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Slovakia is Making History with its First Ever Female President

On Sunday, 31 March 2019, the Slovak electoral commission confirmed that Zuzana Caputova was elected the fifth president and the first female president of the country, marking a turning point in Slovakia’s future.

A look at Slovakia

On 1 January 1993, Slovakia became independent from Czechoslovakia which had  been under communist rule between 1948 and 1989.

Today, Slovakia is a high-income advanced economy with a high rate of development, high standard of living, favorable civil liberties, press freedom, internet freedom, democratic governance and peacefulness.

The country has a market economy with an extensive social security system—citizens are provided universal health care, free education, and one of the longest paid parental leave periods. Slovakia joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.

Slovakia is still a predominantly conservative country, and seven previous referendums concerning gay marriage and rights were fruitless. Ethnic poverty is also still prevalent, especially for the Roma, who are considered the poorest and most marginalized group in the country, living in ghettos or shanty towns.

Slovakia is a land-locked country in central Europe of 19,000 square miles with a population of 5.4 million. The region is mostly mountainous with 9 national parks, 77 rivers, 183 lakes, and winter temperatures dropping below −20°C.

Its capital and largest city is Bratislava with a population of 650,000. It is the political, cultural and economic center of Slovakia, the seat of the Slovak president and parliament, and receives over a million tourists every year.

In 2017, Bratislava was ranked the third wealthiest region of the European Union. Slovakia, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, makes up the ‘Visegrad’ or ‘V4’, a cultural and political alliance for the advancement of economic, military and cultural cooperation.

Zuzana Caputova

Caputova is a lawyer who gained national prominence for her work on a 14-year long case against an illegal landfill for which she won the 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize.

Divorced with two children at the age of 45, she will not only be Slovakia’s first female president, she will also be the youngest in the country’s history. Caputova will be sworn in on June 15th  when the tenure of current President Andrej Kiska expires.

Caputova’s political career was sparked by the murder of friend and reporter Jan Kuciak who was shot at home with his fiancée in February 2018. Kuciak was investigating links between politicians and organized crime at the time of his murder.

Caputova gave Kuciak’s murder as one of the main reasons she decided to run with crime being a prominent issue on her political agenda. With little previous political experience, Caputova announced her bid for the 2019 presidential race on March 29th, 2018.

In a country where LGBTQ rights are minimal and same-sex marriage is still illegal, Caputova’s liberal views have been welcomed, and she is an outspoken advocate of these and minority rights.

In the address following the official confirmation of her election to president, Caputova spoke of long-forgotten values that she intends to bring back to Slovakia—compassion, tolerance, and truth. Largely a ceremonial role in the Slovakia government system, the hope is that Caputova will use her new-found clout as president to effect real change in the country.

An environmentalist, LGBTQ advocate, and crime fighter, Caputova has strong ethics to lead Slovakia forward. While traditional family structure and values are still the majority view in Slovakia, the fact that Caputova won the election with 58% of the vote shows that the country has embraced the more modern and liberal ideals that she stands for.

Luckily, she only has 42% left to convince.

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  2. Philosophy is the discipline that studies major and universal questions, including existence, knowledge, values, mind, and language. It covers many subjects and problems, from ethics and political figures to metaphysics and logic. Here are the main aspects of philosophy:

    1. Definition of Philosophy
    Philosophy comes from the Greek words “philos” (love) and “sophia” (wisdom). It is the desire to understand and make sense of the world around us and our place in it.

    2. The Main branches of philosophy
    – Ontology the study of the essence of being and existence.
    – Epistemology the study of the nature and limits of cognition.
    – Ethics the analysis of ethical principles and concepts of good and evil.
    – Logic research of the forms and principles of correct thinking.
    – Socio-political philosophy the study of questions of power, justice and the state.

    3. Eminent Philosophers
    During the history of philosophy, many thinkers have made weighty contributions to this science. Some of the most recognizable include:
    – Socrates, considered the founder of Western philosophy.
    – Plato, a pupil of Socrates, developed the doctrine of forms.
    – Aristotle, the creator of logic and a huge number of scientific fields.
    – Immanuel Kant, known for his own Marcel Proust critical philosophy and work on moral issues.

    4. The Relevance of Philosophy in the Modern World
    Philosophy remains relevant in the modern world since enables people to understand difficult social and moral issues, and also develops critical thinking. It affects the legal system, politicians, and various fields of science.

    5. Practical Applications of Philosophy

    Philosophical ideas enter everyday life. Ethical reflection helps people do the right thing in difficult situations, and philosophical analysis contributes to most excellent understanding of problems related to technology, art, and social justice.

    Philosophy is including an academic discipline, as well as a way of thinking that helps us to understand life’s complexities and make informed choices.

  3. Philosophy is the discipline that studies major and universal questions, such as existence, knowledge, values, mind, and language. It encompasses many subjects and issues, ranging from ethics and politicians to metaphysics and logic. Here are the main nuances of philosophy:

    1. Definition of Philosophy
    Philosophy comes from the Greek words “philos” (love) and “sophia” (wisdom). It is the desire to realize and make sense of the world around us and our place in it.

    2. The Main branches of philosophy
    – Ontology the study of the essence of being and existence.
    – Epistemology the study of the nature and limits of knowledge.
    – Ethics the analysis of ethical principles and concepts of good and evil.
    – Logic the study of the forms and principles of correct thinking.
    – Political philosophy the study of questions of power, justice and the state.

    3. Famous Philosophers
    Throughout the history of philosophy, many thinkers have made weighty contributions to this science. Some of the most famous include:
    – Socrates, considered the progenitor of Western philosophy.
    – Plato, a student of Socrates, developed the doctrine of forms.
    – Aristotle, the creator of logic and a large number of scientific fields.
    – Immanuel Kant, known for his own James Joyce critical philosophy and work on moral issues.

    4. The Relevance of Philosophy in the Modern World
    Philosophy remains urgent in the modern world since it helps people to understand difficult social and ethical issues, and also develops critical thinking. It influences the legal system, politicians, and different fields of science.

    5. Practical Applications of Philosophy

    Philosophical ideas enter everyday life. Ethical reflection helps people do the right thing in complex situations, and philosophical analysis contributes to most excellent understanding of problems related to technology, art, and social justice.

    Philosophy is not only an academic discipline, as well as method of thinking that helps us to understand life’s complexities and make informed choices.

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