Farewell to the President

To honour the passing away of the first President of the Slovak Republic, His Excellency Mr Michal Kováč, Slovakia held a national day of mourning and state funeral. Besides the SVK MOD leaders, hundreds of Slovak Armed Forces personnel bid their farewell to the Commander-in-Chief of the then Army of the Slovak Republic.

Michal Kováč held the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic from 1993 to 1998. Draped in the state flag and borne on a historical gun carriage, the coffin containing his remains was transported from Bratislava Castle to the Presidential Palace, while being escorted by the Honour Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic and the SVK Armed Forces Military Band. A 122mm vz. 38/74 artillery howitzer was provided for the occasion by the Military History Museum in Piešťany.

During the military ceremony held in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace, the Slovak national anthem was played and distinguished guests honoured the memory of President Kováč with a minute of silence. To pay tribute to him, a total of 20 gun salutes were fired from the Tyršovo Square. The coffin with the body of President Michal Kováč was then taken from the gun carriage and placed into a civilian hearse for its ride to St Martin's Cathedral, where a Holy Mass for the repose of the soul of the deceased was held in the presence of the state officials and distinguished international guests. In attendance at the funeral service were Czech President Miloš Zeman, Czech ex-President Václav Klaus, Hungarian ex-President Pál Schmitt, Polish Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland Krzysztof Szczerski, President of the Federal Council at the Austrian Parliament Mario Lindner, Romanian ex-President Emil Constantinescu and Romanian Minister of Defence Mihnea Motoc.

Ex-President Michal Kováč was laid to rest in the circle of his closest family at the Ondrejský Cemetery in Bratislava without media coverage and the presence of the public. The funeral ceremony was attended by his next-of-kin and members of the Honour Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic. The public had been given the opportunity to bid their last farewell to the Slovak President at Bratislava Castle on Wednesday, 12 Oct. The first President of the Slovak Republic, Michal Kováč, passed away at the age of 86 as a result of heart failure at St Michael's Hospital in Bratislava on Wednesday, 5 Oct.