People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
Encyclopedia
The People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia , abbreviated to ĽS-HZDS or usually HZDS, is a national conservative
political party in Slovakia
. It no longer has any seats in the National Council
, having lost them at the 2010 election
, though it was the governing party from 1992 to 1998 (with a short break in 1994), and was the largest party from 1991 to 2006.
Founded in 1991, its leader is Vladimír Mečiar
, who, as Prime Minister, led Slovakia through the Velvet Divorce
. The party has been a member of the Slovak government three times: twice as the leading partner with Mečiar as Prime Minister (1992–4, 1994–8) and from 2006 - 2010 as the junior partner under Robert Fico
of Direction – Social Democracy.
Founded in opposition to privatisation
, the party's ideology has shifted repeatedly, with the only constants being Mečiar's leadership and a populism that alienated it from other parties in Slovakia and abroad. To overcome its previous reputation as a 'pariah', the party has touted its support of European integration
. It is a member of the integrationist European Democratic Party
, despite not sharing the liberal
ideology of that organisation.
faction of Public Against Violence
(VPN), from which it seceded at an extraordinary VPN congress on 27 April 1991. Called 'Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (HZDS), it was led by Vladimír Mečiar
, who had been deposed as Slovak Prime Minister a month earlier, and composed mostly of the VPN's cabinet members. The HZDS claimed to represent Slovak national interest, and demanded a more decentralised Czechoslovak
confederation. On 7 May 1992, the HZDS voted for a declaration of independence
, but this was defeated 73-57.
At the first election
in which it took part, on 5–6 June, the HZDS won an overwhelming victory, with 74 seats on the National Council
: two short of an absolute majority. Mečiar was appointed Prime Minister on 24 June. Whereas the HZDS wanted a confederation, the Czech elections on the same day
were won by Civic Democratic Party, which preferred a tighter federation. Recognising that these positions were irreconcilable, the National Council voted for Slovakia's Declaration of Independence
by 113 votes to 24, and Mečiar concluded formal negotiations over the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
.
left-wing position economically, and sought to slow the post-Soviet privatisation
and liberalisation
.
In the first elections
after independence, in late 1994, the HZDS retained its dominant position, winning 58 seats (the Peasant's Party of Slovakia
won a further 3 on its list). During the years 1994 - 1998 we can consider Slovakia to be ruled by authoritative regime. Mečiar is one of the greatest criminals in the Slovak history.
(EPP). However, lingering memories of former anti-Europeanism, conflicting rhetoric, and the presence of three Slovak parties already in the EPP prevented this. The ĽS-HZDS then looked to the Euro-integrationist European Democratic Party
, which it joined in 2009.
The build-up to the 2002 election
saw Mečiar exclude a number of prominent members from the party's list of candidates. Several of the excluded members, led by Ivan Gašparovič
, split from the party and founded the similarly titled Movement for Democracy
(HZD). The new party won 3.3% of the vote, eating significantly into the ĽS-HZDS's position, and contributing to it winning only 36 seats. Further divisions and splits further divided the party, and, by 2006, it had only 21 MPs.
, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 15 out of 150 seats.
Two ĽS-HZDS ministers were sworn in with the Robert Fico
government on July 4, 2006.
In the 2010 election
the party lost all its seats, after its share of the vote halved to below the 5% threshold for entering parliament.
National conservatism
National conservatism is a political term used primarily in Europe to describe a variant of conservatism which concentrates more on national interests than standard conservatism as well as upholding cultural and ethnic identity, while not being outspokenly nationalist or supporting a far-right...
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 no longer has any 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....
, having lost them 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...
, though it was the governing party from 1992 to 1998 (with a short break in 1994), and was the largest party from 1991 to 2006.
Founded in 1991, its leader is 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...
, who, as Prime Minister, led Slovakia through the Velvet Divorce
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
. The party has been a member of the Slovak government three times: twice as the leading partner with Mečiar as Prime Minister (1992–4, 1994–8) and from 2006 - 2010 as the junior partner under 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...
of Direction – Social Democracy.
Founded in opposition to privatisation
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, the party's ideology has shifted repeatedly, with the only constants being Mečiar's leadership and a populism that alienated it from other parties in Slovakia and abroad. To overcome its previous reputation as a 'pariah', the party has touted its support of European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
. It is a member of the integrationist European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
, despite not sharing the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
ideology of that organisation.
Velvet Divorce
The party was created as a Slovak nationalistNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
faction of Public Against Violence
Public Against Violence
The Public Against Violence was a political movement that was established in Bratislava, Slovakia on 20 November 1989. It was the Slovak counterpart of the Czech Civic Forum ....
(VPN), from which it seceded at an extraordinary VPN congress on 27 April 1991. Called 'Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (HZDS), it was led by 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...
, who had been deposed as Slovak Prime Minister a month earlier, and composed mostly of the VPN's cabinet members. The HZDS claimed to represent Slovak national interest, and demanded a more decentralised Czechoslovak
Czechoslovakia
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...
confederation. On 7 May 1992, the HZDS voted for a declaration of independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, but this was defeated 73-57.
At the first election
Slovak parliamentary election, 1992
The 1992 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on 5 and 6 June 1992.These elections were the second elections after the Velvet Revolution. They took place within the Czechoslovak parliamentary election, 1992, i.e...
in which it took part, on 5–6 June, the HZDS won an overwhelming victory, with 74 seats on 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....
: two short of an absolute majority. Mečiar was appointed Prime Minister on 24 June. Whereas the HZDS wanted a confederation, the Czech elections on the same day
Czech legislative election, 1992
National Council elections were held in the Czech part of Czechoslovakia on 5 and 6 June 1992, alongside federal elections. The result was a victory for the Civic Democratic Party-Christian Democratic Party alliance, which won 76 of the 200 seats. Voter turnout was 85.0%. When the Czech Republic...
were won by Civic Democratic Party, which preferred a tighter federation. Recognising that these positions were irreconcilable, the National Council voted for Slovakia's Declaration of Independence
Slovak National Council's Declaration of Independence of the Slovak Nation
The Slovak National Council's Declaration of Independence of the Slovak Nation was a resolution of the Slovak National Council on 17 July 1992, by which members of the Council demanded Slovakia's independence...
by 113 votes to 24, and Mečiar concluded formal negotiations over the dissolution of Czechoslovakia
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia
The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on 1 January 1993, was an event that saw the self-determined separation of the federal state of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Republic and Slovakia, entities which had arisen in 1969 within the framework of Czechoslovak federalisation, became...
.
Dominant party
The party adopted a populistPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
left-wing position economically, and sought to slow the post-Soviet privatisation
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
and liberalisation
Economic liberalization
Economic liberalization is a very broad term that usually refers to fewer government regulations and restrictions in the economy in exchange for greater participation of private entities; the doctrine is associated with classical liberalism...
.
In the first elections
Slovak parliamentary election, 1994
The 1994 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on September 30 and October 1, 1994.It was a premature election that became necessary after the Vladimír Mečiar 1992 government had been recalled in March 1994 by the parliament and a new temporary government under Jozef Moravčík had been...
after independence, in late 1994, the HZDS retained its dominant position, winning 58 seats (the Peasant's Party of Slovakia
Peasant's Party of Slovakia
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Slovak Wikipedia.The Peasant's Party of Slovakia was a Slovak Party from 1989 to 1997...
won a further 3 on its list). During the years 1994 - 1998 we can consider Slovakia to be ruled by authoritative regime. Mečiar is one of the greatest criminals in the Slovak history.
Decline in opposition
Originally designating itself as a centre-left party, the party moved towards the mainstream right and, in March 2000, renamed itself the 'People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (ĽS-HZDS) to try to achieve membership of the European People's PartyEuropean People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP). However, lingering memories of former anti-Europeanism, conflicting rhetoric, and the presence of three Slovak parties already in the EPP prevented this. The ĽS-HZDS then looked to the Euro-integrationist European Democratic Party
European Democratic Party
The European Democratic Party is a centrist European political party in favour of European integration. It was initiated on April 16, 2004 and formally founded on December 9 in Brussels...
, which it joined in 2009.
The build-up to 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 :...
saw Mečiar exclude a number of prominent members from the party's list of candidates. Several of the excluded members, led by Ivan Gašparovič
Ivan Gašparovic
Ivan Gašparovič is a Slovak politician and law professor who has been the President of Slovakia since 15 June 2004. He is also the first Slovak president to be re-elected.-Biography:...
, split from the party and founded the similarly titled Movement for Democracy
Movement for Democracy (Slovakia)
The Movement for Democracy is a political party in Slovakia split from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia in 2002. The first leader of the party was Ivan Gašparovič, the current president of Slovakia...
(HZD). The new party won 3.3% of the vote, eating significantly into the ĽS-HZDS's position, and contributing to it winning only 36 seats. Further divisions and splits further divided the party, and, by 2006, it had only 21 MPs.
Back in government
In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006Slovak 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...
, the party won 8.8 % of the popular vote and 15 out of 150 seats.
Two ĽS-HZDS ministers were sworn in with the 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...
government on July 4, 2006.
- Štefan HarabinŠtefan HarabínŠtefan Harabin is a Slovak politician HZDS, and was the Minister of Justice of Slovakia from 4 July 2006 to 23 June 2009. Currently he is Slovakia's Supreme Court Chairman....
(deputy prime minister; minister of justice) - Miroslav Jureňa (minister of agriculture)
In 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...
the party lost all its seats, after its share of the vote halved to below the 5% threshold for entering parliament.
Election results
| Year | Vote % | Seats | Place | Government? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Slovak parliamentary election, 1992 The 1992 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on 5 and 6 June 1992.These elections were the second elections after the Velvet Revolution. They took place within the Czechoslovak parliamentary election, 1992, i.e... |
37.3 | 74 | 1st | Yes |
| 1994 Slovak parliamentary election, 1994 The 1994 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on September 30 and October 1, 1994.It was a premature election that became necessary after the Vladimír Mečiar 1992 government had been recalled in March 1994 by the parliament and a new temporary government under Jozef Moravčík had been... |
35.0 | 61 | 1st | Yes |
| 1998 Slovak parliamentary election, 1998 The 1998 parliamentary elections in Slovakia took place on 25 and 26 September 1998. Elections are regarded as a pivotal point in Slovak history after the fall of communism by bringing the government of Vladimír Mečiar to end.- Results :... |
27.0 | 43 | 1st | No |
| 2002 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 :... |
19.5 | 36 | 1st | No |
| 2006 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... |
8.8 | 15 | 5th | Yes |
| 2010 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... |
4.3 | 0 | 8th | No |