Illustrative image. (source: SITA)
A new campaign aimed at young voters to prompt them to participate in the September snap election has been launched. Called "Chcem tu zostať" (I Want to Stay Here), the initiative will tour festivals, concerts and other events during the summer.
"Voter participation in elections is the key to the quality of democracy. Civil society in Slovakia has demonstrated its ability to mobilise several times in the past, especially among young voters," said Fedor Blaščák, one of the initiators at the Pohoda music festival on Saturday.
"The campaign continues this tradition with the aim of spreading a positive message about the country. It connects hundreds of actors from the non-governmental sector with young influencers to jointly inspire young people to get involved in public events."
In Slovakia, young voters aged 18 to 25 make up almost half a million voters.
However, according to a new Focus polling agency survey carried out for the campaign, 52 percent of young people are interested in voting. Compared to late 2019, this is a decrease of 16 percentage points. This could mean up to a three percent difference when it comes to results, which might be important when looking at recent polls.
According to several previous surveys, young voters do not see their future in Slovakia positively, their sense of resignation deeper as their motivation to go abroad increases.
"The name of the campaign precisely reacts to these negative sentiments. The risk of young people leaving in the event of the deteriorating state of the country after the elections is high," the initiators pointed out.
The main initiators of the campaign are Občianska Platforma pre Demokraciu (Civic Platform for Democracy), Memo 98, Nadácia Otvorenej Spoločnosti (Open Society Foundation) and the Pontis Foundation. Dozens of non-governmental organizations also participate.
The ambassadors of the campaign are former prime minister Iveta Radičová, influencer Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová and former ice-hockey player Michal Handzuš.
