Slovakia has recorded a new version of its national anthem.

The new version is an arrangement of the old one, created by Slovak conductor and composer Oscar Roža. A musical introduction has been added at the beginning, and the part of the national Slovak musical instrument, the fujara, has been included at the end. "The anthem is more about politics," the composer wrote on social media. "The anthem is a roof and a shield. The anthem heals the nation. There are things that cannot be stolen" – a quote from the newspaper Denník N.

The old version of the anthem

The change to the anthem was announced at the end of October by the Minister of Culture, Martína Šimkovičová, a representative of the right-wing Slovak National Party. Opposition representatives criticized the initiative: many expressed the opinion that even an arrangement should change only after a 2/3 vote in parliament. Roža has been an advocate for changing the melody for more than ten years, reports The Slovak Spectator.

The Slovak anthem "Lightning Over the Tatras" was officially adopted in 1993 upon the declaration of the country's independence. It uses the text of a poem by 19th-century Slovak poet Janko Matúška and the music of a folk song "She Dug a Well and Looked Into It."

The previous version of the music was composed by Ladislav Burlaš after the split of Czechoslovakia in 1992–1993. The composer passed away in February 2024.