THE BLUES
TEN PRINCIPLES AND APPROACHES
1
We are a party of citizens who consider Slovakia their homeland. Our identity is shaped by local communities, region and nationality, but we also feel like proud citizens of the European Union. We are committed to the idea of the European integration and Euro-Atlantic cooperation and our aim is to genuine meaning of the term patriotic.
2
When making decisions, creating a program or while exercising our daily political work, we adhere to the values and ideas of the religious and cultural heritage of European, as well as to the principles of secular humanism. We promote a center-right political course and this leads us to the membership in the European People's Party (EPP).
3
In our opinion, the basic building block of any society is the citizen. The state and its apparatus should be in the service of citizens, protecting their rights, freedoms and ensure justice for everyone. We are staunch supporters of the principle of equality, opportunity for all and believe that social relations will work only when there are clear rules and a solid system, accountable system that can enforce them. They should not be distorted by informal ties, influence or money. We condemn corruption. For us, uncompromised legal framework and stability are at the prerequisites for the functioning of all areas of social life.
4
We are a liberal-conservative party of modern thinking people. On cultural and ethical issues, we adhere to our tradition, moderation and center. As a party, we do not deal with issues that are of high relevance to a person's conscience, religious beliefs, or worldview. We will not support any individual initiative in this area, but neither we will prevent it.
5
In the practical implementation of the politics, we respect the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and promote the principles of liberal democracy as a way of organising political life and a method of managing the state at all levels.
6
When it concerns economic, financial and social issues, we prefer the principle of saving and investing, rather than borrowing and spending. Our approach to the economy is to restore public finances and ensure the country's competitiveness. We support entrepreneurship and individual responsibility with emphasis on the state efficiency. We reject populism that puts future generations in debt.
7
We support investments in innovations with higher added value and knowledge based economy. We promote a social market and innovative economy - i.e., the economy that is free and competitive and which provides solidarity and assistance whenever demands are justified. However, we must distribute financial aid efficiently, in a targeted and transparent manner.
8
In addition to the responsible and accountable management of public finances, it is crucial to focus on the structural reforms for a higher quality of life o\f all our citizens. We want to pursue fundamental reforms and raise the quality of education, science and research, because we believe, that education is at the foundation for a successful future. We will endeavour to identify weaknesses in the healthcare and public administration, as we are aware that changes and reforms are needed to be done.
9
Economic development cannot be realized at the expense of the environment. We know the value of our homeland, its nature, mineral wealth, water, soil and clean air. We are committed to protect them all. We want to ensure energy sustainability and terminate the dependence on fossil resources from Russia.
10
We support the principles the European Union, that guarantee equality for all its member states and European institutions. We are against the unification and centralization of cultural, ethical or moral standards and principles. We want to entrust EU institutions with competences, yet only when and where its member states cannot act more effectively by themselves. We support and promote the EU reforms that will guarantee more effective decision-making on common European foreign and security policy issues, as well as the building of a common European Defense Union.