President: Caplovic Left Deep Mark on Our Nation, Society, and Politics

Bratislava, March 7 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini has expressed his condolences to Dusan Caplovic's family, describing him as a politician from a generation where success was achieved through hard work, passionate debates and a persuasive programme, not via social media outbursts, and praising him as a well-educated and insightful person who left a lasting impact on the nation, society, and politics. Pellegrini viewed Caplovic as an academic with his own perspective on all aspects of life beyond politics. "In the political sphere, [he was] a social democrat with a strong national emphasis, deeply convinced of the mission and importance of education in human life. A person who knew how to argue rationally yet passionately, and with whom any discussion was enriching, regardless of whether you agreed or not. And yet, he always managed to maintain his humanity," stated the president in his social media post. "Dusan, you have left a deep mark on the nation, society, and politics. May you rest in peace, and may the Slovak land embrace you. My sincere condolences to all the loved ones that you left behind," wrote the head of state. Slovak politician, historian and archaeologist Dusan Caplovic died on Thursday evening (March 6). He previously served as vice-premier and education minister, and he was also Smer-SD party vice-chair. lin/df