Slovakia Defies EU, Amends Constitution to Protect Sovereignty
In a victory for national sovereignty, Slovakia has passed a constitutional amendment protecting national sovereignty “in matters of national identity,” effectively overriding EU or international law.
The amendment declares, in part:
The Slovak Republic retains sovereignty primarily in matters of national identity, consisting mainly of fundamental cultural and ethical issues relating to the protection of life and human dignity, private and family life, marriage, parenthood and family, public morality, personal status, culture and language, as well as decision-making on related matters in the areas of healthcare, science, upbringing, education, personal status and inheritance.
Nothing in this Constitution and constitutional laws may be interpreted as consent of the Slovak Republic to the transfer of the exercise of part of its rights in matters forming national identity….
An agreement to bear a child for another person is prohibited….
The parents of a child are the mother and the father; the mother of the child is a woman and the father of the child is a man….
The Slovak Republic recognizes only the biologically determined sex of man and woman.
The amendment also guarantees equal pay for men and women, clarifies adoption procedures, and requires parental consent for child sex education. Except for the provision about “equal pay” for women, which plays into the hands of cultural-Marxist social engineers, the amendment reasserts national sovereignty and traditional morality. Prime Minister Robert Fico described it as a “dam against progressivism.”
The Slovak National Council (parliament) passed the constitutional amendment on September 26 with 90 lawmakers voting in favor — the bare minimum needed. Seven lawmakers voted against, two did not vote, and 53 abstained. Twelve opposition lawmakers joined Fico’s governing coalition to pass the amendments.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who noted that the passage of constitutional amendments signify “consensus across the political spectrum,” signed the amendment on September 30. It will take effect on November 1.