Taking the floor in the European Parliament on Wednesday, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova assured MEPs in light of the shooting that claimed two lives outside a gay bar in Bratislava last week that Slovak society is not dominated by hatred. "This was an assault not just on young people from the LGBTIQ community, it was an attack on everyone in Slovakia because hate crimes always target the very essence of what our society stands for," Caputova said. The president noted that if democracy is not protected, it will cease to exist, welcoming the fact that Slovak civil society immediately and strongly condemned the attack. Caputova expressed her belief that it is a key task of the current generation of political leaders to protect democracy and restore balance in Europe, which has been shaken by crises from within and without. Regarding the EU's continued support for Ukraine, Caputova stressed that the European perspective given to this country is very important, expressing her belief that one day it will translate into a full-fledged EU membership for Ukraine.
Source: TASR, EP
