17 July marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Slovak Republic. On this day in 1992, the Declaration on the Sovereignty of the Slovak Republic was adopted in the National Council of the Slovak Republic under the leadership of then President Ivan Gašparovič. Of the 147 members present, 113 voted in favor, 24 voted against and ten abstained.
"This legal act was an important political step on the road to our statehood." These words were used by the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, to underline the importance of this event.
Since the signing of the Declaration, Slovakia has achieved a great deal: it has developed friendly and constructive relations not only with European countries and its close neighbors, but also with other countries of the world.
This day went down in the country's history. Even though this day is not an official public holiday in Slovakia and is only a commemorative day, people in some towns still celebrate it even today. People come together to burn bonfires, symbolically known as 'Sovereignty Bonfires', various folk dance and singing groups perform in town and village squares, and competitions and fairs are held.
Dear friends, we wish you a wonderful Anniversary of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Slovak Republic.
Let us not forget that this holiday symbolizes not only independence and freedom, but also responsibility for the present and future of the country. We wish you a lot of prosperity and health!
Author: Klára Velčeková