Drucker: I'm Saddened by Situation That Occurred During Students Award Ceremony

Bratislava, January 13 (TASR) - The situation that occurred during the students award ceremony in the Presidential Palace is quite regrettable, Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) posted on a social network on Monday. Drucker referred this way to the fact that one of the decorated students, wearing a ribbon in the colours of the Ukrainian flag on the lapel of his suit, refused a handshake from President Peter Pellegrini while he was receiving his award. "I'm saddened this act has become the subject of politics because I've been systematically striving to keeping politics out of the education sector. I'm convinced that despite how we feel, what we think, despite how much we disagree with each other, we should be able to at least shake hands with each other and show mutual respect - particularly towards the head of state, the most senior and directly elected representative of Slovakia. That is also the display of maturity of the nation and society," posted Drucker. Earlier in the day, Pellegrini and Drucker gave awards to students who won in international competitions. The student, Simon Omanik, refused to shake hands with the President, as he believed that Pellegrini had employed fearmongering and lies during the 2023 presidential election campaign with respect to the war in Ukraine. mf/mcs