The November days
She´s the mother of two from Trnava. She´s an accountant, loves The Beatles, books and red wine. She´s 45 and spent the half of her life in socialism and witness the Velvet revolution. Here´s her view on the 17th November 1989 and her name is Elena.
What did you do on 17th november 1989?
It´s hard to say, it´s so long since then. I think it was the time when we were living in a hope change to come.
Do you rememeber what were you doing on that day?
Not exactly, I´m sure I was in work.I remember I was watching TV and news about a demonstration of university students in Prague. We felt that something can change in Slovakia as well as in Prague. It seemed it´s not a one-off demonstration but a herald of considerable change.
How did you feel about the events before the 17th November?
We all lived in faith a change to come. From early 80´s as the twists happend in Polland due to a Lech Walesa, later Polland president, who co- founded Solidarity or Gorbachevs commencement as a General Secretary and perestroika movement, we knew that something going to happend. We saw the people of East Germany emigrated en masse to the West Germany and the fall of Berlin Wall, belived the turn for the better times will come.
Did you participate on demostrations in Trnava or somew
here else?
It was in Trnava , in the square where the protagonists of „ Verejnosť proti násiliu“ ( The public against violence) and the people of Trnava joined each other. The leader of this association was the actor of Trnavas theatre, Mr. Oktavec, who talked to us from the theatres balcony with the rest of the speakers. I have to say , It was amazing days.
How do you feel about the changes that came after revolution?
To look back, as it all evolves, as the society evolves, I feel some kind of disappointment. It´s quite a frustration about politics, in particular actual administration. There are so many negative phenomenons. The corruption is so huge, we have never ever think it could be like that. Also there is some kind of censorship that we think that can´t ever come back. In spite of this, I will never want the old times to come back. We have democracy, we can talk about whatever we want, we can say our opinions without the fear, we can travel around the world. I hope that the principles of real democracy will be apply in full–strength someday.
So you think that the revolution was necessary?
Absolutely.
What was the worst thing about the former régime ?
Dictatorship , people were nagged because of the different opinion and there was a pursuition of inconvenient people. I remeber when this happend in my family. So many people were proscribed and busted. The spurred wire around the coutry was in corpore the real slavery.
Can you find something possitive about the régime?
The educational system, health care and agricultural industry were on high level, either from international view. Everyone had job, there were social safety that does not exist now. But as I said, I don´t want that régime to come back.
Does the people change after revolution?
It´s sad to say that because of the many problems and joblesness , people find out that democracy is also about the responsibility for themself, that we can´t rely on the state equally. There is no surety beside joblessness and so many social problems. Our economy level is not that high as it´s in the other european states. For exaple , retirees have low contributory pension so they can´t afford simmilar things like the retirees in other coutries that did not live in comunism or socialism. Most of them now felt it is a big inequity. That´s also the factor of democracy . It will take a long time to reach the level of refreshed countries.
Is there something you want to add on?
Just one thing. I belive, that one day, maybe not now , but in few years, the democratic principles will be on international level and the situation as it is now, particularly with actual administration, will move on to better conditions.
Silvia Vagovičová
