Smer-SD: PS Exploiting Young People in Politics and Spreading Hatred

Bratislava, 13 November (TASR) – The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party is exploiting young people in the political struggle and spreading hatred and intolerance, Parliamentary Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) claimed at a press conference on Thursday. Gaspar was referring to a video recorded outside a grammar school in Poprad last week in which PS MP Darina Luscikova stated that a prime minister who shows contempt for young people has no place giving lectures in a school. The video was recorded ahead of a scheduled discussion with Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) last Friday (7 November). Luscikova was later seen standing with a student who was writing messages for the prime minister on the ground. According to Gaspar, she sought to prevent the lecture from taking place. Smer-SD called on the media and the opposition to stop involving young people in political battles. "Progressive Slovakia is a political party that is trying to find topics within the political struggle to make itself into a strong opponent for Smer. It can't find them, so it's gradually evolving into something that, in my view, resembles ['Slovakia' party chair] Igor Matovic. Its politics are becoming vulgar, full of attacks, dehumanising. It's the politics of hatred and intolerance," said Gaspar, adding that PS is "creating victims" such as the Poprad grammar school student, or even the shooter who targeted the Prime Minister last year. The parliamentary vice-chair also urged the media to stop exploiting the young student in the struggle against Smer-SD, stating that the individual is a young person who is unable to assess all the circumstances yet. "This person is clearly under pressure, he's young and might not be able to bear it," added Gaspar. He also appealed to people on social media, including Smer-SD supporters, to refrain from attacking the student. In the video, Luscikova said that Fico repeatedly insults and humiliates students. She criticised him for giving a lecture on foreign policy at the school, while, as she put it, "meeting dictators" at the same time. "A prime minister who despises young people has no place in schools. It's mocking students, democracy and freedom," she said, urging students not to let anyone rob them of their dignity. Gaspar stressed that last year's attack on the prime minister should have served as a warning for society to calm down, but the opposite is happening. "More citizens, students and young people are being drawn into this, which is all the more alarming, because if PS intends to conduct politics in this way, we're on the road to hell," he added. He said that Smer-SD doesn't object when people express their opinions in chalk, as long as no property is damaged. "But when it comes to hate-fuelled or insulting statements that degrade or dehumanise, society must take a stand against that," he said. Last Friday, the prime minister was scheduled to take part in a discussion with students at a grammar school in Poprad. However, the event didn't take place. Fico explained that he was dealing with the issue of a possible infringement procedure concerning an amendment to the Slovak Constitution and so asked the school's headteacher to reschedule the discussion. mf/df