November ´89
This year, we´re going to remember 20th anniversary of Days of November ´89, marked by bloodless fights. Students, young artists, nurses, civil associations and, actually, all of those who disagreed with that days situation mobilized for expressing an open disapproval, with the main goal – depose an lead position of Communist Party and organize free elections. Results of revolution - the goals came true. Communist Party was deposed, people won the opportunity to elect and travel freely and enterprise in private way. Media were relieved from under censorship. A social situation has turned into the right direction in the way to better tomorrows.
Mother of two and wife, Alžbeta Filová (age 53) works as a purchase manager for the company OSRAM Slovakia for over a 20 years. She grew up and lives in the town on a Southwest of Slovakia called Nové Zámky. She never attended any University. Alžbeta was
How does she feel the changes 20 years after the revolution?
Q: Where have you been in the moment when the regime was deposed?
A: „I was at home in that moment. I was at maternity leave and I watched the whole situation in television. Be a part of manifestation wasn´t really attractive for me. As well as me, many people didn´t really understand what exactly is going on. Even my husband wasn’t a part of any manifestation.”
Q: How often and where did you use to travel in an old regime?
A: “We used to visit only the closest family in Trenčín, High Tatras… From abroad
Q : Did you met with any troubles when you wanted to travel abroad ?
A: “Problems? Not really, no, because my criminal report was clean. I needed visa only when I travelled to Jugoslavia.” (So visa was necessary?) “Yes, it was.” (Was it easier to travel to countries which were part of
Q: What were the educational opportunities?
A: “They were alright. Nobody keep anybody from education. It wasn´t even financial consuming. Maybe it was parents, who didn´t support theirs children in getting a higher level in education. But there were opportunities…” (Was higher education charged?) “No, it wasn´t. Food and accommodation were subsidized by state, students travelled with discount. For parents, it couldn´t be financially hard.”
Q: What about health care system? What was it like before revolution?
A: “I don´t judge it negatively. It was on higher and better level than it is now.” (Better???) “Yes! Better.” (Even in hospital facilities, solicitude and care?) “ Yes, when talking about hygiene or care, there were much more members of hospital staff. As far as I know, there is a lack of hospital nurses right now, for example. Departments are more neglected. Food had a better quality and it wasn´t charged. But modern technical facilities weren´t accessible, like some expensive technologies. There is accessible wider assortment of medicaments also from western countries right now. We had to make do with limited range of medicaments that time, but I think, people weren´t treated badly.”
Q: What changes did you start to feel after the downfall as the first?
A: “Mainly, what was going on was that the lead party was the Communist. And there were so many new groups and parties, too many ideologies, out of the blue. Plus borders have opened. People weren´t blocked in travelling anymore. But all of those were mainly the ideologist stuff. Reality was that people in fact had no money to travel, even if they could.” (There was some start in private enterprising, right?) “Yes, there was. Unfortunately, Communists started to “turn the coats” when they realized they couldn´t stay on the lead position anymore. They started to privatized as many the monopoly companies as they could and which they had an access to. Suddenly they became tycoons without regard if they understood the business or not. So many things started to get back to private ownership, or were bought by illegal methods. And in my opinion, this was the main purpose of all the Velvet revolution! To secure the better future, yes. But only for some cheaters!”
(can you tell that those tendencies last until nowadays?) “Well, if the capitalistic part haven´t taken place in business then I can´t really imagine where we were by now. Thanks to couple of our inexperienced businessmen. And after disintegration of
(Immediately after the revolution, how long did it take to feel first changes in your life?)
“Oh, I remember it hardly...six months maybe, when people started to figure out first changes mainly in ownership. Everything what used to be in an ownership of state became private.”
Q: Did you watch political situation then and do you watch it now?
A: “I did so more before because I feel some kind of hope in a better future, but it clarified that a few cheaters misuse nescience of students, promised s better future and so they get them to theirs side and gained a power and major part of public. I do not watch political situation now. I think there are too many words or promises but no action.”
Q: Would you like to have your children grown that days or you like it better now?
A: “This is a difficult question. Social feeling was better that time, I think. The world is open now, there is many more opportunities but it´s so only because I am capable to give them to my children. There exist people who would like to turn back to an old regime because they don´t have enough financial resources to give theirs children what they should have…”
Q: Could you tell three most important changes in your life in comparison with your life before revolution?
A: “Well, I had sureness in employment which I don´t have now. Now there is an opportunity to travel which I SHOULD use. I had any that time and also I see an openness in communication with rest of the world which I support totally, if not for me so for my children.”
Q: Hypothetically, if the old regime would be established with the start of the new year 2010, would you agree with it?
A: “No! In that way as it was practiced then. It gained a form like the Communist Party was like some kind of church, they wanted to lead people somewhere…I don´t really know where with maximal effort. That party line wasn´t simply clear. They misused theirs power and authority.”
When talking about events of those days I can see an upset in her face. I am just not sure if it is caused by memories or present.
Eva Filová
