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Slovak National Party (current party)
Encyclopedia
The Slovak National Party is a political party in Slovakia
. The party characterizes itself as a socialist, nationalist party based on what it calls the European Christian system of values
. However it is sometimes described as ultra-nationalist,
right-wing extremist, and far-right, due to its statements about Hungarians, Roma, and homosexuals) which have been characterised as racist. The party’s major concern after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
has been the alleged danger of “irredentism
.” Any moves and changes toward broader rights for the national minorities living in Slovakia
, especially the sizeable Hungarian minority living in southern Slovakia, was seen as a step toward territorial autonomy.
Since 1990 SNS has won seats in every Slovak parliament
but one (in 2002
) and has been part of the government since 2006. In that year it formed a coalition with Robert Fico
's Smer, which resulted in suspension of Smer by the Party of European Socialists
(PES). PES considered SNS a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." However, in 2008 Smer's membership suspension ended with no further PES's demands regarding SNS.
. The party declares its three pillars: Christianity, nationalism and socialism. One of the biggest events the SNS has participated in since then was the establishment of an independent Slovakia
on 1 January 1993. The SNS has had deputies in the Slovak parliament in the years 1990–2002 and since 2006. The party also had deputies in the Slovak government. Marián Andel
, Jozef Prokeš, Jaroslav Paška and Ľudovít Černák
were in the second Mečiar
government (1992–1994), Ján Sitek and Eva Slavkovská in the third Mečiar government (1994–1998) and other deputies were in the government of Robert Fico
from 2006–2010 (see below).
Between the years 2001 and 2005 there was a Real Slovak National Party (Pravá slovenská národná strana, PSNS), a party of SNS splinters, which remerged with SNS later. Since 2005, there is also a United Slovak National Party (Zjednotená slovenská národná strana, ZSNS), also formed of former SNS members. In February 2006, PSNS changed its name into the Slovak National Coalition – Slovak Mutuality (Slovenská národná koalícia – Slovenská vzájomnosť). However, only the Slovak National Party is currently relevant.
In 2008 a €120 million tender for establishing the rules and guidelines and logos for distribution of funds from the European Union, was won by a consortium of firms with close ties to SNS leader Ján Slota
. The tender notice had been posted for only five days on a bulletin board in the ministry run by the SNS party behind a locked door, which resulted in a single bid. Following the scandal, the SNS minister in charge of the contract was fired, and the European Commission has launched an investigation. In 2009 SNS proposed law to create barriers for women seeking abortion in Slovakia.
In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006
, the party won 11.6% of the popular vote and 20 out of 150 seats.
In the 2009 European Parliament elections, the party won 5.6% of the vote to obtain its first seat.
In the 2010 parliamentary election the party won only 5.08% of votes, lost 11 of their former seats and was therefore not able to form a government with their former partners Smer.
and Robert Fico
agreed to create a coalition government. This created an unusual situation of an alleged far-right party, SNS being accepted and taken as a partner by SMER, a party describing itself as leftist. Three SNS ministers were sworn in on 4 July 2006:
Further ministers, delegated by SNS:
was divided between Slovakia and Austria, eliminating Hungary from the map. After receiving media attention the map was promptly removed and the party has denied responsibility, referring to the free access policy of the forum section, where the map was posted. The party leader Ján Slota
is the source of considerable controversy, Slota is frequently criticized for arrogance, nationalism, and extremism. The Slovak Spectator
reports that most of the media attention Slota receives is because of statements that cross "the line not just of political but also human decency." Documents about party leader Slota's criminal past, detailing arson, grand theft auto
and assault, were broadcast by Markíza
, the leading private television station in Slovakia, which resulted in a court case Markíza v Slota. During the court proceedings Slota admitted to some of the crimes and even said he was proud of assaulting and beating a Hungarian saying "I am proud of giving that Hungarian a black eye
". Another physical assault was committed by Anna Belousovová of SNS against fellow parliamentarian Igor Matovič
of SaS. The SNS politician slapped Matovič saying she disliked an article written by him.
, considered SNS as a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." The party's leader Ján Slota
, referred to by Earthtimes
as "a xenophobic politician who has stirred anti-Hungarian sentiments", said the best policy for dealing with the Roma was "a long whip in a small yard." He is quoted as saying "we will sit in our tanks and destroy Budapest" and questioning if homosexuals are normal people. Slota stated that "The Hungarians are a cancer in the body of the Slovak nation." Slota called the fascist leader Jozef Tiso
"one of the greatest sons of the Slovak nation" and on 17 February 2000, 40 of the 41 city council members in Žilina, where Slota was mayor at the time, voted to dedicate a plaque honouring Jozef Tiso
. Honoring him is controversial since Tiso was not only a fascist leader but a convicted Nazi collaborator and an executed war criminal. Later in a move that was described as absurd by a Slovak journalist, SNS demanded the seat of deputy prime minister responsible for human rights and national minorities. The party did not manage to obtain the seat.
, head of the wartime fascist regime, which was responsible for the deportation of the country’s Jews to the death camps" might also be a contributing factor. One high profile fascist allegation was when in 2006 in a live interview with Inforadio, a politician of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition
, Miklós Duray described SNS as a "fascist party". Duray said "one third of the Slovak government is made up of Slota's party which is fascist" describing the 2006 governing coalition between Robert Fico
's Smer, Ján Slota
's SNS, and HZDS, making SNS one of the three governing parties. SNS sued for financial damages, alleging the statement caused it loss of votes, image, and reputation. The Slovak Supreme Court ultimately decided that SNS is not entitled to any monetary damages for being called fascist. SNS party chairman Ján Slota
denounced the Supreme Court of Slovakia for that decision.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The party characterizes itself as a socialist, nationalist party based on what it calls the European Christian system of values
Value system
A value system is a set of consistent ethic values and measures used for the purpose of ethical or ideological integrity. A well defined value system is a moral code.-Personal and communal:...
. However it is sometimes described as ultra-nationalist,
right-wing extremist, and far-right, due to its statements about Hungarians, Roma, and homosexuals) which have been characterised as racist. The party’s major concern after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
has been the alleged danger of “irredentism
Irredentism
Irredentism is any position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. Some of these movements are also called pan-nationalist movements. It is a feature of identity politics and cultural...
.” Any moves and changes toward broader rights for the national minorities living in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, especially the sizeable Hungarian minority living in southern Slovakia, was seen as a step toward territorial autonomy.
Since 1990 SNS has won seats in every Slovak parliament
National Council of the Slovak Republic
The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years....
but one (in 2002
Slovak parliamentary election, 2002
The 2002 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on September 20 and September 21, 2002.-Results:70,07 % of voters participated in the election. The results are in the following table :...
) and has been part of the government since 2006. In that year it formed a coalition with Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
's Smer, which resulted in suspension of Smer by the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
(PES). PES considered SNS a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." However, in 2008 Smer's membership suspension ended with no further PES's demands regarding SNS.
History
The party was founded in December 1989 and perceives itself as an ideological heir to the historical Slovak National PartySlovak National Party (historical party)
The Slovak National Party was a Slovak conservative and nationalist political party in the Kingdom of Hungary and then in Czechoslovakia from 1871 to 1938...
. The party declares its three pillars: Christianity, nationalism and socialism. One of the biggest events the SNS has participated in since then was the establishment of an independent Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
on 1 January 1993. The SNS has had deputies in the Slovak parliament in the years 1990–2002 and since 2006. The party also had deputies in the Slovak government. Marián Andel
Marián Andel
Marián Andel is a Slovak politician. He was elected to the National Council of the Slovak Republic under the Slovak National Party in the terms 1994-1998 and 1998 -2002. In the Parliamentary elections in 2006 he was a candidate.-References:...
, Jozef Prokeš, Jaroslav Paška and Ľudovít Černák
Ludovít Cernák
Ľudovít Černák is a former Slovak politician, businessman and the chairman of the Slovak football club ŠK Slovan Bratislava. A graduate of the Slovak Technical College in Bratislava, he also graduated as an internal aspirant from the Technical College in Košice. In 1990 he completed a three-month...
were in the second Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
government (1992–1994), Ján Sitek and Eva Slavkovská in the third Mečiar government (1994–1998) and other deputies were in the government of Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
from 2006–2010 (see below).
Between the years 2001 and 2005 there was a Real Slovak National Party (Pravá slovenská národná strana, PSNS), a party of SNS splinters, which remerged with SNS later. Since 2005, there is also a United Slovak National Party (Zjednotená slovenská národná strana, ZSNS), also formed of former SNS members. In February 2006, PSNS changed its name into the Slovak National Coalition – Slovak Mutuality (Slovenská národná koalícia – Slovenská vzájomnosť). However, only the Slovak National Party is currently relevant.
In 2008 a €120 million tender for establishing the rules and guidelines and logos for distribution of funds from the European Union, was won by a consortium of firms with close ties to SNS leader Ján Slota
Ján Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
. The tender notice had been posted for only five days on a bulletin board in the ministry run by the SNS party behind a locked door, which resulted in a single bid. Following the scandal, the SNS minister in charge of the contract was fired, and the European Commission has launched an investigation. In 2009 SNS proposed law to create barriers for women seeking abortion in Slovakia.
Election results
- 1990: 13.94%
- 1992: 7.93%
- 1994: 5.4%
- 1998: 9.07%
- 2002: 3.65% for PSNS, 3.32% for SNS
- 2006: 11.6%
- 2010: 5.08%
In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006
Slovak parliamentary election, 2006
The 2006 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on Saturday June 17, 2006. The voters selected 150 representatives for the National Council of the Slovak Republic. The highest number of seats, 50, was won by left-wing party Direction - Social Democracy led by Robert Fico. In total, six...
, the party won 11.6% of the popular vote and 20 out of 150 seats.
In the 2009 European Parliament elections, the party won 5.6% of the vote to obtain its first seat.
In the 2010 parliamentary election the party won only 5.08% of votes, lost 11 of their former seats and was therefore not able to form a government with their former partners Smer.
2006: In Slovak government
SNS entered the current Slovak government after Chairman Ján SlotaJán Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
and Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
agreed to create a coalition government. This created an unusual situation of an alleged far-right party, SNS being accepted and taken as a partner by SMER, a party describing itself as leftist. Three SNS ministers were sworn in on 4 July 2006:
- Jaroslav Izák as the minister of the environment. Jaroslav Izák was fired from the Environment Ministry top job in the wake of accusations of cronyism, He was succeeded in the by Ján Chrbet.
- Ján MikolajJán MikolajJán Mikolaj is a Slovak politician, who is a member of Slovak National Party and the current Slovak Education Minister. Formerly he was a member of Mečiar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia. After the demission of Igor Štefanov Mikolaj was also Minister for Construction and Regional...
as deputy prime minister; minister of education. - Marián Janušek as the minister of construction and regional development. Janušek was sacked from the Ministry's top job for "granting lucrative contracts worth €98 million to two firms, Avocat and Zamedia, which are believed to have links to SNS chairman Ján Slota."
Further ministers, delegated by SNS:
- Ján Chrbet as Minister of Environment, after Izák. His firing was over his responsibility in a mega-scandal involving the sale of the country's excess emission quotas at an extremely low price, below their market value.
- Viliam Turský as Minister of Environment following Chrbet. Also fired by Fico over a dubious contract he signed with a company. After three SNS Ministers were fired from the same ministry, Fico took away control of the ministry from SNS.
Controversy
In April 2008, a map was published on the official web page discussion forum of the party where the territory of HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
was divided between Slovakia and Austria, eliminating Hungary from the map. After receiving media attention the map was promptly removed and the party has denied responsibility, referring to the free access policy of the forum section, where the map was posted. The party leader Ján Slota
Ján Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
is the source of considerable controversy, Slota is frequently criticized for arrogance, nationalism, and extremism. The Slovak Spectator
The Slovak Spectator
The Slovak Spectator is Slovakia's only English-language newspaper.It is published weekly by The Rock, s.r.o. publishing house and covers local news, culture and business...
reports that most of the media attention Slota receives is because of statements that cross "the line not just of political but also human decency." Documents about party leader Slota's criminal past, detailing arson, grand theft auto
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
and assault, were broadcast by Markíza
Markíza
Markíza is a television station in Slovakia. The station launched on 31 August 1996. The station was owned by the politician Pavol Rusko, and is now part of CME network...
, the leading private television station in Slovakia, which resulted in a court case Markíza v Slota. During the court proceedings Slota admitted to some of the crimes and even said he was proud of assaulting and beating a Hungarian saying "I am proud of giving that Hungarian a black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
". Another physical assault was committed by Anna Belousovová of SNS against fellow parliamentarian Igor Matovič
Igor Matovič
Igor Matovič is a Slovak politician and member of the National Council. He is a member of the Ordinary People faction, having first won election at the 2010 election on the Freedom and Solidarity list. He sat in the SaS caucus until February 2011, when he supported the opposition Smer's...
of SaS. The SNS politician slapped Matovič saying she disliked an article written by him.
Allegations of racism and discrimination
The ultra-nationalist SNS is known for its inflammatory rhetoric against the Roma and Hungarians. The Party of European SocialistsParty of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
, considered SNS as a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." The party's leader Ján Slota
Ján Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
, referred to by Earthtimes
Earthtimes
The Earth Times is an online newspaper, environmental news website that offers readers up-to-date information on environmental issues throughout the world....
as "a xenophobic politician who has stirred anti-Hungarian sentiments", said the best policy for dealing with the Roma was "a long whip in a small yard." He is quoted as saying "we will sit in our tanks and destroy Budapest" and questioning if homosexuals are normal people. Slota stated that "The Hungarians are a cancer in the body of the Slovak nation." Slota called the fascist leader Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
"one of the greatest sons of the Slovak nation" and on 17 February 2000, 40 of the 41 city council members in Žilina, where Slota was mayor at the time, voted to dedicate a plaque honouring Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
. Honoring him is controversial since Tiso was not only a fascist leader but a convicted Nazi collaborator and an executed war criminal. Later in a move that was described as absurd by a Slovak journalist, SNS demanded the seat of deputy prime minister responsible for human rights and national minorities. The party did not manage to obtain the seat.
Allegations of fascism
The SNS party was accused of being a fascist party in the past. The allegations are sometimes connected to various statements of party members or that SNS was behind "the continuing campaign to rehabilitate Jozef TisoJozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
, head of the wartime fascist regime, which was responsible for the deportation of the country’s Jews to the death camps" might also be a contributing factor. One high profile fascist allegation was when in 2006 in a live interview with Inforadio, a politician of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition
Party of the Hungarian Coalition
The Party of the Hungarian Coalition, officially registered under the compound name Strana maďarskej koalície – Magyar Koalíció Pártja, is a political party in Slovakia, for the ethnic Hungarian minority...
, Miklós Duray described SNS as a "fascist party". Duray said "one third of the Slovak government is made up of Slota's party which is fascist" describing the 2006 governing coalition between Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
's Smer, Ján Slota
Ján Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
's SNS, and HZDS, making SNS one of the three governing parties. SNS sued for financial damages, alleging the statement caused it loss of votes, image, and reputation. The Slovak Supreme Court ultimately decided that SNS is not entitled to any monetary damages for being called fascist. SNS party chairman Ján Slota
Ján Slota
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer in 2006...
denounced the Supreme Court of Slovakia for that decision.