Most Slovak believe that “we” should also include foreigners, although they are quick to point out that efforts to integrate should be undertaken mainly by the foreigners themselves. (source: Unsplash)
Welcome to your weekly overview of news from Slovakia. Last week we learned what Slovaks think of foreigners. The main news event was the guilty verdict handed down to the former special prosecutor. We also shed some light on the tangled situation in Slovak law enforcement, and explain the latest conflicts within the governing coalition.
The printed version of the September issue of The Slovak Spectator is available for download below.
The ideal foreigner, according to Slovaks
Every year, the Focus polling agency publishes the results of a survey it conducts for the Milan Šimečka Foundation, which provides a picture of what the perfect foreigner should be like, according to Slovaks. Most respondents seem to have a very clear idea of the skin colour, language skills, education level, religion and lifestyle of people who aspire to live in Slovakia.
Long story short, the best foreigner in the eyes of Slovaks is – a Slovak. Incomers should make sure they adjust their ways properly and ASAP. The absolute majority of those polled (more than 89 percent) said that foreigners must be able to adapt to the Slovak lifestyle.
What does that mean for the perfect foreigner? If they were looking for the picture of a perfect average Slovak, what would they find?
