Shouting "Kaliňák should resign" and "We care", several thousand people took part to the third anti-corruption march, organised by high school and university students this year in Bratislava on Monday evening. Carrying Slovak and EU flags and a large banner reading 'Step by Step Against Corruption' they marched across the Old Town, repeating their calls for the Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD), Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar and Special Prosecutor Dušan Kováčik to resign. In the protesters' opinion, they are responsible for protecting dodgy businessmen and failing to investigate big political corruption scandals such as the "Gorilla" case dating back almost a decade ago. Although fewer people joined the march than in the previous editions, this time teachers and scientists took to the stage to express their support. Sociologist Miloslav Bahna, representing the initiative "Science wants to live", warned that corruption is robbing Slovakia of a better future.
"This summer we saw how, as a consequence of corrupt practices and incompetence in managing funds for science and research, we wasted a huge chance to push this country forward; a chance given to us by taxpayers in the European Union. In order to avoid such cases in the future we need an active special prosecutor who conducts investigations; not an inactive one. We need an interior minister who creates conditions for investigating tax fraud and not an Interior Minister who buys flats from tax fraudsters," said Bahna.
Organisers have also gathered about 70,000 signatures on a petition asking the Parliament to discuss their requests. In order to succeed, the petition needs to be signed by 100,000 citizens. They also invited Prime Minister Robert Fico to the march but he reacted by offering students an internship at the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) based in Austria. Last Friday the prime minister announced that an Office for Public Interest Protection is likely to be set up in Slovakia in order to protect people who are willing to combat corruption.
