"Particularly today, with extremism on the rise in the world but also in Slovakia, we mustn't forget that this catastrophe, unprecedented in human history, began with words. The dissemination of hatred against people of different religions, nationalities or skin colour. Words that carried with them hatred, insults and contempt," stated Slovak President Andrej Kiska in his speech during the commemoration of Victory in Europe Day in Zvolen on Wednesday. He added that it is our commitment towards people who fought for our freedom to stand up against evil, identify it, fight it and not legitimise it with co-operation in the Parliament as is the case these days; alluding to the recent negotiations of the governing parties with the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia in the Parliament.
At the cemetery of the Red Army's fallen soldiers in Zvolen and the cemetery of the Romanian army's fallen soldiers the Slovak Prime Minister Pellegrini said he was glad that Slovakia and Europe had been living in peace for 74 years, but warned that another, equally important struggle faces the Slovaks today. "Although they are not carrying weapons, we can see various individuals or parties gradually creeping in and anchoring themselves in society who deny history and the horrors that occurred during WW2," said Pellegrini, who finds it alarming when these people use "sweet talk" to ingratiate themselves with the young generation.
