Join the new world

In his office, Jozef sets down his newspaper and takes a seat at his desk. With a window open to the streets, only a small breeze and the occasional sound of footsteps can be heard. It is the sort of peaceful afternoon that Slovakians have become accustomed to. "It was a small surprise for me," he admits, when asked about last months election. This is because the man is Josef Danko, the newly elected President of Slovakia.

Slovakia is a small nation, with a population of only 194. It is still in the very early phases of development - a key issue of his campaign and presidency. "We are working on buying [our] first hospital in Slovakia," he said. The nation has kept a very low rate of taxation - 1% across the board - in the hopes of stimulating business, investment, and trade with others. "We are neutral country and we do not have any enemies, [or] trading embargoes." The platform appealed to Slovakians, enough to win a closely contested election.

Nonetheless, rumors have begun to swirl in some Austrian circles of an invasion of Slovakia - rumors that have reached Josef. "I hope that they don't see any reason for doing that," he said. The rumors, which were further fueled by the recent article in the Odi et Amo that referred to their nation as the "Slovak Menace," are understandably concerning for Slovakians. "We are not giving them any reason [to go to war] and our provinces are not very interesting for them," he continued.

For his part, President Lynari dismissed the rumors, stating "there's no reason to invade Slovakia." The news will be welcome to those in Slovakia, who are just now taking the first steps forward towards developing their country. But so long as the rumors persist, some will be left to wonder - and hope, that footsteps are all that will punctuate the peaceful breeze in the sleepy afternoons.