Pellegrini Speaks to Parliament of Children and Youth, Says Country Lacks Vision

Casta-Papiernicka, 18 March (TASR) - Slovakia lacks a vision, as the country is governed from one election to the next, with priorities, goals and tools to achieve them shifting every four years, stated President Peter Pellegrini during his address at the eighth session of the Parliament of Children and Youth held at the Parliament's Casta-Papiernicka accommodation facility on Wednesday. While he welcomed the government's decision to task the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) with preparing a long-term vision, he emphasised that young people must be involved in the discussion about Slovakia’s future. "It's vital that young people of your age are involved in the debate about Slovakia's future because we must listen to you and adapt the vision to your needs, combining your enthusiasm and determination with the experience of those who have been through more," stated Pellegrini. Themed around the creation of the 'Vision of Slovakia Through the Eyes of Young People', the session of the Parliament of Children and Youth Parliament was organised by the Office of the Commissioner for Children and attended by more than 100 participants from across Slovakia. A survey showing that some three-quarters of young people aged 16 to 17 are considering leaving Slovakia was also presented at the event. In this context, Pellegrini pointed to the influence of social networks. Even though the initial survey results are negative, he believes it's perfectly fine for young people to want to go abroad. "I think they should go, so they can realise that not everything on Instagram is real," he said, adding that what matters is that the number of those who want to return should increase. jrg