Slovak researchers have sucessfully conducted 5 citizen discussions

The Slovak team of researchers from the Comenius University in Bratislava, led by Aneta Világi and Pavol Babos, have successfully conducted the series of discussions with citizens that was planned as part of the CODES project.

The discussions were kicked off just four days after the preparatory meeting for the project was held in Bratislava, Slovakia on 10th of August 2017.

The first meeting took place in central Slovakia’s Detva, and was followed by discussions in Michalovce, Ruzomberok, and Pezinok.

Main goal of these discussions was to explore the roots of Euroscepticism in Slovakia.

The final discussion took place less than one month after the project was kick-started, on 7th of September, 2017 in Ružomberok. Not surprisingly, one of the most prominent issues brought up during the events was the migration crisis.

One of the immediate feelings and results of these discussions is, that Slovak political leadership could be capable of dealing with the migration crisis in much less divisive and protective manner, if it was willing to do so.

People in Slovakia do tend to have some anti-refugee feelings, but when further discussed it is revealed that what they think should be done (that asylum seekers should start learning the language ASAP and that i tis important for state authorities to have information on them) actually are part of the standard asylum procedure.