POLITICAL PROGRAMME OF THE PARTY OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT
INTRODUCTION
The Slovak Republic will soon face the challenges of the third millennium. The tasks of developing and cementing the statehood, and the transformation of politics and economy - all these overlap with the need to adapt to the global trends and offer a promising future to the new generation.
The development and changes that we have undergone together with other citizens of the Slovak Republic and also the sense of responsibility for the fate of this country have prompted us to draw a new document, which would follow on our previous programme statement ,,The aims of the SDL". In this new document we proclaim our proposals regarding the future of the Slovak Republic and its development and also the aims and objectives of our party. We want this programme to be the main basis of all our activities. As a leftist party we cannot be narrowly pragmatic. We know that political activities often require fast solutions. This programme can be one of the guarantees that the political decisions will be in accord with the ideals and long-term objectives of the party, and that the will of its members and sympathisers will have its way, for the good of the whole society.
1. Why does the Party of the Democratic Left exist?
SDL is the outcome of efforts to enhance politics on the left, to spread socialist ideals in the new conditions, and to defend the rights of the working people. It has sprung up from the dramatic struggle for democratisation of the „real socialism", and from the growing persuasion of the reform-minded members of the former Communist Party of Slovakia that the existing system had to be changed. The party was founded by the people who did not want escape their own past, because they wanted to contribute to a better future.
SDL has been created on the basis of knowledge that the attempt to build socialism in a state with centrally-planned economy and with monopoly for political power held by one party was a historical failure because it contravened the values that were present at its origin. It became clear that welfare and social justice cannot be achieved in an authoritarian state where freedom, civic rights and the ability of an individual to make his own decisions about his future were suppressed. Historical developments have proved that in the contest between the communist and the social democratic strands of workers' movement, the ideas of democratic socialism were correct. SDL is therefore strictly against a return to a society based on the leading role of one party, administrative directionism in the economy and control of spiritual life of an individual by one political power.
We accept the idea of an open society, and at the same time we do not consider capitalism to be the final period in the development of mankind. For SDL, which, as a party of the left, will always represent first and foremost the rights of the working people, the capitalism is not a permanent solution. We feel a part of the big family of the socialist, social democratic and workers' parties that are united in the Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists. We want to implement changes which are stated in the Declaration of Principles of the Socialist International.
2. Our policy is based on the principles and values of democratic socialism
SDL follows the ideals and traditions of democratic and progressive popular and workers' movements which have been defending the dignity and the rights of the working people. SDL holds in high esteem the Slovak and European tradition of fight against fascism. It accepts the idea of democratic socialism, which is an expression of efforts to counter the narrow interests of the capital. This idea gave birth to many successful political movements, which contributed to betterment of life of many generations. This idea has transformed itself into the structure of functioning welfare states.
The spiritual sources of democratic socialism come from Christianity, humanistic philosophy and enlightenment, the social and historic works of Marx and Engels, as well as from the experience of workers' movement in the world and our country, including the attempt to reform the standing system in 1968.
Democratic socialism today is an international movement for freedom, social justice, solidarity and democracy. Its aim is to achieve peace all over the world in which also other important issues can be solved, such as the environmental crisis, and where every individual, man or woman, can live a purposeful life, and where human and civic rights are guaranteed as a part of a democratic society based on the principle of solidarity. The common basis of democratic socialists, disregarding the way they achieved their values, is the knowledge that democracy and human rights are not just tools for achieving socialist aims but rather they are the very nature of these aims.
Therefore the common principles for the policies of SDL members are freedom, social justice, solidarity and democracy.
Democratic socialists hold these fundamental values in high esteem. They are very closely related. Each of them is a prereqisite of the other principles. The liberals and the conservatives, on the other hand, stress individual freedom at the expense of justice and solidarity. The communists demand equality and solidarity, but at the expense of freedom.
DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Our idea of democracy is based on the principles of freedom and equality. We therefore demand equal rights for women and men - not only theoretically but in practice - in working life, family and different areas of social life - this is the basis of socialist understanding of the society.
Real democracy is unthinkable without people having the opportunity to decide between different political alternatives on the basis of democratic values in free elections. There must always be the possibility to change the government by peaceful means on the basis of the will of the people, there must always be a legal system where the law applies to everyone equally, and at the same time the rights of the minorities must always be guaranteed. SDL believes in an inevitable and universally applicable system of human rights. Democracy and human rights are the basics of people's government.
For the socialists, democracy means plurality because plurality is the best guarantee of its vital power and creativity. Respecting the variances, those who are different from the majority regarding their opinions, language, religion, race, sexuality, physical condition etc. - this is the cornerstone of democracy. SDL therefore refuses any form of nationalism, hatred of foreigners, fascism, political violence and any attempts to restrict the right of free speech.
Democratic socialists refuse any form of dictatorship of the majority, any oppression of the minority. That’s why they stress the necessity to overcome understanding of democracy as simple rule of the majority, and instead see it as a tool to cater for the needs of all.
This means that the citizens should have a right of active participation in all areas of society - especially in the area of economy, environment and working life.
NATURE OF SOCIALISM
Democratic socialism is a process of political but also economic and social democratisation and a way towards social justice. Individual freedom and basic human rights should be guaranteed to all. These rights can not supplement or exclude each other. The socialists protect the right to life and physical safety, freedom of opinion, which must not be constricted by partisan interests, freedom of expression, freedom of association and protection against torture. The socialists want to free the world of starvation and poverty and demand real social security and the right to work.
Democratic socialism is our alternative to other ideas and values that are propounded by Slovak political parties. SDL defends the right of socialist ideas to exist and be implemented.
Our aim is to work with the values of democratic socialism in everyday life of the party and the whole society. We see politics as work with people and for the people, which does not end at the parliament, the government or the local administration. We want to help the people through the state institutions but also by developing self-assistance and civic movements and groups which contribute to better life of the people.
3. SDL as a modern party of the left
We are the party associating the citizens of the Slovak Republic, which share the same political values and the program of the party, with no regard to their personal views, religious affiliation, ethnic origin, race and social status. We want to enable the workers, the farmers, white-collar employees and other working people to use their right to act freely and to their benefit.
We are a party that is organized on a strictly civic basis, our members are Slovaks, Hungarians, Romanies, Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Germans, Poles. We see the national revitalization of the Slovak as the process that does not go against other nationalities, but paves way for mutual trust and cooperation of all nationalities living in the Slovak Republic.
A modern party of the left is strong when it manages to help people organize activities through which they can support their needs. SDL will therefore focus on a education, which also means passing on the experiences and knowledge to its members and activists, so that they could become advisors and co-organizers of civic initiatives. This is the decisive factor at shaping SDL to be modern party of the left and also our contribution to the creation of a civic society.
4. Who are the people we defend?
Our programme is not for the privileged or the noveaux riches, but for the majority of the society. Our alternative means finding the way to better the social standards of workers, farmers, teachers, medical employees, artists, scientists and other employees, but also pensioners and the unemployed. All who make their living by their own work. SDL strives for the good of those whose work is, inspite of its labouriousness or costliness in terms of skills, insufficiently valued. SDL will fight against new forms of exploitation.
One of our primary aims is to protect the interests of young people, who are strongly dependent on their parents regarding their living. At the same time we want to decrease unemployment and gaps in the society and rising poverty levels. We will therefore support development of small and medium-size businesses, which will be able to create new employment possibilities and energize competitiveness on the labour market. SDL is also prepared to support those managers of big companies who realize their social and environmental responsibilities, and who meet the needs of employees and the region.
One of the aims of SDL is to halt the rise of the socially weak, assistance-dependent citizens, and to prevent devaluation of the most precious values in the society - human work and human dignity. We want to give people the basic certainties, most of all work to those who are able to work. We want to achieve standards of living that we had before 1989 and surmount them by the year 2000.
5. Our idea of a modern society
This and the starting generation are facing a great challenge: to create conditions for the Slovak Republic to become a modern society of a post-industrial era. This is the inner sense of the transformation of the economy, political system and other areas. SDL will therefore try to prevent the danger that in consequence of egoism and short-sightedness of the new proprietors and politicians, who direct and benefit from this transformation process, Slovakia would drift to the periphery of civilisational, cultural and political developments in Europe.
If Slovakia wants to prove its worth in the international competition it must be creating conditions for joining the international markets in the most effective way. Not a as a manufacturer of half-processed goods but as a co-producer of high-technology and related services, in which its comparative advantage, the human resources, can be capitalised in a most effective way.
Society of cooperation and investment in people
Development of Slovakia requires that people themselves will strive for the betterment of their lives, while at the same time using cooperation between regions, nationalities, ethnic groups and citizens of the Slovak Republic. SDL therefore stresses the importance of help by increasing the quality of education and culture in close relation to the most recent developments in the area of science and technology, and in implementing these to create an environment where every individual has the possibility to fulfill his potential for personal development.
Slovakia does not posses raw materials that would guarantee its wealth. It can rely on two resources only: human resources and the nature. Both require protection and continuous renewal. Regarding these issues the democratic socialism supports environmental movements, which struggle for a society of renewable resources.
6. Democratic and socially and environmentally oriented economy
ACTIVE INFLUENCING IN THE PROCESS AND RESULTS OF ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
SDL wants a modern and efficient economy that would be able to create sufficient resources on the basis of free and democratic decisions of people who participate in working life. Over forty years' experience of centrally-planned economy has proved that market economy is the only viable solution. Many countries - especially of western Europe - achieved better results at implementing socialist values than the countries of so-called real socialism.
Political left, including SDL, does not see any practical nor ideological limitations in support of transformation from centrally-planned to market economy. On the contrary, it has the opportunity to influence this process and assert its own objectives, in two ways. One is the policy of transformation which would make sure that the consequences of the process would be as mild as possible. Second is the long-term strategic aim of SDL to ensure creation of such a form of market economy that would be based on the values and principles of democratic socialism.
7. Society of security, opportunities and social partnership
SOCIAL POLICY
SDL refuses egalitarianism, it respects the value of individual achievements that are based on conscious personal development. But SDL associates this value with solidarity and help for those who need it. The mission of a welfare state, which SDL wants to create, is to ensure permanent improvements, and to give equal opportunities for personal development of all citizens.
SDL will stress the need to protect and renew the cornerstone of social security - the right to work, because work should be the main source of income of every individual, and it should also be the primary means of participation in the development of the society.
While stressing self-initiative, one of the basics of SDL's social policy will be protection and renewal of conditions securing dignified life for every individual. SDL refuses the opinion that poverty is a result of individual deficiency. It is the whole state and the society that are responsible for the poverty, and therefore the state must create conditions for such strengthening of the economy that the society would be able to eliminate poverty and ensure proper standard of living for every citizen.
Economic transformation and general advent of market relations into the life of the society changed the situation significantly. SDL has been permanently claiming that the market would not solve all the society's sores. We need to synchronise the next steps of social and economic transformation. SDL aims at the social policy that would lessen the grievances which arose as a result of the reckless market and privatisation decisions, which allocated possessions to the few chosen by their protectors. SDL will struggle to achieve a more just spread of the transformation costs. The fundamental aim of the politics on the left in today's Slovak life should be efforts to overcome and mitigate the widening gaps in the society on the basis of equality of opportunities, just evaluation of work and just distribution of wealth.
EMPLOYMENT AND THE LABOUR MARKET
The primary aim of SDL is effective employment of those who want and are able to work. Unemployment and marginalisation of low-income people is a wrong that we must try to revert. Work is the main source of self-assurance of every individual. No social benefits can eliminate the social and psychological consequences of unemployment. For the vast majority of people work is the basis of existence and social worth.
SDL therefore refuses the rightist policies of passive social benefits and mere registration of unemployment. Protection of those who have lost work, and ensuring appropriate level of support of the unemployed is a duty of every government. SDL will assert energetic employment policies by creating new employment possibilities through national and regional schemes, by creating conditions for migration towards work, and by influencing the interest in work of selected sections of population. Secondly, we are aiming at a qualitative change in the whole educational system and its training and re-training schemes in such a way, as to ensure acceptance for everyone who wants to join these schemes. We support the idea of life-long learning, professional development. We want the education system to be more flexible and universal, so as to ensure that trainees and graduates will be able to meet the demands of Slovak and European labour market.
8. We support developments towards a civic society in Slovakia
The determinant of a modernized society is the development of a civic society. This term can be understood as a thick web of non-governmental organisations, professional, political groups, initiatives, foundations, local and religious communities. They implement many activities which support civic and political rights of individuals, develop activities for protection and realisation of group and individual interests, they utilize spontaneous energy of the public when solving everyday problems, from charity to control of the state administration. Civic society is one based on the idea of self-government.
SDL, aware of the fact that independent associations are the backbone of an open society, will support creation of legislative framework for the functioning of these associations, it will protect them against restrictive policies of the state and will cooperate with them at the communal level. SDL wants to initiate a relationship of equal partners between independent groups, municipalities, regions and the state, it will support negotiation as the most appropriate tool for solving problems of a democratic society.
Regional and local self-government are one of the pillars of a democratic society. It allows citizens to take part in control of the public sector - education, health service, social support and other areas of the economy where local administration can make better and more flexible decisions. Local government allows more space for development of an effective system of cooperation between the institutions of local government, state administration, private sector and the citizens, leading to implementation of an objective common for all - development of the region. Unity of interests helps to eliminate conflicts between regional bodies. We could hardly speak of a democratic society if the regions were governed exclusively by the state through territorial state administration, politically reliable, which would not be able to guarantee local and regional interests.
SDL will judge every government according to its ability to secure social peace, which we understand as a social contract with the people. Our aim is to secure dignified life for the socially weak and to assuage social differences, and avert serious social conflicts. SDL views the trade unions as an important factor in concluding social contracts and creating a system of social partnership. The trade unions are the closest ally of the left. They usually express social interests of wide sections of society, and through them they enter politics. SDL is therefore against proposals to limit the role of trade unions. SDL wants them to have an influence in politics. SDL will strive for full implementation of the clauses of social partnership, and for respecting the trade unions as an equal participant of the tripartite negotiations.
9. Legal state for the people
SDL views creation of Slovak sovereignity in 1969 and of an independent state in 1993 as an integral part of historical democratisation. Developing our own state gives rise to opportunities and challenges. Traditions of state structures and ways of their work are being set up. This concerns all citizens, and SDL therefore demands that views of all political and specialist groups are taken into account. The process of national emancipation does not end with the creation of an independent state. We need to develop consciousness of citizenship of all Slovak citizens, without differentiating them according to their religion, ethnicity and race, on the basis of positive coexistence. The citizens have the right to be informed about all activities of the state administration, except the ones protected as classified or as state secrets, so that they are able to exert effective control over them.
SDL views democracy in the Slovak society as the most important value, which should be protected. It will therefore stand up to any attempts to encroach on the sovereignity and territorial rights of the Slovak Republic. With same decisiveness it will counter any steps of the state administration to suppress the rights of the citizens. Reputation of the Slovak Republic will first and foremost depend on our ability to develop high political culture, on the ability to concentrate the intellectual potential of the country for solving development issues, and on overcoming historic divides within the society, not by declamations of national pride.
One of the roots of the Slovak Republic goes back to the Slovak National Uprising, and SDL refuses any attempts to link today's republic with the Slovak State of the war period, which was created by Hitler's decision, and was tainted by collaboration with Nazi Germany.
SDL propounds the idea of a democratic, legal, social and environmentally conscious state. The Slovak Republic should be a secular state, which guarantees by constitution the rights of all citizens, with no regard to their religion or political views, it does not favour any of the churches. The way to achieve this is a gradual separation of the church and the state.
