Slovaks can no longer blame Prague for their mistakes

Czechoslovakia was divided at a time when Slovak and Czech societies approached themselves the most, stated sociologist Zora Bútorová of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) in an interview for TASR press agency, marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of an independent Slovakia on January 1. Bútorová was in favour of maintaining the common state 25 years ago and condemned the politicians' decision to divide Czechoslovakia without a referendum. She views the fact that Slovaks had to assume responsibility for their state as a positive feature of establishing the independent state. "We could no longer blame Budapest, Moscow or Prague for our failures and missteps. Civil society arose and felt co-responsible for the country, and in the 1990s, and later on, it has significantly contributed towards positive changes," she said. The IVO analyst further stated that the Czech Republic is, for Slovaks, a kind of reference standard to which they naturally compare themselves. Repeated research has shown that Slovaks are convinced that the Czech Republic enjoys more favourable economic and political conditions with higher levels of health care and education, stated Bútorová.