On taking the oath of office Ivan Gašparovič becomes President of the Slovak republic for the next five years

The ceremonial session of the National Council of the Slovak Republic launched the inaugural day of the Head of State. Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Pavol Paška welcomed the guests present in the historical building of the Slovak National Theatre. The ceremony was attended by top Slovak officials and politicians, foreign diplomats, church dignitaries and other guests.

Following the opening address by the Speaker, who thanked Ivan Gašparovič for his service as President, the re-elected Head of State took the oath of office prescribed by the Constitution: “I swear on my honour and conscience my allegiance to the Slovak Republic. I shall attend to the welfare of the Slovak nation and members of the national minorities and ethnic groups living in the Slovak Republic. I shall perform my duties in the interest of its citizens and I shall uphold and defend the Constitution and other laws.”

After the Slovak national anthem, Ivetta Macejková, the President of the Constitutional Court, addressed the assembly and confirmed the validity of the oath, upon which Ivan Gašparovič formally took up the office of President.

Following the address by Prime Minister Robert Fico, Ivan Gašparovič delivered his inaugural speech. He touched upon Slovakia’s long-term prospects when he said: “The world, including the European Union, has suffered considerable losses, both material and, in particular, spiritual. Human dignity has been pushed onto the margins of economic and, thereby, political endeavours. The enlightened politicians of today no longer defend only their own national interests. They must reconcile them with the interests of others. In other words: Respect and be respected! This epitomises my stance on both domestic and international policy in the years to come. It is fully in line with the appeal of Ľudovít Štúr – “With the World and to the World” – and is also in line with our position in the European Union”.

Later on in the day, President Ivan Gašparovič and the first lady, Silvia Gašparovičová, greeted a rally of citizens from the balcony of the Presidential Palace. Ivan Gašparovič thanked them for his re-election as President of the Slovak Republic. He said he was happy to address and thank the “people he likes and appreciates and who love Slovakia”.
In his words, the people elected a candidate who loves his homeland and its citizens and who will do everything he can to improve the quality of their lives. He also emphasised his desire to work to his own satisfaction. Those who came to the ballot were able to distinguish between who worked for them and who would be a source of discord. He also spoke about the hardship of people in times of economic crisis and expressed his conviction that the word ‘crisis’ will soon be replaced with the word ‘solidarity’. According to the President, as soon as the repercussions of the current crisis fade, Slovakia will regain its previous positions and the economy will start booming.
The first lady thanked the citizens for supporting her husband. Silvia Gašparovičová expressed her determination to stand by her husband and also thanked them for the possibility to assist, through her work, those in need.
Ivan Gašparovič stated his intention to maintain good communication with the parliament, government, state institutions and non-governmental organisations. The President remarked that although he had served his previous term of office under a different political and governmental constellation, he was able to achieve accord and understanding.
In the field of foreign policy, the President pledged to do everything within his remit to make sure that Slovakia continues to be regarded as a democratic, pluralistic and communicative country “which is good to cooperate with, particularly on security issues, in combating terrorism, and on the position of nations in the world on the platform of equality”.
Ivan Gašparovič appreciated the high foreign-policy profile of Slovakia within the UN, the EU, NATO and other groups, and said he would do everything he could to maintain and strengthen it.

He also said that the issues of concern to citizens would remain high on his agenda, because “the citizens of Slovakia deserve it”.