The Slovak presidency of the Council of the European Union started on the 1st July and we love its new logo!
It contains specific Slovak elements such as diacritical marks and colours used in its national flag (red, blue, and white). The graphical symbols are combined in different ways in order to create a variety of smileys conveying a wide range of emotions.
The logo was created by a 23-year-old student at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Jakub Dušička, and was chosen in a competition which attracted over 200 participants.
The designer told EUobserver: “Language is important for politicians, their rhetoric can be their most powerful skill, so I wanted to represent that power of language in the logo”.
Diacritical marks, or diacritics (ˇ, ´, ¨, ˆ), are indeed one of the characterising features of the Slovak language. They can be placed above certain letters, altering the way those are pronounced.
The logo is meant to be “a playful take on Slovakia as a young and dynamic country” (source). It was selected by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs as well as three external experts in design and advertising.
Let’s hope the sad and angry smileys will not be needed!
Written by Silvia Morani
Communication Trainee at TermCoord