As in past years, on 18 May 2026, UPF Slovakia held an event to commemorate the UN International Day of Families. This year Patrik Daniška, a lawyer and prominent figure from the Catholic movement was our guest speaker. His talk, which drew an audience of 30, was entitled: “The Struggle for Life and Family - How to Succeed in it?”.
Daniška is the chairman of the Institute for Human Rights and Family Policy and is best known as the main organizer of the National March for Life which has taken place annually in various cities since 2013.
Daniška started with the question, “What is marriage?” to which his answer was: “Marriage is the complete union of persons. A complete union: physical, emotional, and spiritual, oriented toward procreation and family life, a commitment to permanence and exclusivity.” He argued that from a physical and biological aspect, “only a relationship between a man and a woman makes sense”.
Even in conservative Slovakia the number of marriages is declining because opinions about cohabitation have changed. “It used to be natural for young people to strive for marriage. Today, parents encourage their children to enjoy life, study, travel, and so on. In their thirties they contemplate marriage but their expectations are so high that they are unable to find a partner easily.” The desire to have children is last on the list and the sharp decline in the birth rate is alarming. In the 1970s, it was common for families to have an average of three children; today, families with one child are the norm. Even schoolchildren are geared towards having a one-child-family. However children who grow up in religious families, or in villages where families with several children are common, wish themselves to have several children.
During his talk the speaker presented a wealth of data showing how family life relates to happiness, with screen shots of the results of national and international surveys. All of them underlined the importance of protecting human life and the family unit with husband and wife as the centre.
Our speaker concluded by presenting pictures and videos from various pro-life marches. The evening ended with refreshments and discussion.