Fico: August 1968 Reminds Us Where Policy of One Mandatory Opinion Can Lead

Bratislava, August 21 (TASR) - The 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia reminds us where the policy of one mandatory political opinion and the rejection of sovereign and courageous stances can lead, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared on Wednesday to mark the 56th anniversary of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact countries. "The anniversary of the August 1968 events should serve as a warning note also in the present era, when, once again, the policy of only one correct political opinion is being promoted and anyone who displays sovereignty and courage in their opinions on weightiest foreign issues faces ruthless pressure from the developed democracies and the danger of isolation," said Fico. According to Fico, August 21, 1968, will forever be linked in Slovak history with the violent shattering of reformist and democraticising processes that erstwhile socialist Czechoslovakia was undergoing. "The decision of the signatories of the Warsaw Pact to use military force in order to suppress any other than the only single mandatory and unified opinion robbed the Czechs and Slovaks of an option to embrace a more efficient and freer path," added Fico. In 1968, the reformist and democraticising process in Czechoslovakia was cut short by an invasion by five Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany and Poland. As of 2021, this historical event has been commemorated in Slovakia as a remembrance day. mf