The National Council of the Slovak Republic passed a resolution adopting the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.

The text of the resolution, which was initiated by the Speaker of the National Council, Andrej Danko, passed with 112 votes in favour out of 150.

According to Mr Danko, the absence of a clear definitions of antisemitism and Holocaust denial has hindered the ability of prosecutors and law enforcement authorities to deal with serious crime.

“We live in a difficult time when fundamental human rights are being denied, we also have a policy of people who deny the Holocaust,” the Speaker said.

In the resolution, the Parliament took note of the working definition of antisemitism developed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and adopted by 31 participating states, including the SR on May 26, 2016 in Bucharest.

The resolution also takes note of the European Parliament resolution of 1 June 2017 on combatting antisemitism, which emphasizes that hate speech and all kinds of violence against European Jewish citizens are at odds with EU values.