President: Politics Divisive Factor, Politicians Stirring Up People

Bratislava, 1 January (TASR) - Politics has become a divisive factor and has affected families, friendships and the atmosphere in the workplace, pointed out President Peter Pellegrini in his New Year address, adding that instead of trying to unite and calm society, politicians from both camps often stir people up to even more tense and negative emotions. "Politicians from both camps are well aware of this growing pressure, and instead of trying to unite and calm society, they are stirring people up to even more tense and negative emotions. They don't hesitate to insult not only their political rivals, but even their voters - and that is absolutely unacceptable in a democracy," stressed Pellegrini. In his opinion, politics shouldn't dominate people's lives to such an extent. "Politics shouldn't be the dominant category in our lives. It shouldn't destroy our relationships in our families, friendships, or at work. And politicians don't deserve to be loved or hated. They should do their jobs, which must be primarily to improve people's lives, and not [to create] political havoc or battles in Parliament," said the president. The head of state emphasised that hateful and divisive politics mustn't lead people to look down on and disrespect those who have different opinions or are different. "Let's therefore calmly reject policies that lead to arrogance and contempt for others. Let's reject social networks whenever they spread hatred," he said, adding that he believes that the government will take specific steps next year to implement a proposal regarding age restrictions in relation to social networks. am/df