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Although the party won the most votes in the [[Slovak parliamentary election, 2010|2010 parliamentary election]], with a lead of 20% over second-placed [[SDKÚ]],<ref>[http://volbysr.sk/nrsr2010/sr/tab3_sk.html Voľby do Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky]. Volbysr.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.</ref> they were not able to form a government, due to the losses of their coalition partners. Their result, 34.8%, won 62 seats in the National Council for them, but the [[People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia|HZDS]] failed to cross the 5% threshold, losing all their seats, and the Slovak National Party was reduced to nine seats. As a result, the four opposition centre-right parties – [[Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party|SDKÚ]], [[Freedom and Solidarity|SaS]], [[Christian Democratic Movement|KDH]] and [[Most–Híd]] – were able to form a new government.<ref>[http://volby.sme.sk/c/5420612/fico-vyhral-a-predsa-konci.html Fico vyhral a predsa končí | Voľby 2010]. volby.sme.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.</ref>
Although the party won the most votes in the [[Slovak parliamentary election, 2010|2010 parliamentary election]], with a lead of 20% over second-placed [[SDKÚ]],<ref>[http://volbysr.sk/nrsr2010/sr/tab3_sk.html Voľby do Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky]. Volbysr.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.</ref> they were not able to form a government, due to the losses of their coalition partners. Their result, 34.8%, won 62 seats in the National Council for them, but the [[People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia|HZDS]] failed to cross the 5% threshold, losing all their seats, and the Slovak National Party was reduced to nine seats. As a result, the four opposition centre-right parties – [[Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party|SDKÚ]], [[Freedom and Solidarity|SaS]], [[Christian Democratic Movement|KDH]] and [[Most–Híd]] – were able to form a new government.<ref>[http://volby.sme.sk/c/5420612/fico-vyhral-a-predsa-konci.html Fico vyhral a predsa končí | Voľby 2010]. volby.sme.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.</ref>


Following the Parliamentary election held on 10 March 2012, SMER is now the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150).
With the Parliamentary election held on 10 March 2012, Smer won 44.4% of the votes and became the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150).<ref>[http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/45675/10/election_2012_uvk_officially_confirms_smers_landslide_victory_in_general_election.html Election 2012: UVK officially confirms Smer's landslide victory in general election - TASR (11 Mar 2012)]</ref>


==Current Representatives==
==Current Representatives==

Revision as of 21:46, 11 March 2012

Direction – Social Democracy
LeaderRobert Fico
Founded1999
HeadquartersBratislava
Youth wingYoung Social Democrats
IdeologySocial democracy
Political positionCentre-left
European affiliationParty of European Socialists
European Parliament groupProgressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
International affiliationSocialist International
ColoursRed, Green
National Council
83 / 150
European Parliament
5 / 13
Website
http://www.strana-smer.sk

The party Direction – Social Democracy (Slovak: Smer – sociálna demokracia), often abbreviated to Smer, is a social democratic political party in Slovakia. It is led by Robert Fico, who was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2010. It is the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150) following the Parliamentary Election held on 10 March 2012.

History

Originally named Direction, the party emerged as a breakaway from the Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) in 1999. Under Fico, at the time one of the most popular politicians in the country, it quickly surpassed the SDĽ. In 2003 it changed its formal name to Direction (Third Way) (Slovak: Smer (tretia cesta)).[1] In 2005, it absorbed SDĽ and several other centre-left parties and adopted its current name. Following the party's victory in 2006, Smer entered into a coalition with the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS). For this, it was suspended from membership of the Party of European Socialists (PES). The PES Chairman, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, explained in The Slovak Spectator that "Most of our members stood solidly behind our values, according to which forming a coalition with the extreme right is unacceptable."[2] Smer was readmitted in 2008.

Foundation

The party arose as a breakaway from the Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) in 1999 (Robert Fico being the most popular SDĽ member at that time) and quickly became one of the most popular parties in Slovakia, while the popularity of the SDĽ, which was the successor of the original Communist Party of Slovakia and was a government party from 1998 to 2002, was steadily decreasing.

As of 2004, it was the third largest party in the National Council of the Slovak Republic, with 25 out of 150 seats. As of early 2005, it was in the first place among all Slovak political parties in opinion polls with 30% support.

As from 1 January 2005, Smer merged with the small social-democratic parties:

The resulting entity was renamed Smer – Social Democracy.

Government

In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 29.1% of the popular vote and 50 out of 150 seats. Following the election, Smer formed a coalition government with the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and Slovak National Party (SNS),[3][4][5] nationalist party.[3][4][6] Smer was then temporarily suspended from membership in the Party of European Socialists (PES) on 12 October 2006 [7]. The resolution to suspend SMER referred specifically to the PES Declaration “For a modern, pluralist and tolerant Europe”, adopted by PES Congress in 2001 in Berlin which states: “all PES parties adhere to the following principles… to refrain from any form of political alliance or co-operation at all levels with any political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred.” SMER was readmitted on 14 February 2008.

Although the party won the most votes in the 2010 parliamentary election, with a lead of 20% over second-placed SDKÚ,[8] they were not able to form a government, due to the losses of their coalition partners. Their result, 34.8%, won 62 seats in the National Council for them, but the HZDS failed to cross the 5% threshold, losing all their seats, and the Slovak National Party was reduced to nine seats. As a result, the four opposition centre-right parties – SDKÚ, SaS, KDH and Most–Híd – were able to form a new government.[9]

With the Parliamentary election held on 10 March 2012, Smer won 44.4% of the votes and became the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150).[10]

Current Representatives

Smer provided the following members of the government (2006–2010):

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://portal.ives.sk/registre/detailUplnyPS.do?action=uplny&formular=nazov&id=153097
  2. ^ Euro-socialists suspend Fico's Smer party – The Slovak Spectator. Spectator.sme.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.]
  3. ^ a b Cas Mudde (2005). Racist Extremism In Central & Eastern Europe. Routledge. pp. xvi, 314. ISBN 0415355931. Retrieved 2009.05.22.. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ a b Zoltan D. Barany (2002). The East European gypsies: regime change, marginality, and ethnopolitics. Cambridge University Press. p. 408. ISBN 0521009103. Retrieved 2009.05.22.. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ Juliana Sokolova (2 – 04 – 2009). "Slovakia: in search of normal". openDemocracy.net. Retrieved 22 May 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ The Steven Roth Institute: Country reports. Tau.ac.il. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.
  7. ^ SMER suspended from PES political family, Party of European Socialists, 12 October 2006
  8. ^ Voľby do Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky. Volbysr.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.
  9. ^ Fico vyhral a predsa končí | Voľby 2010. volby.sme.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.
  10. ^ Election 2012: UVK officially confirms Smer's landslide victory in general election - TASR (11 Mar 2012)
  11. ^ Minister obrany Kašický odstúpil – Pravda.sk. Spravy.pravda.sk (2008-01-25). Retrieved on 15 October 2011.
  12. ^ Valentovič odstúpil, nahradil ho Raši – Pravda.sk. Spravy.pravda.sk. Retrieved on 15 October 2011.
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