Slovak MEP Speaks at Bratislava Pride: 'We Should Not Feel Our Own Country Is Against Us'

A Slovak member of the European Parliament addressed participants at the Bratislava Pride march, delivering a message of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The MEP, who previously worked as an activist before entering European politics, told the crowd that LGBTQ+ people should not have to live with the feeling that their own country is working against them. The remarks came against a backdrop of ongoing tensions in Slovakia over LGBTQ+ rights, where the ruling coalition — led by Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD, a socially conservative party — has shown little support for expanded legal protections for same-sex couples or gender minorities. Bratislava Pride is an annual event drawing participants from across Slovakia and neighboring countries to advocate for LGBTQ+ equality and visibility.