CELSI Scientific Director Martin Kahanec on Slovak regions falling into a doom loop in an interview with Karol Sudor for Denník N.

Why are economically weaker Slovak regions falling into a doom loop? What can they do themselves — and what is the responsibility of the state? And how should we think about demographic collapse that strips some regions of fifteen percent of their population within a decade? CELSI Scientific Director Martin Kahanec addresses these questions in an interview with Karol Sudor for Denník N.

Kahanec warns against passivity — regions cannot indefinitely wait for a big investor or for the state to act. The problems of a region will ultimately be solved by nobody other than its own people. At the same time, he stresses that without quality infrastructure, schools, healthcare, and people's genuine belief in a region's future, even the best intentions will fall short.

He also addresses one of the charging questions in Slovak political debate — whether it is voters from the regions who are to blame for the state of the country.

"I reject that. Let's look at it through the eyes of a chimney sweep or a teacher from Dobšiná, or a bricklayer from Poltár. They see a country governed from Bratislava — but it is precisely the elites from the centres, those who run the country or are perceived as doing so, who say that everything in Slovakia is bad, and now announce that the blame lies with them, the people from the regions. And on top of that, they want their votes. What kind of offer is that?"

🔗 Full interview in Denník N: https://dennikn.sk/5502742/ekonom-martin-kahanec-chudobne-regiony-na-slovensku-musia-prestat-cakat-na-zachrancu/

🔗 The interview is also available in Hungarian on the Na punk portal: https://napunk.dennikn.sk/hu/5518211/szlovakia-szegeny-regioinak-fel-kell-hagyniuk-azzal-hogy-a-megmentore-varnak-mondja-martin-kahanec-kozgazdasz/

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