A 1989 protest gathering in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Fewer people in Slovakia see the Velvet Revolution which ended the communist regime in Czechoslovakia positively with less than half viewing it favourably, a new survey has revealed.
Research by the Focus agency for the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) asked over 1,000 people for their opinion of the peaceful 1989 revolution. While 48 percent said they saw it as largely positive, 29 percent saw it as neither positive nor negative, 15 percent viewed it negatively, and eight percent had no opinion on the matter.
It was the first time in eight years that positive opinion of the event had fallen below 50 percent.
Drop caused by several factors
"The fact that since 2014 the share of people with a favourable attitude towards the Velvet Revolution has for the first time fallen below 50 percent reflects the extremely unfavourable socio-political situation in Slovakia," said Zora Bútorová from IVO.
"It was caused by the accumulation of several negative trends and events, the deteriorating social situation of the population, the crisis on the political scene, as well as the intensive influence of conspiracies and anti-system messages from both domestic and foreign sources," she added.
Generally, people across all age groups saw the revolution in a good light, but this view was most prominent among the youngest respondents, aged between 18 and 34.
But over-65s - those who lived at least three decades under communism - hold the most negative view. About a third of them view the revolution negatively.
Education and preferences behind differences
People with higher education, especially those who went to university, see the revolution more favourably, whereas people with basic education, unskilled manual workers, unemployed, and pensioners view it negatively.
Most who expressed a positive attitude supported principles of liberal democracy, respect towards minorities, the EU and NATO.
Political preferences also influenced respondents' opinions. Supporters of ruling coalition parties, as well as those of the SaS, KDH, and PS parties, welcomed what the revolution brought, whereas supporters of the opposition Smer-SD did not.
