Both our countries - Czechia and Slovakia- have been commemorating several historic events throughout the year 2018; the latest one being the proclamation of the independent Czech and Slovak Republics 25 years ago. I believe most of us have vivid memories, if not personal experiences, of the Prague Spring of 50 years ago. The earliest historic event uniting our nations is the birth of the first Czechoslovak Republic, whose centenary we are commemorating this year.
Our two fraternal nations undertook a long and perilous journey before being able to make decisions over their own fate. This time not based on an order made by a sovereign but by the rule of democracy.
The Beginning of the Story
Almost a thousand-year-long marriage with Hungarians did not work out, although there are many things nowadays that continue both to unite us and divide us. After World War I and along with the changes that led to the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the time was right for self-determination and a fight for our future within an independent state. The endeavours of the Czechs and Slovaks to form their own state were endorsed by the Fourteen Points, a statement of principles for self-determination of nations outlined by the American president Woodrow Wilson.
Czech and Slovak political elite headed by Tomáš G. Masaryk, Edvard Beneš, and Milan Rastislav Štefánik formed a Czech-Slovak government in Parisian exile, where they triggered actions that led to the creation of our own state that was eventually acknowledged by almost all the countries of the victorious Allied powers.
From the First Republic to Munich
In 1918 a public assembly of Czech and Slovak expatriates took place in the American city of Pittsburgh where a document known as the Pittsburgh Agreement was adopted and defined Czechoslovakia as a unitary state of the Czechoslovak nation. The independence of Czechoslovakia was declared in Prague by the „Men of 28th October “ in 1918. The history of the common state of the Czech and Slovaks began, confirmed by us Slovaks in the Martin Declaration of 30th October 1918.
„We, the Czechoslovak nation, declare that it will be our endeavour to see that this Constitution together with all the laws of our land be carried out in the spirit of our history as well as in the spirit of those modern principles embodied in the idea of Self-determination, for we desire to take our place in the Family of Nations as a member at once cultured, peace-loving, democratic and progressive.“ So reads the Constitution of 29thof February 1920 preamble that defined our common state as a parliamentary democracy with separation of powers into executive, legislative and judicial.
First the Czechoslovak Republic was economically self-sufficient and strong, which is confirmed by its rank amongst the 15 most advanced countries in the world. The political system between the two World Wars was democratically anchored and stable to such an extent that itwas the only one in Central Europe that successfully resisted the totalitarian pressures and was only toppled by the circumstances of 1938 – events that became known as the Munich Betrayal.
War, Prague Spring and Revolution
Our common history was briefly interrupted by World War II. Not long after it ended, in 1948, the state control was taken over by the communists, the best-organised political power of its time with their arguably critical role in the defeat of Fascism and Nazism in Europe. The Czechoslovak state experienced its darkest moment in 1968 when the democratisation process known as the Prague Spring, led by one of the most influential figures - Alexander Dubček, was halted.
The Velvet Revolution and the events that followed caused a gradual split in the common path of the Czech and Slovaks and, pursuant to a mutual agreement of both parties, resulted in peaceful separation of two fraternal states whereby example could be drawn upon by other states.
The Present and the Future
We are commemorating the centennial of an independent Czechoslovakia, for which great sacrifices had to be made. Let us not forget the determination of those who made these sacrifices in the name of our future. Let us not allow anyone to tell us that we do not deserve our own states and make our own decisions over our future. Let us be proud of who we are and what we have. For everything we have today, we have fought for in hard battles.
Czechia and Slovakia today are two independent states, members of the European Union and NATO, fully integrated in international organisations and structures, fully respected internationally. We march separately, and yet together at the same time -with the benefit of hindsight- side by side towards the future. All we know, is that we make our own fate, and it is only down to us what how we’ll shape our future. Whether we will build a strong social state based on democratic principles, whether we put human beings and their dignity at the top of our priorities, regardless of the differences we face; or whether we allow for groups that disregard democratic values, basic human rights and freedoms and suppress human dignity. Last century´s events linked to crimes against humanity committed during World War II should be a reminder to us all of what we shall not allow to happen.
About the Author
Doc. JUDr. Robert Fico, CSc. (born 15th September 1964 in Topoľčany) is a Member of Parliament of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, former Prime Minister and the leader of the political party Direction – Social Democracy (SMER).
He graduated from the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. He worked for the Law Institute of the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic and as a governmental agent representing the Slovak Republic at the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission of Human Rights. He was also a university teacher.
He was first elected as a Member of Parliament of the National Council of SR in 1992. Within the years 1994 - 2005 he was a member of the Assembly of the Council of Europe. After his party´s Direction – Social Democracy victory in the parliamentary election in 2006, Fico formed a coalition government with Vladimír Mečiar´s People´s Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and Ján Slota´s Slovak National Party (SNS) and became a Prime Minister. In the years 2010 – 2012 he acted in the opposition and after the parliamentary election of 2012, where his party Direction - Social Democracy gained 44,41% of votes, he formed a majority government. Fico stood in the presidential election of 2014 and was defeated in the second round of voting by Andrej Kiska.
He is married, his wife, Svetlana is a lawyer and associate professor at the Department of Civil Law of the School of Law at Comenius University in Bratislava. Together they have a son, Michal.
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