(Strasbourg) In her address to the European Parliament, Zuzana Caputova, President of the Slovak Republic, supported sanctions against Russia and stressed the need to continue providing political and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. She then argued that the decision to grant candidate status to Ukraine is a step in the right direction. She went on to stress “the need to pursue the goal of peace, a just peace”, pointing out that “the best way forward is our European unity and solidarity”. Speaking about energy, she said “Slovakia had 85% of its gas from Russia, but now we are down to 33%. Here, too, we need to find common and lasting solutions, including by setting a price cap on gas”. She then focused again on the importance of “defending our democracy” that “is now under attack in some EU countries”. “Illiberal democracy – she said – is an oxymoron. A democracy” cannot deny freedom of speech, rights, and judicial independence. “A dangerous right-wing extremism is on the rise in Europe; minorities are under attack, attacks motivated by hatred. Europe means balance, tolerance, and respect for human rights”. Finally, she said she was concerned about the use of social networks to disseminate fake news. “If we do not protect democracy, we could be the last generation to experience it”.