2012 Slovak parliamentary election

Slovak parliamentary election, 2012

10 March 2012
All 150 seats of the Národná rada
Leader Robert Fico Ján Figeľ Igor Matovič Party Smer KDH OĽaNO Last election 62 seats, 34.8% 15 seats, 8.5% New party   Leader Béla Bugár Mikuláš Dzurinda Richard Sulík Party Most–Híd SDKÚ–DS SaS Last election 14 seats, 8.1% 28 seats, 15.4% 22 seats, 12.1%
Incumbent Prime Minister Iveta Radičová SDKÚ–DS

A parliamentary election will take place in Slovakia on 10 March 2012. The election follows the fall of Prime Minister Iveta Radičová's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party-led coalition in October 2011 over a no confidence vote her government failed because of its support for the European Financial Stability Fund.

Results

Final results were presented on Sunday, 11th March 2012. The winner is centre-left Direction Social Democracy (Smer-SD) with 44.41% of votes and 83 seats. Last elections Smer-SD had just 62 seats with 34.8%, so the results were much better than in 2010. 2nd is Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 8.82% of votes and 16 seats. Results were slightly better. Last elections: 15 seats, 8.5%. With 8.55% and 16 seats are Ordinary People (OĽaNO) on third place. This were their first elections as a politician party. 4th is Bridge/HID (Most-HID) with 6.89% of votes and 13 seats. Bridge/HID will have one less seat than in last elections. Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party has rapid decrease of votes, from 15.4% (28 seats) to 6.09% (11 seats). The last party in parliament is Freedom and Solidarity (SAS) with 5.88% and 11 seats. Last elections they had 22 seats with 12.1%, so they lost 11 seats.

Background

On 11 October 2011, the National Council of the Slovak Republic, the parliament of Slovakia, voted on whether to approve the expansion of the European Financial Stability Fund. As Slovakia was the last eurozone country to vote on the measure, prime minister Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ) made it a vote of confidence. The motion was called on the grounds, according to the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, that Slovakia, the second poorest eurozone country, should not bailout richer countries such as Greece and for bank re-capitalisation. The motion then failed by 21 votes after SaS and Direction – Social Democracy (Smer–SD) abstained.

Smer then came to an agreement with the governing coalition to support the measure in what party chairman and former prime minister Robert 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, foreign minister Mikuláš Dzurinda (SDKÚ) said that, in return for Smer's support, a snap election would be 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." On 13 October, following pressure from the European Union, which was in turn warned by the United States and China to get its finances in order, the motion was passed by a vote of 114–30 with 3 abstentions.

Corruption scandal

In the run-up to the election, the Gorilla scandal (secret recordings of leading politicians in 2005–2006 showing political corruption) shook the political scene. The scandal will likely hurt the SDKÚ.

List of political parties

Below is the list of the 26 political parties participating in election (number of candidates is in parentheses) The campaign officially started on 18 February and would continue up to, and including, election day.

1. Greens (15)*
2. Christian Democratic Movement (150)
3. Party of the Democratic Left (150)
4. Slovak National Party (150)
5. Ordinary People (150)*
6. Freedom and Solidarity (150)
7. Law and Justice (150)*
8. Our Country (123)*
9. Green Party (100)*
10. People's Party – Our Slovakia (70)
11. Direction – Social Democracy (150)
12. Change from the Bottom, Democratic Union of Slovakia (53)*
13. Nation and Justice - Our Party (150)*
14. Communist Party of Slovakia (150)
15. Party of the Roma Union in Slovakia (32)* (minority interests)
16. Most–Híd (150) (minority interests)
17. 99 Percent – Civic Voice (111)*
18. People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (150)
19. Party +1 Vote (20)*
20. We are Doing it for the Children - SF (133)*
21. Ordinary People (34)*
22. Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (150)
23. Party of Slovak Citizens (148)*
24. Party of the Hungarian Coalition (150) (minority interests)
25. Party of Free Speech - of Nora Mojsejová (150)*
26. Union of the Slovak Self-Employed (28)*

* Political party did not take part in the last parliamentary election in 2010

The number of competing political parties in this election is the highest since the fall of communism in Slovakia in 1989. All participating parties had to register 90 days before the election and pay a fee of 16 596 euro (the fee is refunded to all parties who reach at least 2% of votes). All Slovak citizens are allowed to vote except for convicted prisoners, people declared ineligible to vote by court and citizens under 18 years of age.

Campaign

File:Bratislava Political Advertisement 2012 SMER-SD.JPG

Political advertisement as seen in Bratislava one day before the election

Numerous political scandals overshadowed the economic issues which led to the fall of the previous government:

• Controversial wiretapping by the Military Defense Intelligence (VOS)
• Gorilla scandal - a major political scandal involving corruption at the highest level in the state

The campaign before the election was openly criticized by numerous Slovak personalities as being the first one since the fall of communism where political programs were completely switched for political scandals and attacks. An open declaration condemning the campaign was signed by 16 personalities including economist Juraj Stern, actor Milan Lasica or sociologist Martin Bútora.

Opinion polls

The new centre-right party, Ordinary People, might enter parliament according to polls, but Smer–SD, the favourite in the election, may not secure a full majority due to the emergence of another new party named 99 Percent – Civic Voice (99%).

Party	Last election	September 2011	October 2011	November. 2011	December 2011	January 2012	February 2012	March 2012
SMER-SD	34.8% (62)	43.1% (70)	43.5%	45.2% (79)	43.9% (74)	41.8% (81)	37.3% (69)	40% (73)
KDH	8.5% (15)	9.0% (15)	9.7%	9.9% (17)	10.0% (17)	9.3% (18)	10.3% (19)	12% (22)
Most–Híd	8.1% (14)	5.9% (9)	6.9%	7.0% (12)	8.3% (14)	6.4% (13)	6.0% (11)	7% (13)
SKDU-DS	15.4% (28)	12.8% (21)	12.2%	11.3% (20)	10.2% (17)	8.3% (16)	6.1% (11)	6% (11)
SaS	12.1% (22)	8.0% (13)	8.2%	5.6% (13)	7.5% (9)	6.4% (12)	5.9% (11)	6% (11)
OL	part of SaS list	-	-	2.9%	5.8% (10)	5.2% (10)	8.9% (16)	5.5% (10)
SMK-MKP	4.3%	5.3% (8)	4.2%	3.6%	2.8%	3.4%	2.4%	5.5% (10)
SNS	5.1% (9)	8.5% (14)	6.4%	5.4% (9)	5.6% (9)	4.8%	4.2%	4.5%
99%	-	-	-	-	-	4.6%	6.9% (13)	4%
LS-HZDS	4.3%	3.0%	4.7%	2.5%	2.1%	1.5%	1.8%	1.5%
Others	7.2%	4.4%	4.3%	4.7%	5.7%	8.3%	6.7%
Source: Focus Research								MVK

Election

The day before the election, about 1,000 protesters in Bratislava, the national capital, protested against the corruption brought to light by the Gorilla scandal, which later turned violent.

Voting took place between 7:00 and 22:00. The Slovak Spectator reported that former Slovak citizens who had been granted Hungarian citizenship were prevented from voting because of an amendment to the Citizenship Act in 2010 which mandated that those who acquire citizenship of another country automatically have their Slovak citizenship rescinded.

The Statistics Office said that Smer leads with 44.84% of the voted with the Christian Democratic Movement trailing with 8.77% of the votes.