New Year’s Address by Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič

Dear fellow citizens,

The New Year has arrived, along with new wishes, desires and resolutions. Surely you expect me to evaluate the past year in a couple of sentences and point out important issues and events that lie ahead for our society in 2010. The past year was not free of troubles, and not only due to the crisis.

We also received some good news. We were successful in replacing the Slovak koruna with the single European currency, the euro. We ratified the Treaty of Lisbon. We also managed to facilitate the building of road infrastructure and energy self-sufficiency, in addition to bringing local governance closer to citizens. However, we failed to give an impetus, the right direction and speed to lifelong learning and scientific and cultural development – it means to spiritual values of our society.

We commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, as well as the ideals shared by the people who had gathered in the streets and squares of our towns and cities back then. It is also due to them that we can now enjoy more freedom. It is also due to them that we can choose today who will receive our vote in order to represent us and govern ...