On Friday all across Slovakia, and in many cities around the world, civic demonstrations will take place under the banner Slovensko je Europa (Slovakia is part of Europe). The majority of the demonstrations are organized by the organization Mier Ukrajine (Peace for Ukraine) and in some smaller towns by non-parliamentary political parties.
The Police Corps Presidium announced that the police have implemented security measures throughout Slovakia to ensure that the planned public protests on Friday are not disrupted, and they are asking people to respect the instructions of police officers and be considerate of others .
Current information about the course of the public gatherings and related traffic restrictions can be followed on the profile of the Police Corps Presidium and individual regional police directorates on social media.
On Thursday the Klub 500 business organization, which represents businesses with more than 500 employees, released a statement urging the public to focus the political discussion on the real challenges facing Slovakia, in particular improving the business sector, energy security and strategic economic decisions in the context of growing global uncertainty.
The association rejects as untrue any statements according to which Slovakia is on the path towards leaving the EU, stating that the government's policy has in no way, shape or form been oriented towards such a move, and so it considers mass protests based on this narrative to be unsubstantiated.
"Slovakia as an industrial and export-oriented economy cannot function in an environment of permanent political polarisation and artificially created conflicts. We are part of the EU, which is our vital economic space, and any decision to leave would be an economic catastrophe. Instead of needlessly stirring up fear and organising protests that erode the trust of investors and the stability of business environment, there's a need to focus on bolstering the competitiveness of Slovakia," stated Klub 500 executive director Tibor Gregor in his press release.
"Klub 500 welcomes the fact that Prime Minister Robert Fico actively defends the economic interests of Slovakia at the European level and promotes measures aimed to stabilising not only the Slovak but also the European economy. It is important for Slovakia to play an active role in the EU, promote its national interests and support solutions that contribute towards the overall prosperity of the common European market," added the executive director.
Civic demonstrations will take place in 33 Slovak cities, while demonstrations organized by a non-parliamentary party will be held in an additional 9 cities. Demonstrations will also be held in Brno, Luxembourg, Paris, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London, Krakow and New York.
Source: TASR
