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Statement of Ivan Gašparovič, President of the Republic of Slovakia, on Constitution Day
August 31, 2006
For years, on September 1we have been celebrating the Constitution Day of the Republic of Slovakia. A document significant for the legal organization of the state by which the Slovakian nation, together with the ethnic minorities living on the territory of Slovakia, decided to adopt this Constitution as a constitutional declaration expressing the interest to live together in a democratic, sovereign republic under the rule of law.
The Constitution of the Republic of Slovakia is a fundamental document built on the national and civic principle. It has to be stressed that even the preamble emphasizes this principle at a constitutional, moral, political, and statehood level, mentioning the community of both the nation and minorities as equal entities. This is confirmed by Article II of the Constitution, according to which the state power is derived from the citizens - from all of them, irrespectively of their ethnic affiliation, belief, race, education, language, political or other thinking. I believe that this is the core of and the background for all other articles of the Constitution, beginning with the fundamental human rights and freedoms, through the rights of ethnic minorities and groups, and ending with the constitutional institutions guaranteeing these human values.
Due to its democratic and human nature, our Constitution ranks among the constitutional documents of the European Union member states.
During these days, let us altogether remember such an obvious civic and moral obligation, which is to know and, in particular, to implement the spirit and individual articlws of the Constitution. I am reminding all of us, irrespectively of social status, position or way of thinking of this self-evident thing because I am disturbed by the high and serious crime, in particular, murders, assaults, abductions, blackmailing, frauds, menaces, public nuisance, pornography shops and, mainly, endangered children and young people.
As a citizen of my own country, I am concerned with the reported increase of lack of tolerance, ethnic intolerance, various xenophobic and racist attitudes, or even acts of violence stemming from such attitudes. In no case can I compromise with either their form or their reasoning. Such attitudes or acts have no substantiation, and, thus, no justification in a democratic society.
As the head of state, together with all foreign partners – and, thus, naturally, including the President of the Republic of Hungary – I have always stressed the allegiance of the Republic of Slovakia to the principles of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to alliance commitments in integration groupings of which, we are equal partners. It would be unnatural if, inside these alliance groupings, we were exposed to unreasonable criticism of or reactions to developments in our country which we have to settle ourselves and, of course, based on the above-mentioned and recognized democratic principles.
In recent days, a whole range of senior state representatives have rejected the spreading of anti-Hungarian spirits and acts. I consider such statements and positions so blank clear that there is no reason to put them under any doubts.
In a democratic society we all, the state authorities, police, prosecution, courts, and also self-government authorities, have to consistently enforce the law even before a tragic case happens. I also appeal to the churches and religious communities to operate and act in an educative, preventive way.
We desire to live in an organized, peaceful society so that our mothers do not have to worry about their children, husbands and wives spouses about their partners, honestly working people about their security and assets.
Allow me to express the desire that our Constitution will continue to serve the people, the population of Slovakia, who wish to live in peace, in quiet, and in the interest of each and everyone. This is the sense of the Constitution, of our laws and of civic morality.
I would welcome individual components of the civic society paying more attention to the questions of everyday morality that will influence the nature of the social climate. Values such as solidarity, human relations, tolerance, education, and emotional cultivation should become a part of our everyday life.
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