There is no doubt – the social paradise prepared for the citizens of the Slovak Republic by Robert Fico's fourth government, and presumably hoped for by the voters of the current coalition, is within reach.
However, even the most devoted fans of the SMER-SD party (Direction – Social Democracy, a left-wing populist party) may feel a certain unease when faced with the declining standard of living (and it is not out of the question that a few explicitly expressive terms will appear in analyses of the current state of affairs).
The near-miraculous embrace of conservative and Christian values by many members of the Slovak government (including former communists) and their increased interest in the legacy of Saints Cyril and Methodius is finally beginning to make sense.
It was not a Machiavellian act, as we mistakenly believed, but a sincere effort to find a way to convey the ideal of evangelical poverty, which Slovakia is now only a small step away from, in an understandable and acceptable form to its citizens.
But it may not end with evangelical poverty. Rising living costs coupled with an absence of genuine solutions could lead to ordinary Slovaks beginning to resemble the couple in Eden – they will be barefoot and naked. Whether the conservative and left-leaning voter will appreciate this form of 'paradise' is not yet clear. As for the rest, to hell with them!
Used illustration: Quirin Boel — David Teniers the Younger: Adam and Eve in Paradise, 1673, etching, Slovak National Gallery (SNG)
Originally written for groteskne.sk
