Student's handshake snub of Slovakia's president ignites debate
Simon Omanik, awarded for his achievements in the olympiad, refused to shake hands with the President of Slovakia. The incident was captured on video. In the media, the olympiad participant explained the reasons for his gesture.
According to the Polish Press Agency, during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Simon Omanik, a grammar school student, refused to shake hands with the President of Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini. Omanik, who secured a bronze medal in the Central European Mathematical Olympiad, explained that his gesture was a personal political protest.
President Pellegrini welcomed 35 students who had won medals in international subject olympiads. The students received awards from the Minister of Education, Tomas Drucker, and then shook the president's hand. Omanik, dressed in a suit with a ribbon in Ukrainian colours, accepted the award from Drucker but refused to shake Pellegrini's hand.
President Pellegrini, caught off-guard, reacted only with a slight smile and continued the ceremony. Omanik's behaviour attracted considerable attention from Slovak media. In an interview with journalists, Omanik stated that his gesture was a protest against Pellegrini's actions, who, according to him, "cheated and deceived people" during the election campaign.
Refused to shake hands with the president. Here's the explanation
Omanik accused Pellegrini of employing underhanded tactics during the campaign. One such instance, he claimed, involved making false accusations against a competitor regarding alleged plans to send troops to Ukraine. According to him, the president contributed to stoking anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
The students' visit to the Presidential Palace was added to the schedule at the last moment; initially, only a meeting with the Minister of Education was planned. The media also recalled that actress Zdena Studenkova refused to accept a decoration from Pellegrini, in protest against cultural changes introduced by the government.
