

The European Union primarily has been, is, and will remain a political project of peaceful co-operation between Member States. I repeat and underscore: a political project. It is not an ordinary economic free zone and a common market. If a new, integrated core is formed within the Union, it is going to be again primarily a political project of closer cooperation between member countries. There is an understanding among a group of states that the further success of the Union depends on its ability to act effectively. It will be continued political integration and partnership that is going to decide the future of Europe and have an impact on the future of Slovakia.

The mundane truth is that the cornerstone of the EU is its decades-tested ability to maintain peace and prosperity. To achieve results in democratic politics requires making concessions at the negotiating table. It is impossible to manage a union incapable of being stirred to act for one reason or another, or simply because an ambitious politician in one of the 28 countries decides to show the public back home how he can threaten Brussels by shaking his fist.

The nature of the problems and threats to security, including the terrorism Europe faces, is changing. But the role of today's leaders is the same as the one played by the leaders who signed the Treaty of Rome 60 years ago – to develop mutually beneficial, peaceful cooperation. We are not serving the Slovak Republic when its political representatives chant their uncompromising positions from the periphery of European politics. Instead it is by patiently seeking compromises at one table. At the core of the European Union. In the premier league of European politics.

When I talk about the security of Slovakia and its future, I cannot fail to touch upon fascists entering into parliamentary politics after last year's elections. This is something our society is still trying to parse and is looking for ways of coping with it. I discuss this myself in each of my visits throughout Slovakia, especially with young people at secondary schools and universities.

It is our duty to contribute toward people in Slovakia never having to feel like they have been forgotten. We have to listen to each other and try to talk together. To try to understand what is disturbing us – and why a part of society is willing to lend its support to a party that espouses Fascism. To determine whether all of us truly understand the threat the People's Party Our Slovakia and similar associations represent to our democracy, freedom and the future. Whether the election of extremists is not a cry for help from some voters to whom we should not be deaf. Therefore, I am proud of the citizens’ initiatives and the activities of individuals trying to lead such a dialogue. It is an expression of society defending itself because it wants to remain free and democratic.

The indispensable space to provide such a dialogue is bold, free and independent media – both private and public. People today have the opportunity to draw upon two sources to create a worldview; either from genuine media or from propaganda websites, radio stations and magazines. Their information offensive against Slovakia aims to upset further our global agreement on permanent integration into the democratic Western world. And to strengthen the potential of those political forces wishing our country to leave the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union.

People's trust in the media has always been an important element in a healthy, free society. But at present it is also a question of national security. Of our ability to prevent misinformation, whose enormous political influence and reach we have seen in elections held in democracies with a longer tradition than ours. I would like to ask you, honorable ladies and gentlemen of the National Council, to keep this in mind during the forthcoming election for the General Manager of Slovakia Radio and Television. To use your vote toward raising the public’s confidence even more in the news service provided by public television and radio.

A particularly sensitive group exposed to propaganda is young people whose values and attitude toward the world are only forming. We have received enough warning signals from all over Slovakia that one of the most vulnerable targets for extremists is the generation of young people in secondary schools. It is essential for the Ministry of Education to come before the public as soon as possible with at least a proposal for immediately strengthening media education in all schools. This is in order for young people to gain the basic skills for working with information, the ability to obtain an understanding of the media, to evaluate sources and to detect the fake news to which they are exposed on social networks daily.

We should never mistake sober social debate about the causes of rising extremism with the retreat of evil. On the contrary, it is our duty to take action using all available legal means. This is the role of the police and the prosecutor’s office, and it is good that they are reporting it. Political tactics can never be a reason to overlook violations of the law and of the Constitution, nor to ignore aggression and hate speech directed against others; whether outside on the street or at home behind a computer.

However, it is important to defeat extremism and its various forms in direct competition; to reach out to voters with a better and more attractive offer. Do not in the name of dubious tactics give ground to extremists, take their hate speech and themes to heart and help them radicalize sentiments in our society. The struggle with extremists must not end, and it clearly never will, with the dissolution of a single political party. Such political grappling, however, is not the job of either the police or the Prosecutor General. To tell the truth, it is your job, the job of the representatives from the democratic political parties.

Ladies and gentlemen, I speak both at home and abroad about our country as a success story and I honestly believe it. But I understand those people shaking their heads at similar words. Those who are asking themselves when they are going to experience such success; in their own families, in their own community, in their own region. I have stressed over and over again that the greatest challenge today is for all citizens in Slovakia to feel like they are a reasonable part of that success. The old challenges have remained with us, the ones which over the history of our country have been chapters of shame. Old challenges we must finally come to terms with directly, if Slovakia's success is to be sustainable.

The durability and cohesion of our society and the strength of our State depend on how we are able to help the weakest and most vulnerable. Slovakia is no successful country for the groups of people trapped in poverty. It is no successful country for the children in orphanages who end up on the street once they reach adulthood. Nor is it for children from disadvantaged backgrounds who become the parents of the next generation of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfortunately, Slovakia is not a successful state for single mothers and their children either; for seniors living alone in indecent conditions; for families coping with a child or breadwinner suffering a serious illness who struggle to survive.

These people see no success. The feeling is growing inside them of having been neglected by us; that we have left them alone in their plights to fend for themselves. The welfare state they know all too often shows them a measured, indifferent bureaucratic face and not a helping hand. I am thinking about targeted, effective assistance for these people – both children and adults, when I emphasize the responsibility of politicians and their ability to concentrate on achieving goals.

One of the chapters of shame in the story of the Slovak Republic is the fate faced by excluded Roma communities. The Roma are not part of the success of our country. And we – the majority population – have not even invited them to share in our success. Many of them have lived for generation upon generation in squalid communities racked with high unemployment, poor health conditions and high crime. We want nothing to do with them. We fail to understand that if the Roma are not doing well, over time Slovakia will not be doing well either. In 2017, three quarters of people in Slovakia would do everything not to have Roma as neighbors. Given recurring problems living together with the majority population, this should come as no surprise.

Attempts to date toward addressing the issue have lacked real political resolve, the establishment of clear objectives, enforcement and coordination between responsible institutions. Positive examples tend to be local anomalies, not the result of a focused and honest effort by the State, local governments and area communities. No one should be wondering why this is so when the dominant feature of any reference by political elites to the Roma minority often consists of tough talk about law and order and taking a hard line to stoke the anger of the majority audience. It has come so far that for a segment of society the political force qualified to answer “the Roma question” has become the extremists.

A decision by both the State and local governments is urgently needed. Let’s concentrate and set fair goals. Let’s stop talking about "the Roma problem” and start working toward how to use “the Roma potential”. We even have the resources. Slovakia has 450 million euros in European funds just until the end of 2020 earmarked in particular toward improving the living situation of Roma in excluded communities. We know what the basic objectives are: to raise the level of education and improve the quality of housing among the Roma population. I underscore them to be a clearly defined partnership and self-help in tearing down shacks, settling land, investing in infrastructure and building more decent housing.

These objectives are linked together. Because even a quarter century after the establishment of the modern Slovak Republic, we still see huts with no water and electricity. We know about the large groups of children living therein with no table, no chair, no lamp and nothing to eat. And we want these kids to do well in school and be included in our society.

I would welcome the people from all the governing parties and responsible institutions taking a stronger stance toward improvement in the situation at Roma communities and a reduction in tensions where they coexist with the majority population. To make a commitment backed by an active explanatory campaign. I suggest for this agenda to be handled directly by a member of the Government since a politically weak plenipotentiary has limited options. An important signal to send, which would show that politicians mean it seriously, could be very specific commitments and timetable: until when illegal settlements will be eradicated through a combination of appropriate action and investment, and until when we will improve educational attainment by Roma children in school. Ten years could be considered ambitious in both cases, yet realistic. The aim is for the Roma to become a part of the Slovak Republic’s success story.

Ladies and gentlemen, a country is not a success just when it no longer has problems – no such place like that exists anywhere in the world. A country is a success when it is continually improving its own ability to solve problems, no matter how they look. In the soon to be 25 years of an independent Slovak Republic, the potential of our society to successfully meet new challenges has undoubtedly risen.

Our job is to utilize this potential. To help Slovakia move significantly forward in the pursuit of a just, secure social State.

To be a State where our joint efforts can manage to change everyone's lives for the better.

To be a State where its achievements are a source of pride and patriotism in every region, city, and village.

To be a State generating enough support bases and rescue networks to help people overcome adversity or rectify their own mistakes.

To be a State providing its people with the room to develop their talents and improve both themselves and their surroundings.

To be a State strengthening social cohesion and the sense of fairness and equality before the law.

So that people not just live in Slovakia, but live well, securely and happily in Slovakia.

Thank you for your attention.”