A new generation of Slovaks, currently around twenty years old, has come of age shaped by a series of defining national and global events. Born as the Smer party, led by Robert Fico, rose to power, their formative years were marked by its political dominance. This generation experienced the shock of the 2018 murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová during their primary school years. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their secondary school admissions process, and the ongoing war in Ukraine unfolded as they prepared for their final exams. These young Slovaks are now navigating adulthood against a backdrop of political change and persistent instability, having known little of a different Slovakia. Their perspectives reflect a complex interplay of these experiences, shaping their views on the country’s present and future.