2010 Slovak parliamentary election

2010 Slovak parliamentary election

← 2006 12 June 2010 2012 →
All 150 seats in the National Council 76 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Robert Fico Iveta Radičová [a] Richard Sulík Party Smer–SD SDKÚ-DS SaS Last election 50 seats, 29.1% 31 seats, 18.4% New party Seats won 62 28 22 Seat change 12 3 New party Popular vote 880,111 390,042 307,287 Percentage 34.8% 15.42% 12.1% Swing 5.7 pp 2.9 pp New party   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Ján Figeľ Béla Bugár Ján Slota Party KDH Most-Híd SNS Last election 14 seats, 8.3% New party 20 seats, 11.7% Seats won 15 14 9 Seat change 1 New party 11 Popular vote 215,755 205,538 128,490 Percentage 8.5% 8.1% 5.1% Swing 0.2 pp New party 6.7 pp
Results of the election, showing vote strength by district.
Prime Minister before election Robert Fico Smer–SD Prime Minister Iveta Radičová SDKÚ-DS

Politics of Slovakia
show Constitution Constitutional Court 1939 constitution
show Executive President Zuzana Čaputová Government Prime Minister: Eduard Heger
show Legislature National Council Speaker: Boris Kollár
show Recent elections Parliamentary 2010 2012 2016 2020 Presidential 2004 2009 2014 2019 European 2004 2009 2014 2019
show Political parties Direction – Social Democracy (Smer) Democratic and Christian Union – DP (SDKÚ) Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) Most–Híd National Party (SNS) Hungarian Coalition (SMK–MKP) People's Party – MDS (HZDS)
show Administrative divisions Regions Districts Municipalities
show Foreign relations Relations with Hungary
Slovakia portal Other countries
v t

Parliamentary elections were held in Slovakia on 12 June 2010.^[1] The elections were contested by eighteen parties, six of which passed the 5% threshold for sitting in parliament.^[2] Despite the incumbent Smer of Prime Minister Robert Fico winning a plurality, the new government consisted of a coalition led by the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party's Iveta Radičová and included KDH, SaS and Most-Hid. However, her government fell on 11 October 2011 following a vote of no confidence with a new election called for 10 March 2012.

Background[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (June 2010)

A total of 2,401 candidates applied to contest the 150 seats.^[3]

Polls in February 2010 had indicated that the current governing party Smer-SD (Direction – Social Democracy) would win a plurality with a margin of 25%.^[4] However the five opposition right-wing parties – the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ-DS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK-MKP), Most–Híd, and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) – could together gain a majority. There were conflicting reports during the campaign as to whether some of these parties would consider joining with Fico.^[5] During pre-election campaigning, reports indicated that the "Christian Democrats and the two ethnic Hungarian parties had not ruled out working with Fico."^[6][7] Rumours were reported that prime minister Robert Fico might have secretly agreed not to enter a coalition with the Slovak nationalists again, unless he had no other choice.^[6] A later poll by of the Czech News Agency suggested that the governing coalition would lose its majority, and that one of Fico's allies (HZDS) would struggle with the 5% barrier.^[8]

List of political parties[]

Below is the list of parties participating in 2010 Slovak parliamentary election

5. Freedom and Solidarity
6. Party of the Democratic Left
7. Party of the Hungarian Coalition
8. People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
9. Communist Party of Slovakia
10. Slovak National Party
11. New Democracy
12. Union of the Workers of Slovakia
13. Christian Democratic Movement
14. People's Party – Our Slovakia
15. Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party
17. Direction – Social Democracy
18. Most–Híd

Campaign[]

This section needs expansion. You can help by . (July 2010)

During the parliamentary elections the SDKÚ-DS ran on a platform of fiscal discipline and pledging to reinvigorate the economy.^{[citation needed]}

Opinion Polls[]

According to polling agency Focus, in May 2010, eight parties would cross the 5% threshold needed for participation in parliament.

^[9]

According to a poll of the Institute of public affairs (IVO) the voter participation will be about 50 to 60%.^[4]

Opinion polls[]

Results[]

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Direction – Social Democracy	880,111	34.80	+5.65	62	+12
	Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party	390,042	15.42	−2.93	28	−3
	Freedom and Solidarity	307,287	12.15	New	22	New
	Christian Democratic Movement	215,755	8.53	+0.21	15	+1
	Most–Híd	205,538	8.13	New	14	New
	Slovak National Party	128,490	5.08	−6.66	9	−11
	Party of the Hungarian Coalition	109,638	4.33	−7.35	0	−20
	People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia	109,480	4.33	−4.47	0	−15
	Party of the Democratic Left	61,137	2.42	+2.3	0	0
	People's Party Our Slovakia	33,724	1.33	New	0	New
	Communist Party of Slovakia	21,104	0.83	−3.07	0	0
	Union – Party for Slovakia	17,741	0.70	New	0	New
	Paliho Kapurková, Cheerful Political Party	14,576	0.58	New	0	New
	European Democratic Party	10,332	0.41	New	0	New
	New Democracy	7,962	0.31	New	0	New
	Party of the Roma Coalition	6,947	0.27	New	0	New
	Union of the Workers of Slovakia	6,196	0.24	−0.06	0	0
	AZEN – Alliance for Europe of the Nations	3,325	0.13	New	0	New
Total		2,529,385	100.00	–	150	0
Valid votes		2,529,385	98.86
Invalid/blank votes		29,180	1.14
Total votes		2,558,565	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,362,369	58.65
Source: Volby, IFES

New government[]

Incumbent Prime Minister Robert Fico's Direction – Social Democracy (Smer) party increased its seat share by 12 to 62. However, Fico faced an uphill battle to remain prime minister, as his coalition partners were decimated. The Slovak National Party barely passed the 5% vote threshold required for parliamentary representation while losing 11 of their 20 seats, while the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia was shut out of the chamber altogether.^[10] Despite the setback, Fico said that he wanted to try to form a cabinet even though his leftist coalition could only command 71 of the 150 parliament seats and would thus force the need for at least one of the opposing centre-right parties.^[10] This has been described as an unlikely, but possible, occurrence,^[10] because opposition parties stated during the election that they would not enter government with Fico. One analyst said that he "strictly rule[d] out that any of the centre-right parties could team up with Smer."^[11]

The Slovakian President, Ivan Gasparovic, asked Fico to attempt to form a government stating that "I believe that the party that won such support from the people deserves the chance."^[11]

The second placed Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party had coalition talks with the Christian Democratic Movement, Freedom and Solidarity and Most–Híd.^[12] On 16 June it was reported that the four opposition parties which had won seats in the parliament had agreed to form a government under the leadership of Radičová.^[13]

An agreement on the distribution of ministries was reached on 28 June 2010.^[14] Radičová was then sworn in as PM on 8 July 2010,^[15] after her coalition (comprising SDKU, KDH, SaS and Most-Hid^[16]) secured a majority of 79 seats in the 150-seat parliament and Fico and his cabinet tendered their resignations.^{[citation needed]} The new government pledged to cut state spending and the budget deficit and to attract more foreign investment, while steering clear of tax rises. "We are ready to take responsibility over the country at a time when it is coping with the impact of a deep economic crisis and the irresponsible decisions of our political predecessors."^[17] They have also sought, through Most-Hid, to rebuild links with Hungary that were badly damaged by the adoption of contentious language and citizenship laws.^[18]

Fall of government[]

On 11 October 2011, parliament voted to approve the expansion of the European Financial Stability Fund on the grounds, according to the Freedom and Solidarity, that Slovakia, the second poorest eurozone country, should not bailout richer countries such as Greece and for bank re-capitalisation. As Slovakia was the last eurozone country to vote on the measure, Radičová made it a no confidence vote. The measure then failed by 21 votes after both Freedom and Solidarity and Smer abstained. However, another vote was expected with Smer rumoured to support it should there be a new election and more stringent terms.^[19][20] Smer came to an agreement with the governing coalition to support the measure in what Fico called "the most important document of this period." He also explained the first round rejection of the measure as "saying 'no' to a rightist government, but we're saying 'yes' to the rescue fund." As per the agreement between the two parties Minister^[which?] Mikulas Dzurinda said that a snap election has been called: "We decided that as the first point of [Thursday's] parliamentary session, we will work on a proposal to shorten the voting period, with the goal of organising an election on 10 March. Immediately after [13 October or 14 October] we will debate proposals related to the EFSF."^[21]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Slovak Election Data Project
• NSD: European Election Database – Slovakia publishes regional level election data (NUTS 1–3); allows for comparisons of election results, 1990–2010