In a victory for national sovereignty, Slovakia has passed a constitutional amendment protecting national sovereignty “in matters of national identity,” effectively overriding EU or international law.
The amendment declares, in part:
The Slovak Republic retains sovereignty primarily in matters of national identity, consisting mainly of fundamental cultural and ethical issues relating to the protection of life and human dignity, private and family life, marriage, parenthood and family, public morality, personal status, culture and language, as well as decision-making on related matters in the areas of healthcare, science, upbringing, education, personal status and inheritance.
Nothing in this Constitution and constitutional laws may be interpreted as consent of the Slovak Republic to the transfer of the exercise of part of its rights in matters forming national identity….
An agreement to bear a child for another person is prohibited….
The parents of a child are the mother and the father; the mother of the child is a woman and the father of the child is a man….
The Slovak Republic recognizes only the biologically determined sex of man and woman.
The amendment also guarantees equal pay for men and women, clarifies adoption procedures, and requires parental consent for child sex education. Except for the provision about “equal pay” for women, which plays into the hands of cultural-Marxist social engineers, the amendment reasserts national sovereignty and traditional morality. Prime Minister Robert Fico described it as a “dam against progressivism.”
The Slovak National Council (parliament) passed the constitutional amendment on September 26 with 90 lawmakers voting in favor — the bare minimum needed. Seven lawmakers voted against, two did not vote, and 53 abstained. Twelve opposition lawmakers joined Fico’s governing coalition to pass the amendments.
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who noted that the passage of constitutional amendments signify “consensus across the political spectrum,” signed the amendment on September 30. It will take effect on November 1.
EU, Globalist Opposition
Not surprisingly, Eurocrats and other globalists reacted negatively to Slovakia’s constitutional amendment. In an opinion published two days before the amendment’s passage, the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe released a report alleging that the amendment risked undermining the “protection of human rights and respect for Slovakia’s international obligations” — though it did express approval of the “equal pay” provision. Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, separately argued the amendment would deny “the realities of trans and intersex people and may impact on human rights guarantees such as access to legal gender recognition.”
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch, also “expressed regret” at the amendment, releasing a statement claiming that “EU law takes precedence over national law, including national constitutional provisions.” Additionally, supporters of “LGBTQ rights” condemned the amendment for its provisions recognizing biological sex and limiting homosexuals’ ability to adopt children.
Although leftist and globalist opposition is not surprising, the amendment itself may be significant. As BBC reported, its provision “enshrining the primacy of the Slovak constitution over EU law is a direct challenge to the European Union, and will lead to legal battles and potentially sanctions.”
Reasserting National Sovereignty
This is not the first time an EU member state has challenged the supranational bloc’s authority. In October 2021, for example, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that Poland’s constitution and laws take precedence over EU laws. Courts in Hungary and Germany have issued similar — albeit more limited — rulings. Additionally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has occasionally defied the EU in his government’s actions on migration and other issues.
The EU is one of the greatest threats to national sovereignty today. Its creation was backed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency with the intention of creating a European superstate, and it continues accumulating an increasing amount of power at the expense of its member nations. Additionally, the EU is at the forefront of violating individuals’ God-given freedoms, with its judiciary ruling in favor of forced vaccination and against homeschooling, for example.
If Europe’s nations and citizens wish to preserve what’s left of their freedom and sovereignty, it is essential that they take immediate action to counter the EU and reverse its efforts to create a regional federation. Slovakia’s constitutional amendment is a good start.
