Civic Conservative Party
Encyclopedia
The Civic Conservative Party , abbreviated to OKS, is a centre-right
liberal conservative
political party in Slovakia
. It has four seats in the National Council
, which it won in an electoral alliance
with Most–Híd
at the 2010 election
, and the party's four MPs sit in the Most–Híd parliamentary group.
The OKS was founded in November 2001 as a parliamentary schism from the Democratic Party
. The party has relied on electoral alliances with other centre-right parties, including the Christian Democratic Movement
(KDH) and Conservative Democrats of Slovakia
(KDS). The party won its best result, of 2.1%, in alliance with the KDS at the 2009 European election
. The party won seats in the National Council for the first time in 2010 election
, on the Most–Híd
list.
The OKS is a member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
.
(DS) members of the National Council
on 10 November 2001. The DS initially offered the OKS and the Liberal-Democratic Union to run in the 2002 election
, on a united list, but then withdrew and endorsed the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union. The OKS attempted to negotiate a joint list with the Christian Democratic Movement
and Party of the Hungarian Coalition
, but this failed to materialise. Undeterred, the OKS ran alone under the banner 'Call for Slovakia' (Výzva pre Slovensko) and gained 9,422 votes, or 0.32% of the national total.
In the December 2002 local elections, two mayors were elected for OKS. In addition, OKS took 20 deputy seats, or 0.1% of the seats nationwide. In July 2003, it was one of four parties across Europe endorsing the soft eurosceptic Prague Appeal, along with the British
Conservative Party
, Law and Justice
of Poland
, and the Czech
Civic Democrats.
The OKS supported František Mikloško
of the Christian Democratic Movement
(KDH) in the 2004 presidential election
. Mikloško was one of the few candidates not being former members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
, and ended up fifth with 6.51% share of the total vote. In the European election
two months later, the party fielded Peter Osuský as its sole candidate. He received 7,016 votes: 1% share of the vote.
In the 2005 regional elections, the party gained three seats: František Šebej and Peter Tatár
in Bratislava Region
and Katarína Adamicová in Žilina Region
. This represented 0.72% share nationwide.
OKS offered to run on the common candidate list with the Christian Democratic Movement in the 2006 parliamentary election
. This offer was turned down by the KDH, the Civic Conservatives had to raise 500,000 korún
as a fee for the party to participate. In March 2006, OKS member Ondrej Dostál applied to the Constitutional Court
, considering the possible unconstitutionality of the election participation fee, saying the fee affects his right to run for office. In the election, former Chairman of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court Ernest Valko
and former Minister of Health Rudolf Zajac
appeared on the OKS list. The party obtained 6,262 votes which represented 0.27% share of the total vote.
In the 2009 regional elections
, the OKS won four seats, up one from 2005: 3 in Bratislava Region
and one in Žilina Region
.
, fourteen OKS members stood on the Most–Híd
party list. Strongly defining themselves as against the left-wing nationalist
coalition, four MPs were elected from the list, along with ten Most–Híd members. This gave the OKS its first parliamentary representation since 2002. Most–Híd entered a centre-right coalition government, which the Civic Conservatives supported, but the OKS did not join the government themselves, and remained separate from Most–Híd.
In August, the party objected to coalition plans for tax reform, calling instead for closing tax loopholes and funding lower taxes by cutting government spending. In October 2010, Peter Zajac called for Dobroslav Trnka to step down as General Prosecutor, after Trnka criticised Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic
and other officials, saying that Trnka didn't respect the law or the human rights
of ethnic Hungarians
. The party supported changes to the controversial State Language Act, but the OKS's Ondrej Dostál said the changes didn't go far enough in allowing use of minority languages.
In March 2011, the party opposed the government's plans to increase taxes on the self-employed
, and instead proposed funding cuts in payroll tax
by cutting government spending. The four OKS MPs have proposed a law restricting the government's power to build highways on privately-owned land, which had earlier been ruled unconstitutional.
The OKS characterizes itself as a party of reforms. According to its platform, it rejects:
It respects the historical memory as a part of the national cultural
identity
and thus rejects lining up behind autocracy, communism
and fascism
.
The stated aim of the OKS is to pursue the system of Europe
an conservative
values such as consistency, veracity, fairness, honesty, respectability, solidarity, and observance of written and non-written treaties and agreements.
:
The OKS also has four members of regional
parliaments:
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
liberal conservative
Liberal conservatism
Liberal conservatism also known as progressive conservatism is a variant of political conservatism which incorporates liberal elements. As "conservatism" and "liberalism" have had different meanings over time and across countries, the term "liberal conservatism" has been used in quite different...
political party 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...
. It has four seats in the National Council
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....
, which it won in an electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
with Most–Híd
Most–Híd
Most–Híd is a centre-right political party in Slovakia. Its programme calls for greater cooperation between the country's Hungarian minority and ethnic Slovaks...
at the 2010 election
Slovak parliamentary election, 2010
A parliamentary election took place in Slovakia on 12 June 2010. The elections were contested by eighteen parties, six of which passed the 5% threshold for sitting in parliament...
, and the party's four MPs sit in the Most–Híd parliamentary group.
The OKS was founded in November 2001 as a parliamentary schism from the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Slovakia)
The Democratic Party was a political party in Slovakia. When it was founded in late 1989 , it saw itself a continuation of the historical Democratic Party....
. The party has relied on electoral alliances with other centre-right parties, including the Christian Democratic Movement
Christian Democratic Movement
The Christian Democratic Movement is a political party in Slovakia.It is represented in the parliament. It was also member of the government coalition, but it left that coalition on 7 February 2006 due to disputes over an international treaty between Slovakia and the Holy See dealing with the...
(KDH) and Conservative Democrats of Slovakia
Conservative Democrats of Slovakia
The Conservative Democrats of Slovakia , abbreviated to KDS, is a Slovakian political party established by four MPs who belonged to the Christian Democratic Movement, but left it on 21 February 2008 over disagreements with the party leader...
(KDS). The party won its best result, of 2.1%, in alliance with the KDS at the 2009 European election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Slovakia)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Slovakia was the election of the delegation from Slovakia to the European Parliament in 2009.The turnout, although increased compared to the previous election, was 19.63%, the lowest of any nation involved in the election.-Division of Seats:The system of...
. The party won seats in the National Council for the first time in 2010 election
Slovak parliamentary election, 2010
A parliamentary election took place in Slovakia on 12 June 2010. The elections were contested by eighteen parties, six of which passed the 5% threshold for sitting in parliament...
, on the Most–Híd
Most–Híd
Most–Híd is a centre-right political party in Slovakia. Its programme calls for greater cooperation between the country's Hungarian minority and ethnic Slovaks...
list.
The OKS is a member of the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists, abbreviated to AECR, is a centre-right anti-federalist European political party defending broader conservative and classical liberal principles. It consists of twelve parties in nine EU member states and Iceland...
.
History
The Civic Conservative Party was formed by Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (Slovakia)
The Democratic Party was a political party in Slovakia. When it was founded in late 1989 , it saw itself a continuation of the historical Democratic Party....
(DS) members of the National Council
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....
on 10 November 2001. The DS initially offered the OKS and the Liberal-Democratic Union to run in the 2002 election
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 :...
, on a united list, but then withdrew and endorsed the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union. The OKS attempted to negotiate a joint list with the Christian Democratic Movement
Christian Democratic Movement
The Christian Democratic Movement is a political party in Slovakia.It is represented in the parliament. It was also member of the government coalition, but it left that coalition on 7 February 2006 due to disputes over an international treaty between Slovakia and the Holy See dealing with the...
and 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...
, but this failed to materialise. Undeterred, the OKS ran alone under the banner 'Call for Slovakia' (Výzva pre Slovensko) and gained 9,422 votes, or 0.32% of the national total.
In the December 2002 local elections, two mayors were elected for OKS. In addition, OKS took 20 deputy seats, or 0.1% of the seats nationwide. In July 2003, it was one of four parties across Europe endorsing the soft eurosceptic Prague Appeal, along with the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party
-Africa:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party *Conservative Party -Europe:*Conservative Party *Conservative Party of Armenia *Conservative Party *Conservative Party...
, Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Civic Democrats.
The OKS supported František Mikloško
František Mikloško
František Mikloško is a Slovak politician. He is a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and a former member of Christian Democratic Movement. Mikloško was Speaker of the Slovak National Council from 1990 to 1992. Mikloško is the longest-serving member of parliament in Slovakia...
of the Christian Democratic Movement
Christian Democratic Movement
The Christian Democratic Movement is a political party in Slovakia.It is represented in the parliament. It was also member of the government coalition, but it left that coalition on 7 February 2006 due to disputes over an international treaty between Slovakia and the Holy See dealing with the...
(KDH) in the 2004 presidential election
Slovak presidential election, 2004
The 2004 presidential elections were held in Slovakia on 3 April and 17 April 2004. In the second round, Ivan Gašparovič was elected President of Slovakia....
. Mikloško was one of the few candidates not being former members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
, and ended up fifth with 6.51% share of the total vote. In the European election
European Parliament election, 2004 (Slovakia)
The European Parliament election of 2004 in Slovakia was the election of MEP representing Slovakia constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13. The turnout was lowest of any country in the European...
two months later, the party fielded Peter Osuský as its sole candidate. He received 7,016 votes: 1% share of the vote.
In the 2005 regional elections, the party gained three seats: František Šebej and Peter Tatár
Peter Tatár
Peter Tatár became in 1990 a member of the Slovak National Council, i.e. Slovak parliament.He was reelected in 1998-2002 term. He was leader of the Civic Conservative Party from 2001 till 2006.- References :...
in Bratislava Region
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
and Katarína Adamicová in Žilina Region
Žilina Region
The Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
. This represented 0.72% share nationwide.
OKS offered to run on the common candidate list with the Christian Democratic Movement in the 2006 parliamentary election
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...
. This offer was turned down by the KDH, the Civic Conservatives had to raise 500,000 korún
Slovak koruna
In 1993, coins were introduced in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 haliers, 1, 2, 5 and 10 korunas. The 10 and 20 halier coins were taken out of circulation on 31 December 2003....
as a fee for the party to participate. In March 2006, OKS member Ondrej Dostál applied to the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Slovakia
The Constitutional Court of Slovakia is a special court established by the Constitution of Slovakia. Its seat is in Košice.-Tasks:...
, considering the possible unconstitutionality of the election participation fee, saying the fee affects his right to run for office. In the election, former Chairman of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court Ernest Valko
Ernest Valko
Ernest Valko, JUDr., PhD. was the former Chairman of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court and prominent Slovak lawyer. Valko was shot dead inside his home in Limbach in 2010...
and former Minister of Health Rudolf Zajac
Rudolf Zajac
Rudolf Zajac, is a former Minister of Health of Slovakia in the government of Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. He is well known for his radical and unpopular reform of health care in Slovakia. Nowadays he is in political retirement, but he has joined think-tanks mostly involved in health care...
appeared on the OKS list. The party obtained 6,262 votes which represented 0.27% share of the total vote.
In the 2009 regional elections
Slovak regional elections, 2009
Elections were held in Slovakia's eight self-governing regions on 14 November 2009.Six of the regional presidencies were won by centre-left Direction – Social Democracy , with one being won by Smer's national conservative allies, the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
, the OKS won four seats, up one from 2005: 3 in Bratislava Region
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
and one in Žilina Region
Žilina Region
The Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
.
Parliamentary party
In the 2010 electionSlovak parliamentary election, 2010
A parliamentary election took place in Slovakia on 12 June 2010. The elections were contested by eighteen parties, six of which passed the 5% threshold for sitting in parliament...
, fourteen OKS members stood on the Most–Híd
Most–Híd
Most–Híd is a centre-right political party in Slovakia. Its programme calls for greater cooperation between the country's Hungarian minority and ethnic Slovaks...
party list. Strongly defining themselves as against the left-wing nationalist
Left-wing nationalism
Left-wing nationalism describes a form of nationalism officially based upon equality, popular sovereignty, and national self-determination. It has its origins in the Jacobinism of the French Revolution. Left-wing nationalism typically espouses anti-imperialism...
coalition, four MPs were elected from the list, along with ten Most–Híd members. This gave the OKS its first parliamentary representation since 2002. Most–Híd entered a centre-right coalition government, which the Civic Conservatives supported, but the OKS did not join the government themselves, and remained separate from Most–Híd.
In August, the party objected to coalition plans for tax reform, calling instead for closing tax loopholes and funding lower taxes by cutting government spending. In October 2010, Peter Zajac called for Dobroslav Trnka to step down as General Prosecutor, after Trnka criticised Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic
Daniel Lipšic
JUDr. Daniel Lipšic, LL.M. is a Slovak politician who currently serves as the Interior Minister of Slovakia. He previously served as Minister of Justice of Slovakia from 2002 to 2006.. , The New York Times He is a member of the Christian Democratic Movement, a party currently in the governing...
and other officials, saying that Trnka didn't respect the law or the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of ethnic Hungarians
Hungarians in Slovakia
Hungarians in Slovakia are the largest ethnic minority of the country, numbering 520,528 people or 9.7% of population . They are concentrated mostly in the southern part of the country, near the border with Hungary...
. The party supported changes to the controversial State Language Act, but the OKS's Ondrej Dostál said the changes didn't go far enough in allowing use of minority languages.
In March 2011, the party opposed the government's plans to increase taxes on the self-employed
Self-employment
Self-employment is working for one's self.Self-employed people can also be referred to as a person who works for himself/herself instead of an employer, but drawing income from a trade or business that they operate personally....
, and instead proposed funding cuts in payroll tax
Payroll tax
Payroll tax generally refers to two different kinds of similar taxes. The first kind is a tax that employers are required to withhold from employees' wages, also known as withholding tax, pay-as-you-earn tax , or pay-as-you-go tax...
by cutting government spending. The four OKS MPs have proposed a law restricting the government's power to build highways on privately-owned land, which had earlier been ruled unconstitutional.
Ideology
The party advocates respect for people regardless of their religion, race and nationality. Their aim is to pursue conservative values stemming from the inner need of individuals to live in a world whose highest value is personal freedom tempered by personal responsibility and an awareness of personal obligations towards society.The OKS characterizes itself as a party of reforms. According to its platform, it rejects:
- all kinds of social engineeringSocial engineering (political science)Social engineering is a discipline in political science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale, whether by governments or private groups. In the political arena, the counterpart of social engineering is political engineering.For various reasons,...
- totalitarianismTotalitarianismTotalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
and autocracyAutocracyAn autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy... - historical, as well as current value relativismMoral relativismMoral relativism may be any of several descriptive, meta-ethical, or normative positions. Each of them is concerned with the differences in moral judgments across different people and cultures:...
.
It respects the historical memory as a part of the national cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
identity
Identity politics
Identity politics are political arguments that focus upon the self interest and perspectives of self-identified social interest groups and ways in which people's politics may be shaped by aspects of their identity through race, class, religion, sexual orientation or traditional dominance...
and thus rejects lining up behind autocracy, communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
.
The stated aim of the OKS is to pursue the system of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
values such as consistency, veracity, fairness, honesty, respectability, solidarity, and observance of written and non-written treaties and agreements.
Elected representatives
The OKS has four members of the National CouncilNational 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....
:
- Ondrej Dostál
- Peter Osuský
- František Šebej
- Peter Zajac
The OKS also has four members of regional
Regions of Slovakia
Since 1949 , Slovakia has been divided into a number of kraje . Their number, borders and functions have been changed several times. There are currently eight regions of Slovakia and they correspond to the EU's NUTS 3 level of local administrative units. Each kraj consists of okresy...
parliaments:
- Katarína Adamicová (ŽilinaŽilina RegionThe Žilina Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of 6,804 km² and a population of 694,763 . The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians...
)
- René Bílik (BratislavaBratislava RegionThe Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
)
- Ondrej Dostál (BratislavaBratislava RegionThe Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
)
- František Šebej (BratislavaBratislava RegionThe Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
)
Leaders
- Peter TatárPeter TatárPeter Tatár became in 1990 a member of the Slovak National Council, i.e. Slovak parliament.He was reelected in 1998-2002 term. He was leader of the Civic Conservative Party from 2001 till 2006.- References :...
(2001 – 2006) - Collective leadership (2006 – 2007)
- Peter Zajac (2007 – present day)