Slovakia decrees patriotism

Following a proposal put forward by the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), the Slovakian parliament has passed a law to strengthen patriotism among the young. In future the national anthem is to be played every Monday at schools, and the state flag, the preamble to the constitution and the coat of arms are to be displayed in classrooms. This is patriotism by decree, writes the liberal daily Sme: "True patriotism stems from an inner pride of belonging to a nation, and a knowledge of the country's history, its successes and the sacrifices it has made. It can't be drummed into people. ... Patriotism also includes the respect shown to other nations, and in our case also the national minorities. This law, however, will lead to nothing but a pseudo-patriotism based on anything but conviction."

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