Second Chance

Peter Kerekes thinks that Slovakia lacks sufficient tradition and the ability to govern itself. While dreaming of low corruption and robust social systems, he is too lazy to move and does not like Scandinavian winters. That is why he decided to bring the Scandinavian political system to Slovakia.

'I once said in a pub as a joke, that a country that cannot democratically help its development and reach a degree of normality, has only one option: to invite the assistance of a foreign army. That was when I returned from a month-long stay in Finland. I was thrilled about the country. I thought that, if Finnish administrators, inspectors, and judges were deployed in Slovakia, our country would at last embark on the path to democracy. Twenty years ago Slovakia was unprepared to govern itself. With the current pace, we are likely to reach democracy in about 200 years. People are not used to bearing responsibility for their own decisions; we have no continuity of governance, institutions, and no respect for authorities. That is the result of those who have been pretending to be the authority for years.' - Peter KEREKES