Third anti-corruption march drew thousands

The only demand that has been met to date is the abrogation of Vladimír Mečiar’s amnesties by parliament.

The anti-corruption marchThe anti-corruption march (Source: Sme)

Thousands of people attended the third anti-corruption march organised by high school and university students in Bratislava on Monday evening. A crowd of people carrying Slovak and EU flags and a large placard reading ‘Step by Step Against Corruption’ marched across the old town centre from Hviezdoslavovo Square to SNP Square. Once again, the protesters called on Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer), Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar and Special Prosecutor Dušan Kováčik to resign. Also calling for Kaliňák’s ouster is a petition that has already collected 70,000 signatures.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

SkryťTurn off ads

“We’re not opposition, we’re not media and we’re not obsessed with Kaliňák,” high school student and co-organiser Robert Martin Hudec said in his speech as cited by the TASR newswire. “We just want the rules to apply to everyone equally.”

The protest received support from film director Tereza Nvotová, Bratislava acting students, Vladimír Crmoman of the Slovak Teachers Initiative and scientist Miloslav Bahna.

“We need an Interior Minister who creates conditions for investigating tax frauds and not the Interior Minister who buys flats from tax fraudsters,” said Bahna.

Read also: Teachers and scientist support anti-corruption march Read more 

The speakers also responded to the latest anti-corruption activities by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer). Event co-organiser Karolína Farská considers Fico’s offer to have two university graduates sent to two-year post-graduate study at the International Anticorruption Academy in Austria and other measures inadequate.

SkryťTurn off ads

“This study truly is quite important and crucial, but I think that people don’t need education on corruption to see that something isn’t right with this state,” said Farská, a high school student.

The students hold a set of demands similar to their previous marches: investigations into the “Bašternák” and “Gorilla” cases, the ouster of Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar, as well as the resignation of Special Prosecutor Dušan Kováčik. The only demand that has been met to date is the abrogation of Vladimír Mečiar’s amnesties by parliament.

Top stories

The New Stations of the Cross combine old and new.

New Stations of the Cross to combine surviving remains and contemporary architecture.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad