Voice – Social Democracy

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Voice – Social Democracy
Hlas – sociálna demokracia
AbbreviationHLAS–SD
LeaderPeter Pellegrini
Presidium
FounderPeter Pellegrini
Founded29 June 2020; 18 months ago (2020-06-29)
Split fromDirection – Slovak Social Democracy
HeadquartersLazaretská 2400/15, Bratislava
Membership (2021)1,200[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left
Colours  Red   Violet
National Council
11 / 150
European Parliament
0 / 14
Self-governing regions
0 / 8
Regional parliaments
0 / 408
Local councils
0 / 20,646
Website
strana-hlas.sk

Voice – Social Democracy (Slovak: Hlas – sociálna demokracia, HLAS–SD) is a social-democratic political party in Slovakia.[2][3][4] Founded on 29 June 2020 and officially registered by the Ministry of Interior on 11 September 2020, it has a populist[5][6] outlook, coupled with a catch-all party nature.[7][8]

The entire party presidium and most of its members are former senior members of the then[a] left-wing populist Direction – Social Democracy (SMER–SD). The leader and chairman of the party is the former prime minister of Slovakia and former SMER–SD vice-chairman Peter Pellegrini.[9]

History[]

The political party was announced on 29 June 2020[10] and registered with the Ministry of the Interior on 11 September 2020.[11] The party was launched by the former prime minister Peter Pellegrini. On the day of the launch of new party, Pellegrini left SMER–SD, along with ten more of the party's members of the National Council. To be registered as a party, it had to obtain 10,000 signatures by 25 December 2020. Pellegrini, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, and Peter Kmec formed the party's preparatory committee, and Pellegrini became the party's chairman.[9] For the time being, the 11 deputies are classified as non-inscrits within the National Council.[12]

According to opinion polling for the next Slovak parliamentary election, Pellegrini is the second most popular Slovak politician. Immediately after the party was formed, its support was about 16%. In October 2020, the party became the most popular for the first time. As of November 2021, the party is still the most popular with stable support around 20%.[1][2]

Ideology[]

In line with the European centre-left, the HLAS–SD has a pro-European outlook and wants to promote traditional social democratic goals within the welfare state. Reflecting a more conservative stance, especially on social issues, among mainstream parties in the Eastern European region, the party refuses to promote liberalism on social issues, which it argues are not in demand. Party vice-chairman was quoted as saying: "We have a conservative voter if we talk about polls, and I can assure everyone that we have our priorities and they are not opening up some liberal issues."[13]

Controversy[]

Accusations of corruption[]

Following the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election and subsequent return to the opposition of SMER–SD, for which all HLAS–SD Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected, investigations and indictments of top party officials and members began. Key figures to be accused of corruption, extortion, or formation of a criminal group included former Special Prosecutor , the two most recent Slovak Police Force presidents (Milan Lučanský and Tibor Gašpar), former president of the Financial Administration , dozens of judges, including from the Supreme Court, and employees of ministries, the police force, and state-owned enterprises. All of them were direct or indirect nominees of SMER–SD.[3]

Members of Pellegrini's Cabinet were also among those accused or mentioned in the allegations. Deputy Minister of Justice was accused of corruption and extortion, confessing to several acts.[4] According to one of the accused, Peter Kažimír, the Minister of Finance, was to receive a regular annual bribe of €500,000.[5] Peter Žiga, a member of the presidency and a party MP, was accused of allegedly paying a bribe of €100,000 to a Supreme Court judge.[6] According to witnesses, the party's deputy chairman, , mediated a bribe of several tens of thousands of euros for obtaining information from state authorities to discredit opposition leaders.[7]

According to witnesses, party leader Peter Pellegrini, as Deputy Minister of Finance in 2013, asked for and subsequently received a bribe of €150,000. In 2018, Pellegrini had a property case,[8] having bought a luxury apartment in Bratislava for €410,000. According to his property declaration, Pellegrini was to cover €246,000 from his own income and borrow the remainder, despite reports suggesting that since 2006 he has earned a total of €460,000 from public office.[9]

Representation[]

Deputies of the National Council[]

As of 2021, the party claims 11 members of the National Council, all of whom are former members of Direction – Social Democracy (SMER–SD) elected for this party.

Name Elected for List
position 		Personal
votes 		Final
position
Peter Pellegrini SMER–SD 1 413,555 1
Richard Raši SMER–SD 4 154,722 3
Denisa Saková SMER–SD 3 144,100 4
SMER–SD 9 62,004 5
Peter Žiga SMER–SD 6 28,386 9
SMER–SD 10 5,049 12
Ľubica Laššáková SMER–SD 13 10,781 13
SMER–SD 16 1,524 16
SMER–SD 26 2,689 26
SMER–SD 28 2,679 28
SMER–SD 38 3,184 38
Source: SME

References[]

  1. ^ a.s, SITA Slovenská tlačová agentúra (20 August 2021). "Najväčšou stranou podľa majetku aj počtu členov je Smer. Ako je na tom jeho premožiteľ?". Webnoviny.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. ^ Kern, Miro (17 June 2020). "Pellegrini ohlásil stranu, má zatiaľ 11 poslancov" [Pellegrini has announced the party, it has 11 deputies so far]. Denník N.
  3. ^ Mikusovic, Dusan (10 June 2020). "Pellegrini sa odhodlal: odmietol Fica a odíde zo Smeru" [Pellegrini decided: he rejected Fica and left Smer]. Denník N.
  4. ^ "Hlas – Social Democracy". Peter Pellegrini.
  5. ^ "Populizmus a zúfalý pokus o oslovenie voličov, reaguje politológ na návrh smerákov". Webnoviny.sk. February 11, 2020.
  6. ^ Knapko, Pavel (November 12, 2020). "Pellegrini na Matoviča udrel anketou. Lacný populizmus, hlásia odborníci!".
  7. ^ Kern, Miro (January 25, 2021). "Pellegrini berie hromadne voličov koalície, ulovil ich už viac ako 100-tisíc (+ grafy)". Denník N.
  8. ^ Gális, Tomáš (June 29, 2020). "Dutý Pellegriniho Hlas". Denník N.
  9. ^ a b Bariak, Ladislav (29 June 2020). "Pellegriniho jedenástka končí. Nastupuje Hlas - sociálna demokracia" [Pellegrini's eleven exit. HLAS – Social Democracy is coming.]. aktuality.sk. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Announcement of the Preparatory Committee of the political party with the start of collecting signatures for the registration of the political party called HLAS - Social Democracy". Ministry of the Interior. 29 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Pellegrini's Voice-SD Party Now Registered". News Agency of the Slovak Republic. 11 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Poslanci, ktorí nie sú členmi poslaneckých klubov" [MPs: Caucuses: List: Members of Parliament which are not members of any caucus]. National Council of the Slovak Republic. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Peter Pellegrini zakladá stranu Hlas-Sociálna demokracia". Terax (in Slovak). 29 June 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  1. ^ After the departure of Pellegrini's group, SMER–SD radicalized and adopted national-populist rhetoric.
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