Political System of Slovakia Parliament, Government, President POLb1135 Slovak Politics Freedom House Rating (1 – 7 scale) Freedom House Rating 2021 Country Political Rights (max 40 points) Civil Liberties (max 60 points) Result Czech Rep 36 55 91 (FREE) Hungary 26 43 69 (PARTLY FREE) Poland 34 48 82 (FREE) Slovakia 37 53 90 (FREE) Division of power •Legislative: •Parliament • •Executive: •Government •President • •Judicial • Parliament • •Name: •Until 1993 – Slovak National Council •Since 1993 – National Council of Slovak Republic (NR SR) • •Unicameral, 150 MPs •4 year electoral term •Free (representative) mandate • •MPs : •Are not bound by any directives •Act according to their „sense and conscience“ •Cannot be dismissed from NR SR except a few situations stated by law •Cannot be revoked by voters • • http://img.cas.sk/img/4/article/660097_parlament-nrsr-poslanci-narodna-rada-slovenskej-republiky-cr op-crop.jpg Legislative process Issue MPs needed Common decisions and „regular“ laws Majority of at least the needed 76 MPs Overriding president’s veto 76 MPs (majority of 150) Constitution, war declaration 90 MPs (three fifths of 150) Electoral law •A crucial issue with impact on the political system • •Constitution: •„Deputies are elected by secret ballot in general, equal, and direct elections. (..) Details concerning the election of deputies will be set out in a law.“ • •How many MPs (at minimum) are needed to change the electoral system? • Executive power •Traditional division into two main subjects: •Government •President • •Government as the most powerful body in Slovak politics • •Weak president with a question mark • undefined http://www.webnoviny.sk/fotografia/119122/stredna/vlada-sr.jpg http://img.cas.sk/img/4/article/594048_meciar-slota-luptak-hzds-sns-zmluva-koalicia-vlada-1994-slov ensko.jpg http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4065/4528713601_3709db1b46_z.jpg Government after 2020 election Nová vláda Igora Matoviča. Foto N - Vladimír Šimíček …and after its 2021 reconstruction Programové vyhlásenie vlády sa predsa asi bude meniť - Domáce - Správy - Pravda.sk Government •Responsible to NR SR • •A vote of no-confidence may concern: •The government as a whole •Each individual minister • •Votes of 76 MPs needed • •Very often a symbolic gesture of opposition’s dissatisfaction with government’s results • Term Government Members Months (app.) 1990 – 1991 Mečiar 3 11 1991 - 1992 Čarnogurský 3 14 1992 – 1994 Mečiar II 1 (?) 22 1994 Moravčík 3 9 1994 – 1998 Mečiar III 3 47 1998 – 2002 Dzurinda 4 48 2002 – 2006 Dzurinda II 4 46 2006 – 2010 Fico 3 48 2010 – 2012 Radičová 4 21 2012 – 2016 Fico II 1 48 2016 - 2018 Fico III 4 à 3 24 2018 - 2020 Pellegrini 3 24 2020 - 2021 Matovič 4 12 2021 - ? Heger 4 12* President •The head of the state • •The highest state official • •Elected for 5 years – vs. 4 years of parliament (and possibly the government) • •De facto not responsible for performing the office • President - Elections •Originally elected by the parliament • •High polarization in 90s à inability to elect new president • •Result - for more than one year Slovakia had no head of state (1998 – 1999) • •Solution – direct elections since 1999 based on two-round system • President - Elections •„Majority of valid votes of the eligible citizens“ • •What sort of majority is that? • • •Eligible citizens: 4 409 793 •Voted: 1 914 021 • •How many votes does a candidate need for victory? •Most constitutional lawyers say a majority of 4,4 mil. votes is needed but not all agree President - Powers •Belongs to weaker presidents • •Numerous powers not only of symbolic meaning • •Adoption of direct elections in 1999 was not accompanied by strengthening of his/her position • •Some powers were even weakened (countersignature) • President - Powers •President and government: •Appoints and recalls the Prime Minister •Appoints and recalls ministers based on the proposal of the Prime Minister •Since 1999 the proposal of Prime Minister is imperative • •President and parliament (NR SR): •No right of legislative initiative •Dissolution of NR SR (very limited) •Veto •NR SR may call for a plebiscite about president’s revocation • Slovak presidents •1993 – 1998 – Michal Kováč • • •1999 – 2004 – Rudolf Schuster • • •2004 - 2014 – Ivan Gašparovič • • •2014 – 2019 - Andrej Kiska • • •Since 2019 – Zuzana Čaputová • http://img.ihned.cz/attachment.php/380/20422380/n2DkmSTW6zfNyc0HlVaBd8A1L4KJxPRi/michal_kovac_s.jpg http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg http://www.parameter.sk/sites/default/files/photos/promoted/ivan_gasparovic_0.jpg http://static.etrend.sk/uploads/tx_media/2011/3/article_detail_image_690_trim/kiska_fleischer4.jpg Image result for zuzana čaputová President in Slovak politics – decisive factor or a weak symbol? Michal Kováč •Economist, member of VPN and later HZDS • •Elected by parliament as nominee of HZDS • •In office during two Mečiar’s governments • •Expected loyalty to HZDS • •Reality: •Increasing independence from his party •Raising conflicts with Mečiar •Finally became the arch-enemy of HZDS and its chairman • http://img.ihned.cz/attachment.php/380/20422380/n2DkmSTW6zfNyc0HlVaBd8A1L4KJxPRi/michal_kovac_s.jpg Michal Kováč • •1993 – 1994 – „the separation“: •Presidential report in NR SR in spring 1994 •Impact à end of Mečiar’s government • •1994 – 1998 – „the open war“: •Mostly one-sided conflict •Aim of Mečiar to weaken, delegitimize and humiliate the president • http://img.ihned.cz/attachment.php/380/20422380/n2DkmSTW6zfNyc0HlVaBd8A1L4KJxPRi/michal_kovac_s.jpg Michal Kováč • • •Revocation of president’s powers not backed by constitution • •NR SR called a no-confidence vote even without any legal impact • •Verbal accusation of high treason • •Installment of digital clocks showing the remaining days of Kováč’s term • http://img.ihned.cz/attachment.php/380/20422380/n2DkmSTW6zfNyc0HlVaBd8A1L4KJxPRi/michal_kovac_s.jpg Michal Kováč • • •Kidnapping of Kováč’s son to Austria • •Organized by Slovak secret service under leadership of HZDS nominee (never officially confirmed by court) • •Later events: •Violent death of direct witness •Mečiar’s amnesty on the whole case • •2012 – court ordered Kováč to apologize to that time director of the secret service • http://img.ihned.cz/attachment.php/380/20422380/n2DkmSTW6zfNyc0HlVaBd8A1L4KJxPRi/michal_kovac_s.jpg Rudolf Schuster •First directly elected president • •Career: •High communist official before 1989 •After 1989 – chairman of Slovak parliament, diplomat, mayor of Košice • •Presidential election in 1999: •Nominee of his party SOP with support of the majority of Dzurinda’s government •Defeated Mečiar in 2nd round with 57,2 : 42,8 % • http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg Rudolf Schuster •Aware of his stronger legitimacy • •Prepared to be a more active head of state • •Aim to create an alternative power arena under his supervision •Round tables for political parties •Supplementary arena for dialogue between parties •Political parties strictly refused such arrangement • http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg Rudolf Schuster • •Gradually rising discontent with Dzurinda’s government • •2000 – Schuster’s serious illness • •2002 – Dzurinda’s centre-right government and its liberal economic reforms • •Veto: •1999 – used three times •Later years – higher intensity •Together used for more than 100 times • http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg Tactics failure • •2004 – trade unions backed by party SMER announced the idea of referendum for early elections • •Public opinion strictly opposed to governmental economic reforms • •Trade unions asked the president for help • •Schuster joined the referendum with 2004 presidential elections • http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg Tactics failure • •Logic of the plan: •Higher chance for referendum to be valid (turnout) •Easier situation for SMER as it could mobilize for both presidential elections and referendum •Support of trade unions and SMER for Schuster • •Result: •No support from SMER •Trade unions asked people only to take part on elections • http://udalosti.noviny.sk/uploads/tx_media_files/thumbs/800x448/Rudolf_Schuster_detail_378049.jpg Ivan Gašparovič • •Career: •Since 1989 – general attorney, MP, chairman of NR SR, vice-chairman of HZDS •2002 – left HZDS and created his own marginal party • •Presidential elections 2004 and 2009: •Nominee of nationalist parties and later SMER •Defeated V. Mečiar in 2004 and I. Radičová in 2009 • •First reelected president so far • http://www.parameter.sk/sites/default/files/photos/promoted/ivan_gasparovic_0.jpg President Government 1993 – 1998 Michal Kováč – 1994 V. Mečiar 1994 J. Moravčík (interim) 1994 - 1998 V. Mečiar 1998 - 2002 M. Dzurinda 1999 - 2004 Rudolf Schuster 2002 - 2006 M. Dzurinda 2004 - 2009 Ivan Gašparovič 2006 - 2010 R. Fico 2009 - 2014 Ivan Gašparovič 2010 - 2012 I. Radičová 2012 - R. Fico Ivan Gašparovič •Two models of behavior • •1. Loyalty and passivity •During governments of R. Fico •Helped Gašparovič to gain reelection • •2. Criticism and activity •During government of I. Radičová •Usage of formal powers to block or delay governmental decisions • http://www.parameter.sk/sites/default/files/photos/promoted/ivan_gasparovic_0.jpg Ivan Gašparovič http://www.parameter.sk/sites/default/files/photos/promoted/ivan_gasparovic_0.jpg Government Term Appointed laws Veto used Veto used (in %) Fico 2006 - 2010 530 28 5,28 Radičová 2010 - 2012 208 29 13,94 Fico 2012 - 2014 228 12 5,26 Elections 2014 http://img.cas.sk/img/4/bigArticle/668649_robert-fico-smer-fico-politik-november2010.jpg?time=12891 43489 http://ipravda.sk/res/2013/02/28/thumbs/kiska_01-nestandard2.jpg • •40,6 % 59,4 % Andrej Kiska •First non-partisan president • •Businessman, chairman of charity organization • •His `accompanying` Prime Minister was his main rival from presidential election • •Found the party For the People (Za ľudí) after serving his office • •The party scored 5.8 per cent in 2020 election and joined the government • •Kiska seems to withdraw from (party) politics • http://static.etrend.sk/uploads/tx_media/2011/3/article_detail_image_690_trim/kiska_fleischer4.jpg Zuzana Čaputová •First female Slovak president • •Lawyer and civic activist • •Elected as a candidate of Progressive Slovakia party • •Won in runoff against nominee of SMER-SD • •After three years in office still highly popular among most segments of society • •Impact of COVID-19 and the Russian assault in Ukraine? • Image result for zuzana čaputová Real Position of the President •Not the leading factor of Slovak politics • •Indicators: •Weak party and political background •Position „in between“ the parties and not „above“ them •No alternative power arena • •Will this status quo last for the future? •Depends on whether some party leader obtains the office (unsuccessful attempt of R. Fico in 2014) •