We are proud to share that on April 11, 2025, The Guardian published an inspiring opinion piece by Alexandra Bitušíková titled “In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again.” The article, featured in the newspaper’s Opinion section, was commissioned as part of The Guardian’s focus on civic initiatives around the world that defend democracy and promote democratic values.

Alexandra’s story reflects the powerful journey of Not in Our Town, a grassroots initiative based in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. Since 2013, this movement has led educational and mobilization efforts against extremism, promoting civic engagement and democratic resilience. Their work played a key role in countering the rise of a neo-Nazi regional governor elected in 2013—an event that shocked Slovakia and the international community.

The BRRIDGE project draws inspiration from this story. We believe that fostering democracy requires dedication, collaboration, and the collective effort of diverse stakeholders. With the support of our BRRIDGE partners Central European University, European University Institute and University of Galway, Matej Bel University (UMB) is proud to contribute to this mission.

UMB’s longstanding commitment to democracy has deep roots in Slovakia’s post-communist transformation and was further galvanized by the university’s rapid and active response to the 2013 election crisis in the Banská Bystrica region, a historical stronghold of the anti-Nazi movement in Slovakia. In the face of that challenge, UMB academics joined forces with civic organizations and local activists to create impactful initiatives that promote democratic values and civic participation.

These efforts eventually culminated in the establishment of the Institute for Democracy at UMB—a formal hub for academic and civic cooperation in defending democracy.

We are pleased and honoured that this movement has received international recognition from one of the world’s leading newspapers.

👉 Read the full article here: The Guardian – “In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again.”