President: Our Duty to Listen to Young about What Kind of Country They Want

Bratislava, 20 November (TASR) - It's our duty to listen to young people about what kind of country they want, President Peter Pellegrini stated when evaluating the Year of Better Relations and marking World Children's Day at Bratislava Castle on Thursday. Children's Commissioner Jozef Miklosko explained that 2026 will be marked by a vision of Slovakia through the eyes of young people, noting that this year was dedicated to building better relationships, as he believes that they are the key to improving children's mental health. "Each of us should examine our consciences to see whether we've kept to what we promised here a year ago. I've tried to improve relationships in my surroundings. Perhaps I've made mistakes along the way, but I've tried to follow the plans we discussed here a year ago," said the president. The head of state also praised the commitment of young people and the work of the children's commissioner. "There are young people in Slovakia who, despite their age, are able to speak directly and from the heart about what they feel, what they want, what they fear, and how we should act to make Slovakia a better place," he said, calling on society to return to solidarity between generations. Miklosko said that throughout the year young people have drawn attention to the negativity in society, which, according to research, has the greatest influence on their decision as to whether to stay in Slovakia. He emphasised that poor relationships and a negative atmosphere were the most common reasons why young people were considering leaving. "From better relationships, we want to move on to the question of what kind of Slovakia young people imagine in order to want to live here," he noted. am/df