Ján Slota
Encyclopedia
Ján Slota is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party
, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico
's Smer in 2006. He was the mayor of the town of Žilina
from 1990 to 2006.
in the Velvet Revolution
. In 1990 he co-founded the SNS and was elected as a member of the Federal Assembly
. Later, he was elected into the National Council of the Slovak Republic
. From 1994 to 1999 he served as the leader of the SNS. After an internal crisis in the SNS in 2001, he left the party and set up his own party, the Genuine Slovak National Party
. As a result of this split, none of the nationalist parties received the required 5% minimum of votes in the 2002 election. In 2003, the nationalist parties merged again, after heavy quarrels, with Slota as chairman.
Slota served as the mayor of Žilina
between 1990 and 2006, overseeing the modernization of the city. He was reelected in 1994, 1998 and 2002. He was succeeded by Ivan Harman in 2006.
In the 2006 parliamentary election, Slota became an MP and his SNS joined the ruling coalition with Robert Fico
's Direction - Social Democracy
party and Vladimír Mečiar
´s People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
.
reports that most of the media attention Slota receives is because of statements that cross "the line not just of political but also human decency." Slota says he is protecting Slovaks, especially those living in southern Slovakia. According to Der Spiegel
Slota said the best policy for dealing with the Roma was "a long whip in a small yard." According to him: "70 percent of the Roma are criminals." He is quoted as saying "we will get into our tanks and level Budapest
" and questioned whether homosexuals were normal people. After this statement, a map was published on the official SNS webpage showing Hungary as a part of Slovakia. He also said about Hungarians that "Even in 1248 a Frankish
bishop was amazed after visiting the Carpathian Basin that God could have given such a beautiful country to such ugly people. He was referring to the old Hungarians, who were Mongoloid types with crooked legs and even more disgusting horses. Somehow these people have vanished. Who civilized them? Probably us, the Slovaks". He is also quoted as saying that Slavic blood had civilised the ugly, Mongolic Hungarians and associated homosexuals with pedophiles
. He believes 200 members of the Hungarian intelligence are spying in Slovakia. Slota said that the country's ethnic Hungarian minority "is a tumour in the body of the Slovak nation." While Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico
were meeting in Brussels, he called the Turul
, a Hungarian mythological falcon an "ugly parrot", and insulted the first Hungarian king (Stephen I of Hungary) by calling him a "clown on a horse" (he was referring to the statue of king Stephen I which is standing in the Buda Castle
).
Slota called the fascist leader Jozef Tiso
"one of the greatest sons of the Slovak nation" and on February 17, 2000, 40 of the 41 city council members in Žilina, where Slota is mayor, voted to dedicate a plaque honoring Tiso.
in 1971, where he participated in multiple auto thefts
, until he fled Austria fearing prosecution. He went back to Czechoslovakia, where he committed some store robberies in the Prievidza
region before fleeing the country. After returning, his father, Milan, voluntarily entered the Czechoslovak communist secret police, the StB
to save his son from prison.
In 1982 Slota worked in the Nováky Power Plant
, where during the demolition of a wooden cooling tower
he gave the order to burn it down. The flames reached 70 meters and the wind blew the cinders as far away as 500 meters. Slota was convicted of arson and sentenced to one year in prison, and suspended for two years. Documents detailing Slota's criminal past were broadcast by Markíza
, the leading private television station in Slovakia, which resulted in a court case Markíza v Slota. During the court proceedings Slota admitted to some of the crimes and even said he was proud of assaulting and beating a Hungarian saying "I am proud of giving that Hungarian a black eye
"
Since his party returned to the parliament in 2006, Slota has rarely been seen at parliamentary sessions. The Slovak daily SME has revealed that his signature on the parliamentary attendance sheets was forged by his fellow party member Rafael Rafaj. When confronted with this charge, both of them have denied it.
(about €10,000 or US$14,000) in his 2006 annual tax return, however he himself supposedly confirmed that he had bought a Bentley Continental GT
for 2.6 million SKK
in that year. In his ATR he also supposedly confessed that he has a luxury villa
on the Croatia
n riviera as well as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S "lent to him by one of his friends for his personal use".
Slovak National Party (current party)
The Slovak National Party is a political party in Slovakia. The party characterizes itself as a socialist, nationalist party based on what it calls the European Christian system of values. However it is sometimes described as ultra-nationalist,...
, an extremist nationalist party. Slota as the leader of SNS entered into a coalition with Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
's Smer in 2006. He was the mayor of the town of Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
from 1990 to 2006.
Political career
Slota became involved in politics after 1989 when the Communist party fell from power in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
. In 1990 he co-founded the SNS and was elected as a member of the Federal Assembly
Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia
The Federal Assembly was the name of Czechoslovakia's federal parliament from January 1, 1969 to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992...
. Later, he was elected into the National Council of the Slovak Republic
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....
. From 1994 to 1999 he served as the leader of the SNS. After an internal crisis in the SNS in 2001, he left the party and set up his own party, the Genuine Slovak National Party
True Slovak National Party
The True Slovak National Party, also translated as Real Slovak National Party , was a minor extreme far-right political party in Slovakia. At the 20 and 21 September 2002 legislative elections, the party won 3.7% of the popular vote and no seats...
. As a result of this split, none of the nationalist parties received the required 5% minimum of votes in the 2002 election. In 2003, the nationalist parties merged again, after heavy quarrels, with Slota as chairman.
Slota served as the mayor of Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
between 1990 and 2006, overseeing the modernization of the city. He was reelected in 1994, 1998 and 2002. He was succeeded by Ivan Harman in 2006.
In the 2006 parliamentary election, Slota became an MP and his SNS joined the ruling coalition with Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
's Direction - Social Democracy
Direction - Social Democracy
The party Direction – Social Democracy , often abbreviated to Smer, is a centre-left 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 62 seats....
party and Vladimír Mečiar
Vladimír Meciar
Vladimír Mečiar is a Slovak politician who was Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1990 to 1991, from 1992 to 1994, and from 1994 to 1998. He is the leader of the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia...
´s People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
The People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia , abbreviated to ĽS-HZDS or usually HZDS, is a national conservative political party in Slovakia...
.
Controversial views, statements
Slota is frequently criticized for arrogance, nationalism, and extremism and being "a xenophobic politician who has stirred anti-Hungarian sentiments." The Slovak SpectatorThe Slovak Spectator
The Slovak Spectator is Slovakia's only English-language newspaper.It is published weekly by The Rock, s.r.o. publishing house and covers local news, culture and business...
reports that most of the media attention Slota receives is because of statements that cross "the line not just of political but also human decency." Slota says he is protecting Slovaks, especially those living in southern Slovakia. According to Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
Slota said the best policy for dealing with the Roma was "a long whip in a small yard." According to him: "70 percent of the Roma are criminals." He is quoted as saying "we will get into our tanks and level Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
" and questioned whether homosexuals were normal people. After this statement, a map was published on the official SNS webpage showing Hungary as a part of Slovakia. He also said about Hungarians that "Even in 1248 a Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
bishop was amazed after visiting the Carpathian Basin that God could have given such a beautiful country to such ugly people. He was referring to the old Hungarians, who were Mongoloid types with crooked legs and even more disgusting horses. Somehow these people have vanished. Who civilized them? Probably us, the Slovaks". He is also quoted as saying that Slavic blood had civilised the ugly, Mongolic Hungarians and associated homosexuals with pedophiles
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
. He believes 200 members of the Hungarian intelligence are spying in Slovakia. Slota said that the country's ethnic Hungarian minority "is a tumour in the body of the Slovak nation." While Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány
Ferenc Gyurcsány is a Hungarian politician. He was the sixth Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009.He was nominated to take that position on 25 August 2004 by the Hungarian Socialist Party , after Péter Medgyessy resigned due to a conflict with the Socialist Party's coalition partner...
and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico
Robert Fico
Robert Fico served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from July 4, 2006 to July 8, 2010.He is the leader of the left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy . The party won the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
were meeting in Brussels, he called the Turul
Turul
The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
, a Hungarian mythological falcon an "ugly parrot", and insulted the first Hungarian king (Stephen I of Hungary) by calling him a "clown on a horse" (he was referring to the statue of king Stephen I which is standing in the Buda Castle
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle ....
).
Slota called the fascist leader Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso
Jozef Tiso was a Slovak Roman Catholic priest, politician of the Slovak People's Party, and Nazi collaborator. Between 1939 and 1945, Tiso was the head of the Slovak State, a satellite state of Nazi Germany...
"one of the greatest sons of the Slovak nation" and on February 17, 2000, 40 of the 41 city council members in Žilina, where Slota is mayor, voted to dedicate a plaque honoring Tiso.
Criminal past
Slota had illegally emigrated to AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1971, where he participated in multiple auto thefts
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
, until he fled Austria fearing prosecution. He went back to Czechoslovakia, where he committed some store robberies in the Prievidza
Prievidza
Prievidza is a city in the central-western Slovakia. With 51,200 inhabitants it is one of the biggest municipalities in the Trenčín Region.-Features:...
region before fleeing the country. After returning, his father, Milan, voluntarily entered the Czechoslovak communist secret police, the StB
STB
STB is an acronym that can mean:* Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus – Bachelor of Sacred Theology* Set-top box – a television device that converts signals to viewable images* Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP -- a law firm...
to save his son from prison.
In 1982 Slota worked in the Nováky Power Plant
Novaky Power Plant
Nováky Power Plant is a thermal power plant at Nováky, Slovakia It has a 300 metre tall chimney, built in 1976. Nováky Power plant is pixeled on Google Maps.-External links:* http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b5455...
, where during the demolition of a wooden cooling tower
Cooling tower
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat to the atmosphere. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature or in the case of closed circuit dry cooling towers rely...
he gave the order to burn it down. The flames reached 70 meters and the wind blew the cinders as far away as 500 meters. Slota was convicted of arson and sentenced to one year in prison, and suspended for two years. Documents detailing Slota's criminal past were broadcast by Markíza
Markíza
Markíza is a television station in Slovakia. The station launched on 31 August 1996. The station was owned by the politician Pavol Rusko, and is now part of CME network...
, the leading private television station in Slovakia, which resulted in a court case Markíza v Slota. During the court proceedings Slota admitted to some of the crimes and even said he was proud of assaulting and beating a Hungarian saying "I am proud of giving that Hungarian a black eye
Black eye
A black eye , or or 'shiner', is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than eye injury. The name is given due to the color of bruising. The so-called black eye is caused by bleeding beneath the skin and around the eye...
"
Since his party returned to the parliament in 2006, Slota has rarely been seen at parliamentary sessions. The Slovak daily SME has revealed that his signature on the parliamentary attendance sheets was forged by his fellow party member Rafael Rafaj. When confronted with this charge, both of them have denied it.
Tabloid claims
Slota supposedly reported a total yearly income of 311 400 SKKSlovak 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....
(about €10,000 or US$14,000) in his 2006 annual tax return, however he himself supposedly confirmed that he had bought a Bentley Continental GT
Bentley Continental GT
-Flying Spur:The four door Continental Flying Spur saloon was first displayed at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. The Flying Spur utilizes most of the technical underpinnings of the Bentley Continental GT, and was introduced to European and North American markets in the summer of 2005...
for 2.6 million SKK
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....
in that year. In his ATR he also supposedly confessed that he has a luxury villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
on the Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n riviera as well as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S "lent to him by one of his friends for his personal use".