Changes

== History ==

== History ==

During the [[communist]] regime in Czechoslovakia (1948 – 1989), Catholic dissent – also known as the secret Church – played major role in the resistance movement against the regime. Communists were not succesful in their attempts to turn Slovaks – traditionally Christian nation – [[atheist]]. Aside from many acts of passive resistance (printing "[[samizdat]]" papers, smuggling religious and anti-regime literature etc.), the secret Church organized one of the most important acts of resistance against the communist regime and a precursor of the 1989 [[Velvet Revolution]], the Candle Manifestation which took place on March 25, 1988 in [[Bratislava]].<ref>Rybárová, Ela; Vanya, Boris. [https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20788579/candle-manifestation-anniversary-slovakia-miklosko-carnogursky-bratislava-30years.html Candle Manifestation 1988: We went into it like innocent children]. ''The Slovak Spectator''. 2018-03-25 (retrieved 2019-08-18)</ref>

During the [[communist]] regime in Czechoslovakia (1948 – 1989), Catholic dissent – also known as the Secret Church – played major role in the resistance movement against the regime. Communists were not succesful in their attempts to turn Slovaks – traditionally Christian nation – [[atheist]]. Aside from many acts of passive resistance (printing ''[[samizdat]]'' books and manazines, smuggling religious and anti-communist literature etc.), the Secret Church organized one of the most important acts of resistance against the communist regime and a precursor of the 1989 [[Velvet Revolution]], the Candle Manifestation which took place on March 25, 1988 in [[Bratislava]].<ref>Rybárová, Ela; Vanya, Boris. [https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20788579/candle-manifestation-anniversary-slovakia-miklosko-carnogursky-bratislava-30years.html Candle Manifestation 1988: We went into it like innocent children]. ''The Slovak Spectator''. 2018-03-25 (retrieved 2019-08-18)</ref> At the brink of the 1980s, [[Ján Čarnogurský]], the editor of ''samizdat'' magazine ''Bratislavské listy'' ("Bratislava Letters") came up with the idea of establishing a Christian democratic party after the planned overthrow of the communist regime. Communists set up to convict some of the top members of the anti-communist resistance movement in Bratislava<ref>Catholic dissidents Ján Čarnogurský, Vladimír Maňák, and Anton Selecký, Evangelical dissident Hana Ponická and irreligious (possibly atheist) Miroslav Kusý. They were jointly known to the regime as ''bratislavská päťka'' ("Bratislava Five"). See: ''[https://www.upn.gov.sk/sk/14-august-1989---bratislavska-paetka/ 14. august 1989 - Bratislavská päťka]'' (retrieved 2019-08-18) (in Slovak)</ref> in a show trial but ultimately failed and only further angered the oppressed masses. Čarnogurský was set free on November 26, after the democratic revolution was already set in motion.

Central to the establishment of the party were two intrinsically contradictory traditions. On the one hand, KDH was inspired by post-WWII Western European Christian democracy parties (such as [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]) which had abandoned their historical, strictly Christian orientation in favor of harnessing greater political influence in their countries by attracting non-devout Christians and even non-religious voters in addition to their primary voter base. On the other hand, Slovakia had strong historical tradition of "political Catholicism" which stressed strictly conservative and national values, rejected mixing them with other ideologies (especially with liberalism) and was skeptical towards pro-Western orientation of Slovakia. As a result of this ideological contradiction, KDH accepted Western European model of liberal democracy, yet it also retained conservative nationalist tendencies hostile towards anything which would disrupt Christian orientation of the party.<ref>Kopeček, Lubomír. ''Politické strany na Slovensku 1989 až 2006'' [Political parties in Slovakia 1989 to 2006]. 1st ed. Brno : Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury [Center for study of democracy and culture], 2007. ISBN 978-80-7325-113-0, pp. 303-304.</ref> This led to the first party split in 1992 when the nationalist wing formed the Slovak Christian Democratic Movement.<ref name=Kirschbaum/>

Central to the establishment of the party were two intrinsically contradictory traditions. On the one hand, KDH was inspired by post-WWII Western European Christian democracy parties (such as [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany]]) which had abandoned their historical, strictly Christian orientation in favor of harnessing greater political influence in their countries by attracting non-devout Christians and even non-religious voters in addition to their primary voter base. On the other hand, Slovakia had strong historical tradition of "political Catholicism" which stressed strictly conservative and national values, rejected mixing them with other ideologies (especially with liberalism) and was skeptical towards pro-Western orientation of Slovakia. As a result of this ideological contradiction, KDH accepted Western European model of liberal democracy, yet it also retained conservative nationalist tendencies hostile towards anything which would disrupt Christian orientation of the party.<ref>Kopeček, Lubomír. ''Politické strany na Slovensku 1989 až 2006'' [Political parties in Slovakia 1989 to 2006]. 1st ed. Brno : Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury [Center for study of democracy and culture], 2007. ISBN 978-80-7325-113-0, pp. 303-304.</ref> This led to the first party split in 1992 when the nationalist wing formed the Slovak Christian Democratic Movement.<ref name=Kirschbaum/>