1.
Coat of arms of Slovakia
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The coat of arms of Slovakia consists of a red shield, in early Gothic style, charged with a silver double cross standing on the middle peak of a dark blue mountain consisting of three peaks. Extremities of the cross are amplified, and its ends are concaved, the double cross is a symbol of its Christian faith and the hills represent three symbolic mountain ranges, Tatra, Fatra, and Mátra. The two-barred cross in the Slovak coat of arms originated in the Byzantine Empire in the 9th century, unlike the Christian cross, the symbolism and meaning of the double cross is not well understood. One interpretation is that the first horizontal line symbolized the secular power, another that the first cross represents the death and the second cross the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Byzantine Empire of the 9th century, the cross was a political symbol used by Byzantine clerks. The double cross arrived in the territory of current-day Slovakia probably no later than during the 9th century mission of Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Though used frequently in Great Moravia, it was not a symbol at that time. By means of Zwentibold, this symbol got to Lorraine and is called the cross of Lorraine there, the double cross symbol appeared again in rudimentary features on the first coins that Stephen I, the first king of the Kingdom of Hungary, had minted at an unknown place. Before he became king in 1000, he was the Grand Prince of the Principality of Hungary and was living there with his Bavarian wife Gisella, the frequent opinion that the double cross was a cross that the Pope granted to Stephen I. around 1000 is still disputed. The opinion arose only in the 15th century based on a legend from the 12th century, which in addition only says that Stephen received an apostolic cross. The direct predecessor of the current coat of arms of Slovakia can be found in the coat of arms used by Béla, the prince of the Nitrian frontier principality and later King of Hungary. Béla was a member of the house of Árpáds and was named after the Prague bishop Adalbert, who had baptized King Stephen, Béla conducted his own internal and international policy in his Nitrian frontier principality. The Byzantine emperor, involved in a quarrel with the Hungarian king, furthermore, Béla had own coins minted in 1050 in Nitra, the capital of his principality – coins which deliberately differed from those of the Hungarian king and which bore the double cross symbol. The appearance of the cross in coins before Béla III is highly disputed. According to recent view It is a simple misinterpretation of two normal crosses. It was only 100 years later, around 1189, that the cross is known to have been used again – it was used during a crusade of the Hungarian king Béla III as his royal symbol. The three hills seen in the modern Slovak and Hungarian coats of arms were not present in the standard. This time, the symbol was used as a coat of arms
2.
Peter Pellegrini
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Peter Pellegrini is a Slovak politician. Between 2006 and 2012 he was member of the National Council of Slovakia and he then became State Secretary for Finance, he served in this position until his appointment as Minister for Education, Science, Research and Sport on 3 July 2014. He was Speaker of the National Council between 25 November 2014 and 23 March 2016, since that latter date he is Deputy Prime Minister for Investments. He studied at the Faculty of Economics of Matej Bel University, between 2002 and 2006 he worked as economist and later as advisor to National Council member Ľubomír Vážny. In the 2006 parliamentary elections he was elected to the National Council for Direction – Social Democracy, in the 2010 elections he was reelected, and once again in the 2012 elections. Between 2012 and 3 July 2014 he was State Secretary for Finance, on that latter date he became Minister for Education, Science, Research and Sport. On 25 November 2014 he was elected Speaker of the National Council, on 23 March 2016 Andrej Danko was elected as successor to Pellegrini. Pellegrini was subsequently made Deputy Prime Minister for Investments in the government of Robert Fico. As of 2015 he is the Digital Champion of Slovakia, an EU appointed position to promote the benefits of an inclusive digital society
3.
Official residence
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An official residence is the residence at which a nations head of state, head of government, governor or other senior figure officially resides. It may or may not be the location where the individual conducts work-related functions or lives. This has occurred in the 21st century in Detroit and New York City, in the case of Denver, no mayor has ever lived in the official residence, the city instead makes it available to certain non-profit groups for special functions. The President uses own private residence, - Its address is 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located next to Gyeongbokgung, the palace during the Joseon Dynasty. Cheong Nam Dae - Cheong Nam Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. It was returned to public in 2003, - It is located in Cheongwon-gun, North Chungcheong Province. Cheong Hae Dae - Cheong Hae Dae used to be one of the two residences for the President of Republic of Korea. Although the president no longer uses this facility this compound is still under the administration of the Republic of Korea Navy, - It is located on one of the islands of Geoje-shi, South Gyeongsang Province. Chongri Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Prime Minister of Republic of Korea. The Prime Minister, however, does not work here, - Its address is 111-2 Samcheongdong-gil, Jongro-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is located close to Cheong Wa Dae, gukhoeuijang Gonggwan - This is the official residence for the Speaker of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea. The Speaker, also, does not work here, - It is located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where many foreign missions to Korea are located. Daebeobwonjang Gonggwan - This is the residence for the Chief Justice of Republic of Korea. The Chief Justice, also, does not work here, - It is also located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Most ministers of state and heads of administrative regions also have official residences, although they are not listed here. S
4.
Episcopal Summer Palace, Bratislava
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The Episcopal Summer Palace is the former residence of the archbishop of Bratislava. The palace was originally in the 17th century a Renaissance summer seat for the archbishops of Esztergom, the baroque sculptor Georg Rafael Donner had a studio in the palace garden for almost 10 years. The palace now houses the government of Slovakia, when the Turks occupied Asia minor and started invading Europe, Hungarian nobility started fleeing north, into present-day Slovakia. Bratislava became the city of Hungary. After the city of Esztergom was captured, the seat of the Esztergom archbishop had to be moved, at first, he lived in the building of his predecessors at the place of todays Primates Palace in the city center. The old gothic residence, however, despite its many reconstructions failed to provide the comfort the archbishop was accustomed to, in spite of Hungary being decimated by the Turks, the nobility started to emulate the foreign custom of building summer palaces in the countryside. The land for the Summer Archbishops Palace, just behind the ring of city defences, was at that time considered to be countryside. It was acquired at the beginning of the 17th century by archbishop Ferenc Forgách, the archbishops summer residence was built probably in 1614. The gardens masterpiece was a garden pavillon with walls encased in mosaic, neither the garden or the pavillon survived this period of time. Lippay also had a new residence built sometime during his tenure as archbishop, archbishop Imre Esterházy had the garden reconfigured in a baroque style. It was under archbishop Ferenc Barkóczy that the current version of the palace was built, between 1761 and 1765, Barkóczy had Austrian architect F. A. Hillebrandt convert the old Lippay building into a large baroque palace. Also, Rococo style decorations, a Rococo fence and a yard of honour were added, in the 19th century, the seat of Esztergom archbishops was moved back to Esztergom and the Hungarian capital was moved to Buda. After the Napoleonic wars a strong garrison of king-emperors army remained in the city, Summer Archbishops Palace was converted into a military hospital and its garden was used as a military exercising ground. Statues from the garden were sold and a staircase leading from the garden directly to a hall on the first floor was demolished. The hall was split into two full of beds for wounded soldiers. The palace remained a hospital until the 1930s. After the breakup of Czechoslovakia the newly created Slovak State was in need of administrative and office buildings in the city to house the government. Summer Archbishops Palace was chosen to house the Ministry of foreign affairs and a government district was supposed to be constructed in the vicinity
5.
President of Slovakia
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The President of the Slovak Republic is the head of state of Slovakia and the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The president is elected by the people for five years. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the president does exercise certain limited powers with absolute discretion, the presidents official residence is the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava. The office was established by the constitution of Slovakia on 1 January 1993 when Slovakia permanently split from Czechoslovakia, the office was vacant until 2 March 1993 when the first president Michal Kováč was elected by the National Council of Slovak Republic. However, in 1998, the National Council was unable to elect a successor to Kováč, the result was that for half a year after Kováčs term ended in March 1998, the position was vacant. The duties and powers of the office were devolved upon the prime minister and speaker of the National Council. In order to come to a solution, the constitution was changed to transfer election of the president to the people, presidential elections have been held in 1999,2004,2009 and 2014. The current president is Andrej Kiska, who took office on 15 June 2014, the President of Slovakia has a limited role in policy-making, as the office is largely ceremonial. According to the constitution, the president is the representative of the state both in Slovakia and abroad. Among his constitutional powers are nominating and appointing the Prime Minister, the president can also veto any bill from the National Council. His veto can be if the National Council passes the same bill again with majority of all members of the Council. The president also acts as the commander-in-chief of the Slovak armed forces, the president can grant a parole on the recommendation of the minister of justice. Parties HZDS SOP HZD Independent There are two living former Slovak Presidents, List of Presidents of Czechoslovakia List of Prime Ministers of Slovakia List of leaders of Slovak parliaments
6.
Term of office
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A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years
7.
National Council (Slovakia)
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The National Council, abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 members, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation with seats distributed via Hagenbach-Bischoff quota every four years, Slovakias parliament has been called the National Council since 1 October 1992. From 1969 to 1992, its predecessor, the parliament of the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia, was called the Slovak National Council, the National Council approves domestic legislation, constitutional laws, and the annual budget. Its consent is required to ratify treaties, and is responsible for approving military operations. It also elects individuals to positions in the executive and judiciary as specified by law. The parliament building is situated on the hill, next to Bratislava Castle in Alexander Dubček Square. The 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic is Slovakias sole constitutional and it considers and approves the Constitution, constitutional statutes and other legal acts. It also approves the state budget and it elects some officials specified by law as well as the candidates for the position of a Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic and the Prosecutor General. Prior to their ratification, the parliament should approve all important international treaties, moreover, it gives consent for dispatching of military forces outside of Slovakias territory and for the presence of foreign military forces on the territory of the Slovak Republic. The parliament may vote if a majority of all its members are present. To pass a decision the approval of a majority of all MPs present is required. Almost all legal acts can be adopted by this relative majority, an absolute majority is required to pass a vote of no-confidence in the Cabinet or its members, or to elect and recall the Speaker or the Deputy Speakers. A qualified majority of 3/5 of all deputies is required for the adoption of a constitution or a constitutional statute, for the speakers see, List of speakers of Slovak parliaments The current speaker of the Slovak National Council is Andrej Danko. The length of the bars underneath represents each partys electoral performance, the difference in the total width of the bars is due to the election threshold of 5%, this threshold prevents a varying number of small parties from entering the National Council. Members of the parliament are elected directly for a 4-year term, although the suffrage is universal, only a citizen who has the right to vote, has attained 21 years of age and has permanent residency in the Slovak Republic is eligible to be elected. Similarly to the Netherlands and Israel, the country forms one multi-member constituency. Voters may indicate their preferences within the semi-open list, parliamentary elections were last held in 2016. The building is large to accommodate all officials and representatives
8.
Slovakia
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Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Slovakias territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5 million and comprises mostly ethnic Slovaks, the capital and largest city is Bratislava. The Slavs arrived in the territory of present-day Slovakia in the 5th and 6th centuries, in the 7th century, they played a significant role in the creation of Samos Empire and in the 9th century established the Principality of Nitra. In the 10th century, the territory was integrated into the Kingdom of Hungary, which became part of the Habsburg Empire. After World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a separate Slovak Republic existed in World War II as a client state of Nazi Germany. In 1945, Czechoslovakia was reëstablished under Communist rule as a Soviet satellite, in 1989 the Velvet Revolution ended authoritarian Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Slovakia became an independent state on 1 January 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The country maintains a combination of economy with universal health care. The country joined the European Union in 2004 and the Eurozone on 1 January 2009, Slovakia is also a member of the Schengen Area, NATO, the United Nations, the OECD, the WTO, CERN, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Visegrád Group. The Slovak economy is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and its legal tender, the Euro, is the worlds 2nd most traded currency. Although regional income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, in 2016, Slovak citizens had visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 165 countries and territories, ranking the Slovak passport 11th in the world. Slovakia is the world’s biggest per-capita car producer with a total of 1,040,000 cars manufactured in the country in 2016 alone, the car industry represents 43 percent of Slovakia’s industrial output, and a quarter of its exports. Radiocarbon datingputs the oldest surviving archaeological artefacts from Slovakia – found near Nové Mesto nad Váhom – at 270,000 BC and these ancient tools, made by the Clactonian technique, bear witness to the ancient habitation of Slovakia. Other stone tools from the Middle Paleolithic era come from the Prévôt cave near Bojnice, the most important discovery from that era is a Neanderthal cranium, discovered near Gánovce, a village in northern Slovakia. The most well-known finds include the oldest female statue made of mammoth-bone, the statue was found in the 1940s in Moravany nad Váhom near Piešťany. Numerous necklaces made of shells from Cypraca thermophile gastropods of the Tertiary period have come from the sites of Zákovská, Podkovice, Hubina and these findings provide the most ancient evidence of commercial exchanges carried out between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. The Bronze Age in the territory of modern-day Slovakia went through three stages of development, stretching from 2000 to 800 BC
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Politics of Slovakia
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Politics of Slovakia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system. Legislative power is vested in the parliament and it can be exercised in some also by the government or directly by citizens. Executive power is exercised by the government led by the Prime Minister, the Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The President is the head of the state, before the 1989 revolution, Czechoslovakia was a socialist dictatorship ruled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, technically together with the coalition of the so-called National Front. Before the free elections could take place after the revolution. 1989 President of Czechoslovakia Gustáv Husák sworn in the Government of National Understanding headed by Marián Čalfa and it consisted of 10 communists and 9 non-communists and its main goal was to prepare for democratic elections, to establish market economy in the country and to start preparing a new constitution. On 8–9 June 1990, the Czechoslovakian parliamentary election of 1990 took place, Čalfas second government was disbanded on 27 June 1990, when it was replaced by the Government of National Sacrifice, also headed by Marián Čalfa. On 5–6 June 1992, the last elections in Czechoslovakia, the Czechoslovakian parliamentary election of 1992 took place, Čalfas third government was disbanded on 2 July 1992, when it was replaced by the Caretaker Government of Jan Stráský, headed by Jan Stráský. The caretaker government was disbanded on 31 December 1992 together with the dissolution of the Czech, due to federalism, immediately after the 1989 revolution, two national governments were created as well under the federal Czechoslovak government. In Slovakia it was headed by Milan Čič and it was established on 12 December 1989, on 8–9 June 1990, the Slovak parliamentary election of 1990 took place together with the federal Czechoslovak elections. Čičs government was followed by the First Government of Vladimír Mečiar, Government of Ján Čarnogurský, on 5–6 June the Slovak parliamentary election of 1992 took place. The Constitution of the Slovak Republic was ratified 1 September 1992 and it was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements. The civil law system is based on Austro-Hungarian codes, the legal code was modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe and to expunge the Marxist–Leninist legal theory. Slovakia accepts the compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction with reservations, the president is the head of state and the formal head of the executive, though with very limited powers. The president is elected by direct, popular vote, under the two round system, for a five-year term, following National Council elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the president. Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the minister has to receive the majority in the parliament. From July 2006 till July 2010 the coalition consisted of Smer, SNS, after the 2010 elections a coalition was formed by the former opposition parties SDKÚ, KDH and Most–Híd and newcomer SaS. Slovakias sole constitutional and legislative body is the 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic, delegates are elected for 4-year terms on the basis of proportional representation
10.
Constitution of Slovakia
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The Constitution of Slovakia, officially the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, is the current constitution of Slovakia. It was passed by the Slovak National Council on 1 September 1992 and it went to effect on 1 October 1992. The passing of constitution is now remembered as Constitution Day on 1 September, the Slovak Constitution was prepared hastily in 1992, with many formulations taken directly from the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920 and being marked by a compromise with socialism. According to Slovak lawyer Ján Drgonec many parts of the constitution are hard if not impossible to execute. The text of the Constitution is divided into the preamble and 9 parts and it has been amended several times. Amendment from 14 January 1999, President was no longer voted by the Parliament and it also changes Presidents powers and his relations between him and other institutions. Amendment from 23 February 2001, It is the greatest amendment so far, Amendment from 4 March 2004, Minor change to the constitution, from article 78, paragraph 2, where the last sentence was omitted. Amendment from 14 May 2004, Amendment was in relation to the preparation to the European Parliament election and it added sentence about inconsistency of being an MP in the Parliament and in the European Parliament. It also extended rights of the Constitutional Court of Slovakia for ruling whether the election to the EP is constitutional, Amendment from 27 September 2005, Expanded the authority of the Supreme Audit Office to include oversight of the finances of regional and local governments. In disputed cases, it granted the Constitutional Court the authority to decide whether the Supreme Audit Office has the right of oversight in that case. Amendment from 21 October 2014, Banned the export of drinking and mineral waters in pipelines, the ban excludes bottled water and water for personal use
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Constitutional Court of Slovakia
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The Constitutional Court of Slovakia is a special court established by the Constitution of Slovakia. Its seat is in Košice in eastern Slovakia, the basic standing of the Court and its judges is regulated by the Constitution. It rules on the compatibility of laws, decrees and legal regulations with the Constitution, and is the only court that can sue the President of Slovakia. Originally, the Court had ten judges appointed for seven years by the President, after a constitutional amendment in 2001, it is composed of thirteen judges appointed for twelve years, again selected by the President from the double number of candidates. A candidate for constitutional judge must be at least 40 years old, be a law school graduate, as is the case with the members of the National Council, judges enjoy immunity and may be only prosecuted or taken into custody by the Court. Constitution Constitutionalism Constitutional economics Jurisprudence Judiciary Rule of law Rule According to Higher Law Official site
12.
Constitution of Slovakia (1939)
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The Constitution of Slovakia, was the former constitution of the Slovak Republic. It was voted by the Slovak Diet, and came into effect on July 21,1939, Constitution of Slovakia Constitutional Court of Slovakia Raphael Lemkin. The Lawbook Exchange Ltd, 2nd edition
13.
Andrej Kiska
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Andrej Kiska is a Slovak entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been President of Slovakia since 2014. He ran as an independent candidate in the 2014 presidential election and was elected as President in a round of voting. In 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, he moved to the United States, by 2016, more than 170,000 people have donated to this organization in Slovakia. In 2014 Good Angel expanded their activities also to Czech Republic, in addition to that, Kiska donates his monthly presidential salary to people in need. In the first round of the 2014 presidential election, Kiska placed second with 24% of the vote, as none of candidates got more than 50% of votes, Kiska and Fico progressed to a presidential runoff vote on 29 March 2014. Kiska won decisively in the round, receiving nearly 60% of the vote. He took office on 15 June 2014, andrej Kiska supports Kosovo independence and is in favour of Slovakia diplomatically recognising Kosovo as an independent sovereign state. Kiska has also come out against Russia over the Ukraine conflict and supports sanctions
14.
Government of Slovakia
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The Government of the Slovak Republic is the head of the executive branch of state in Slovakia. The Cabinet appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister must gain a vote of confidence in the National Council. As the chief formulator of the public policy under the Slovak Constitution. Acting in the best interests of the nation, it is responsible for meeting the Government programme objectives within the scope of the national budget. One of the Governments duties is the formulation and management of the foreign policy. It submits draft Bills to the National Council, which are preceded by nationwide discussions and consultations with the relevant organizations. As established by law, the Government can discuss in its proceedings a confidence motion, cases of pardoning criminal offenders. The Cabinet is made up of the Prime Minister, presiding over it, his or her Deputies, the Cabinet is appointed by the President of the Slovak Republic on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. For its policy and administration the members of the Cabinet are responsible to the National Council, following the Slovak parliamentary election,2016, the current prime minister, Robert Fico, has been serving with his government, the Third Fico Cabinet, since 23 March 2016. Notes Smer–SD nominee Slovak National Party nominee Official site of the government
15.
Slovak parliamentary election, 2010
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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, however, her government fell on 11 October 2011 following a vote of no confidence with a new election called for 10 March 2012. A total of 2,401 candidates applied to contest the 150 seats, polls in February 2010 had indicated that the current governing party Smer-SD would win a plurality with a margin of 25%. There were conflicting reports during the campaign as to some of these parties would consider joining with Fico. During pre-election campaigning, reports indicated that the Christian Democrats and the two ethnic Hungarian parties had not ruled out working with Fico. Rumours were reported that prime minister Robert Fico might have agreed not to enter a coalition with the Slovak nationalists again. According to polling agency Focus, in May 2010, eight parties would cross the 5% threshold needed for participation in parliament, according to a poll of the Institute of public affairs the voter participation will be about 50 to 60%. Incumbent Prime Minister Robert Ficos Direction – Social Democracy party increased its share by 12 to 62. However, Fico faced a battle to remain prime minister. This has been described as an unlikely, but possible, occurrence, one analyst said that he strictly rule out that any of the centre-right parties could team up with Smer. The Slovakian President, Ivan Gasparovic, asked Fico to attempt to form a government stating that I believe that the party that won support from the people deserves the chance. The second placed Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party had coalition talks with the Christian Democratic Movement, Freedom and Solidarity and Most–Híd. On 16 June it was reported that the four parties which had won seats in the parliament had agreed to form a government under the leadership of Radičová. An agreement on the distribution of ministries was reached on 28 June 2010, Radičová was then sworn in as PM on 8 July 2010, after her coalition secured a majority of 79 seats in the 150-seat parliament and Fico and his cabinet tendered their resignations. The new government pledged to cut spending and the budget deficit and to attract more foreign investment. We are ready to take responsibility over the country at a time when it is coping with the impact of a economic crisis. They have also sought, through Most-Hid, to rebuild links with Hungary that were damaged by the adoption of contentious language. As Slovakia was the last eurozone country to vote on the measure, the measure then failed by 21 votes after both Freedom and Solidarity and Smer abstained
16.
Slovak parliamentary election, 2012
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Parliamentary elections were held place in Slovakia on 10 March 2012 to elect the 150 members of the National Council. Amidst a major scandal involving local center-right politicians, former Prime Minister Robert Ficos Direction – Social Democracy won an absolute majority of seats. On 11 October 2011, the National Council of the Slovak Republic, 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 made it a vote of confidence. The motion then failed by 21 votes after SaS and Direction – Social Democracy abstained, smer-SD 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, immediately after we will debate proposals related to the EFSF. The number of competing parties in the 2012 elections was the highest since the fall of communism in Slovakia in 1989. All participating parties had to register 90 days before the election, all Slovak citizens are allowed to vote except for convicted felons in prison, people declared ineligible to perform legal acts by court and citizens under 18 years of age. An open declaration condemning the campaign was signed by 16 personalities, including economist Juraj Stern, actor Milan Lasica, the campaign officially started on 18 February and continued up to, and including, election day. In January 2012 it became clear that the new party, Ordinary People. The day before the election, about 1,000 protesters in Bratislava, the capital, protested against the corruption brought to light by the Gorilla scandal. Voting took place between 7,00 and 22,00 at 5,956 polling stations, in 2010 parliamentary elections, Greens were called AZEN - Alliance for Europe of the Nations. Although Direction had won a majority, Fico announced on election night that he would be willing to consult with other parties if they so wished. He also said that, The European Union can lean on Smer because we realise that Slovakia, as a country living in Europe. Desires to maintain the eurozone and the euro as a strong European currency, however, no other parties were willing to form coalition with Smer, leading Fico to form the second one-party government in Slovakia since 1993. The Economist called Fico one of Europes most successful centre-left politicians after Smer-SDs win and it further cited the high voter turnout saying that Slovaks had matured politically for not abstaining or threatening to invalidate the poll, yet it still cited smaller protests that were rowdy. It pointed to the OLaNOs newcomer status as starry-eyed in attempting to harness voters discontent, list of members of the National Council of Slovakia Slovak Election Data Project
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Slovak parliamentary election, 2016
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Parliamentary elections were held in Slovakia on 5 March 2016 to elect the 150 members of the National Council. The ruling left-wing populist Direction – Social Democracy party remained the strongest party, the elections used the open list system, with seats allocated using the Hagenbach-Bischoff system. Voters were able to cast up to four votes for candidates on the list of the party they voted for. All participating parties had to register 90 days before election day and pay a deposit of €17,000, all Slovak citizens were allowed to vote except for convicted felons in prison, people declared ineligible to perform legal acts by court and citizens under 18 years of age. Voters not present in their district at the time of the elections were allowed to request a voting certificate. Voters not in Slovakia on election day were allowed to request a postal vote, according to the Central Election Committee, approx. 20,000 Slovak citizens abroad have requested a postal vote - the deadline for requests passed on 15 January 2016, the election date was announced on 12 November 2015. On 7 December 2015, the Ministry of Interior published a list of 23 parties that registered to take part in the elections, the backdrop of the campaign was centered on the European migrant crisis, with the governing SMER–SD taking an anti-migrant stance into the election. Teacher and nursing strikes occurring at the start of the also had a negative effect on public opinion. Eight parties passed the 5% threshold to win seats, Direction – Social Democracy lost 34 seats, losing its majority in the National Council, freedom and Solidarity became the second party with 21 seats and Ordinary People third with 19 seats. Both performed better than their predicted pre-election polls, by distancing themselves from the previous government, the Christian Democratic Movement performed poorly, losing all 16 of their seats. They just failed to cross the 5 percent threshold required for parliamentary representation, the far-right nationalist Slovak National Party and Kotleba – Peoples Party Our Slovakia parties entered parliament with 8.6 percent and 8.0 percent of the vote respectively. According to a poll, dissatisfaction with corruption and social issues led many to vote for ĽSNS. Other parties who gained representation in parliament include Most–Híd, We Are Family, overall voter turnout was 59.8 percent. On 7 March, President of Slovakia Andrej Kiska invited each elected party, with the exception of ĽSNS, fico was given the first opportunity by the President to form a stable coalition. All parties, except We Are Family, had refused to discuss the possibility of going into government with ĽSNS, an anti-fascist protest was held the same day in Bratislava against ĽSNS representation in parliament
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Slovak presidential election, 2009
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The 2009 Slovak presidential elections were held on 21 March and 4 April. It was third peoples presidential vote in the era of independent Slovak republic, ivan Gašparovič became the first Slovak president to be reelected overcoming opposition candidate Iveta Radičová in second round with 55. 53% to 44. 47%. The other five candidates all received less than 6% of the vote, the turnout for the first round was 43. 6%. The second round of elections was held on 4 April, Gašparovič, receiving 1,234,787 votes, won the election with 55. 5% of the vote. After the election, Gašparovič said, I am glad I can be standing here today with the prime minister, the is the most direct evidence that people trust us. Turnout for the round was 51. 7%. NSD, European Election Database - Slovakia publishes regional level election data, allows for comparisons of election results, 1990-2010
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Slovak presidential election, 2014
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Presidential elections were held in Slovakia on 15 March 2014, with a second round on 29 March 2014. After a first round, in no candidate secured majority, Robert Fico. On 29 March 2014, Kiska won the round of the elections after securing 59. 38% of popular vote. Kiska succeeded incumbent Ivan Gašparovič, who was unable to run due to term limits established by the Constitution, all candidates who wished to contest the presidency were required to collect no less than 15.000 individual signatures in order to qualify for the race. In addition they had to submit their candidacy to the election commission in writing no later than 9 January 2014. He did not manage to collect the 15,000 signatures to support his presidential bid, on January 9, Speaker of parliament Pavol Paska officially announced that the following candidates had been approved. Peter Osuský – entered the race on 12 June 2013, but withdrew on 29 January 2014 and his nominational party Freedom, the political right was fragmented, the People’s Platform failed to agree on a common candidate. Christian Democratic Movement and Most-Hid announced that they supported Pavol Hrušovský, according to multiple sources, SDKÚ would have preferred former Prime Minister Iveta Radičová as their candidate, however, she made clear that she did not want to run for president again. Later, after Fico announced its candidacy, SDKÚ-DS eventually decided to support Hrušovský, the ruling Smer party selected incumbent Prime Minister Robert Fico as its official candidate. According to opinion polls, Fico dominated his opponents, who were divided, in addition, polls showed that he was most likely to win the presidential election. However, his party would have had to him as PM and party leader, meaning that Smer would have had to produce a popular. As early as February, Fico was endorsed by the National trade union center when The Confederation of Labour Unions officially called upon its members to vote for Prime Minister Robert Fico. Andrej Kiska was the first candidate to announce his presidential candidacy. He was officially running as an independent candidate and had no political background whatsoever, prior to the first round Kiskas campaign mostly stressed his independence, including his financial independence, which mean that he didnt have to report to any political parties. Furthermore, he promoted his lack of involvement as one of his strengths. The young constitutional lawyer Prochazka, who campaigned as the candidate, was formerly a member with the Christian Democratic Movement. His campaign mainly targeted the large population, with issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage. His campaign also stressed his youth as a strength, as well as his background as a lawyer, with his official slogans reading
20.
Freedom and Solidarity
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Freedom and Solidarity is a liberal and libertarian political party in Slovakia. The party was established in 2009 and is led by its founder, the economist Richard Sulík, in the 2012 parliamentary election, the SaS lost half of its 22 seats in the National Council. The party held four positions in the government of Slovakia before the election, besides advocating social and economic liberalism, the party is civil libertarian, including advocating liberalisation of drug laws and same-sex marriage. Freedom and Solidarity launched a campaign called Referendum 2009 to hold a referendum on reforming and cutting the cost of politics. The party makes heavy use of the Internet, fighting the 2010 parliamentary election through Facebook and Twitter, the party narrowly failed to cross the 5% threshold at the 2009 European elections, but came third, winning 22 seats, at the 2010 parliamentary election. It became part of the four-party centre-right coalition government, holding four cabinet positions, in the 2012 elections, however, the party suffered a major setback and lost half its seats. In the 2014 European elections the party returned a single Member of the European Parliament, the party is member of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe. Leader and MEP Richard Sulik, left the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament to sit with the European Conservatives and Reformists on 2 October 2014. Richard Sulík was special adviser to two Ministers of Finance, Ivan Mikloš and Ján Počiatek, with whom he worked to simplify the tax system, analysts cited a lack of any liberal party in the country. After securing the 10,000 signatures required to found a party, SaS made its debut in February 2009. The party set publicly declared goals of entering the National Council in 2010, at SaSs founding congress in Bratislava on 28 February 2009, Richard Sulík was elected as Chairman, and Jana Kiššová as General Manager. SaS selected economist Ján Oravec, to be its candidate for the 2009 European elections, the party supported the SDKÚ-DS candidate, Iveta Radičová, in the presidential election in March and April 2009, she was defeated in the second round. With others, Sulík was approached by Declan Ganley to join the Libertas. eu alliance of parties for the European elections. While he was also a sceptic of the Lisbon Treaty, and more generally a critic of European intransparency and bureaucracy, in the elections, SaS received 4. 71% of the votes, just missing the 5% threshold. The SDKÚ-DS accused Freedom and Solidarity of unnecessarily furthering the fragmentation of the right in Slovakia. In the 2009 regional elections, SaS won one seat, in Bratislava, later in 2009, SaS promoted a referendum striving for major cuts to politicians privileges. In January 2010, SaS announced that by the end of 2009 it had managed to collect the 350,000 signatures needed in order to call a referendum. SaS forwarded the signatures to the Slovak president Ivan Gašparovič, requesting him to schedule the referendum for the date of the National Council elections on 12 June 2010 and this was thrown out by the prosecutors, who refused to press charges
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Slovak National Party
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The Slovak National Party is a nationalist political party in Slovakia. The party characterizes itself as a nationalist party based on social and the European Christian system of values. Since 1990 SNS has won seats in every Slovak parliament but two and has part of the government from 2006 to 2010. In that year it formed a coalition with Robert Ficos Direction – Social Democracy, the PES considered SNS a political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred. However, in 2008 Smers membership suspension ended with no further PESs demands regarding SNS, in the 2012 parliamentary election, SNS failed to meet the 5% electoral threshold and thus lost parliamentary representation. At the following party congress in October 2012, the delegates chose lawyer Andrej Danko as the new chairman of the party, the party was founded in December 1989 and perceives itself as an ideological heir to the historical Slovak National Party. The party declares its three pillars, Christian, national and social, one of the biggest events the SNS has participated in since then was the establishment of an independent Slovakia on 1 January 1993. The SNS has had deputies in the Slovak parliament in the years 1990–2002, the party also had deputies in the Slovak government. Between 2001 and 2005 there was a Real Slovak National Party, a party of SNS splinters, since 2005, there is also a United Slovak National Party, also formed of former SNS members. In February 2006, PSNS changed its name into the Slovak National Coalition – Slovak Mutuality, however, only the Slovak National Party is currently relevant. The tender notice had been posted for only five days on a board in the ministry run by the SNS party behind a locked door. Following the scandal, the SNS minister in charge of the contract was fired, in 2009 SNS proposed law to create barriers for women seeking abortion in Slovakia. SNS entered the current Slovak government after Chairman Ján Slota and Robert Fico agreed to create a coalition government and this created an unusual situation of an alleged far-right party, SNS being accepted and taken as a partner by SMER, a party describing itself as leftist. Three SNS ministers were sworn in on 4 July 2006, Jaroslav Izák as the minister of the environment, Jaroslav Izák was fired from the Environment Ministry top job in the wake of accusations of cronyism, He was succeeded by Ján Chrbet. Ján Mikolaj as deputy minister, minister of education. Marián Janušek as the minister of construction and regional development, Janušek was sacked from the Ministrys top job for granting lucrative contracts worth €98 million to two firms, Avocat and Zamedia, which are believed to have links to SNS chairman Ján Slota. Further ministers, delegated by SNS, Ján Chrbet as Minister of Environment and his firing was over his responsibility in a mega-scandal involving the sale of the countrys excess emission quotas at an extremely low price, below their market value. Viliam Turský as Minister of Environment following Chrbet, also fired by Fico over a dubious contract he signed with a company
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Party of the Hungarian Community
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The Party of the Hungarian Community, formerly known as Party of the Hungarian Coalition, is a political party in Slovakia for the ethnic Hungarian minority. Its votes went largely to Most-Hid, a new party led by former SMK leader Béla Bugár, in response, Csáky and the whole party leadership resigned. The party became a member of the European Peoples Party on 7 June 2000, the party was founded in 1998 in response to an anti-coalition law passed. The law prevented parties from forming electoral cartels at election time, three parties representing the Hungarian minority had formed such a cartel, called Hungarian Coalition in the 1994 election, and had won 10. 2% of the vote. To comply with the new law, the three parties – the Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement, Coexistence, and the Hungarian Civic Party – merged to form the Party of the Hungarian Coalition, at the EU parliament election in 2004 the party won 13. 24% of the vote. The party had 4 ministers and 6 state secretaries in the Slovak government, Béla Bugár, the president of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition at that time, was the Vice President of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 11. 7% of the vote and 20 out of 150 seats. In the parliamentary election of 12 June 2010, the party missed the 5% border needed for participation in parliament by receiving 4. 33%, the SMK-MKP also proved unable to obtain 5% of the votes in the 2012 parliamentary election. On 22 September 2012, the party was renamed to Party of the Hungarian Community, in the 2014 European elections, SMK–MKP came in seventh place nationally, receiving 6. 53% of the vote and electing 1 MEP. The party also pays attention to the protection of rights of minorities living in Slovakia. Also indicative of the approach, it supports political and civic equality for Romani. The primary party organisations make up the basis of the party, by the end of March 2003, the number of these local organisations was 521 and the number of members was 10,983. The party congress is the highest body of the party, between two congresses the highest body of the party is the National Council. Each elected functionary and body gets elected in form of democratic, the party leadership of the districts co-ordinates the work of local institutions within district. Between 1998 and 2007 the party chairman was Béla Bugár, the Chairman of the National Council was Zsolt Komlósy, the Parliamentary Group Leader was Gyula Bárdos and Executive Deputy Chairman was Miklós Duray. Pál Csáky was the chairman of the Minister’s Club, on 31 March 2007 Pál Csáky was elected for chairman by the assembly of party, thus succeeding the more moderate Béla Bugár. Béla Bugár established the party Most–Híd on 30 June 2009, stating that Csáky was too nationalist and his new party wants to emphasise cooperation between Hungarians and Slovaks. Béla Bugár Pál Csáky József Berényi József Menyhárt Official site / /
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Administrative divisions of Slovakia
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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 EUs NUTS3 level of local administrative units. After a period without kraje and without any equivalent, the kraje were reintroduced in 1996, the territory and borders of the self-governing regions are identical with the territory and borders of the kraje. Therefore, the word kraj can be replaced by VÚC or samosprávny kraj in each case in the above list. The main difference is that organs of kraje are self-governance, with an elected chairperson and assembly. Groups of several kraje, used by the Eurostat for statistical purposes, bratislavský kraj Banskobystrický kraj Košický kraj Nitriansky kraj Prešovský kraj Žilinský kraj Each kraj was named after its principal city. Stredoslovenský kraj Východoslovenský kraj Západoslovenský kraj Bratislava Note, The kraje were abolished from July 1,1969 to December 28,1970 and reintroduced then
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Districts of Slovakia
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An okres is an administrative unit in Slovakia. It is inferior to a Region and superior to a municipality, one district, on the other hand, consists of several municipalities, which in turn consist of cadastral areas. Districts have been units of administration in Slovakia since the time of the Habsburg monarchy. Today, each district is administered by a district office, in the period from 2004 to late 2013, the district offices were abolished and replaced by circuit offices, which were usually responsible for several districts. Slovakia has currently 79 districts, the capital of Bratislava being divided into 5 districts, the districts are named after the biggest town in the district. For history see, Okres The following table gives an overview of the districts, along with the population, area, boroughs and localities of Bratislava Urban and municipal statistics
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Foreign relations of Slovakia
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Slovak Republic has been a member of European Union since 2004. Slovakia has been a participant in U. S. -. There is a joint Czech-Slovak peacekeeping force in Kosovo, after the September 11,2001 Terrorist Attack on the United States, the government opened its airspace to coalition planes. In June 2002, Slovakia announced that they would send a brigade to Afghanistan. Slovak Republic is a member of the United Nations and participates in its specialized agencies and it is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the OECD. It also is part of the Visegrad Four, a forum for discussing areas of common concern, Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic entered into a Customs Union upon the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, which facilitates a relatively free flow of goods and services. Slovak Republic maintains diplomatic relations with 134 countries, primarily through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 44 embassies and 35 honorary consulates in Bratislava. Liechtenstein claims restitution of land in Slovakia confiscated from its family in 1918 by the then newly established state of Czechoslovakia. The Slovak Republic insists that the power to claim restitution does not go back before February 1948, Slovakia and Liechtenstein established diplomatic relations on 9 December 2009. Transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin bound for Western Europe, producer of drugs for regional market. Formal relations were started in 1994 Armenia is represented in Slovakia through its embassy in Vienna, Slovakia is represented in Armenia through a non resident ambassador based in Bratislava. Both countries are members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Between February 24 and February 28,2008, Slovak Foreign Minister Ján Kubiš, formal relations were started in 1993-01-01. Australia is represented in Slovakia through its embassy in Vienna, Slovakia has an embassy in Canberra and 2 honorary consulates. There are around 8,500 people of Slovak descent living in Australia, australian Department of Foreign affairs and Trade about the relation with Slovakia Slovakia is represented in Belize through its embassy in Mexico City. Formal relations were started in 1993-01-01, Colombia is represented in Slovakia through its embassy in Vienna. Slovakia is represented in Colombia through its embassy in Brasilia, Slovakia backed-up Colombias entry into the OECD and was a key player in the ratification of the Colombia-European Union Free Trade Agreement. Slovakia is represented in Dominica through its embassy in Havana, since August 1995 India has an embassy in Bratislava and Slovakia has an embassy in New Delhi
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History of Slovakia
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This article discusses the history of the territory of Slovakia. Discovery of ancient tools made by the Clactonian technique near Nové Mesto nad Váhom attests that Slovakias territory was inhabited in the Palaeolithic, other prehistoric discoveries include the Middle Palaeolithic stone tools found near Bojnice, and a Neanderthal discovery at a site near Gánovce. The best known artifact is the Venus of Moravany from Moravany nad Váhom, neolithic habitation was found in Želiezovce, Gemer, and the Bukové hory massif, the Domica cave, and at Nitriansky Hrádok. Bronze Age was marked by the Čakany and Velatice cultures, and then the Lusatian culture, followed by the Calenderberg culture, the Celts were the first population in the territory of present-day Slovakia who can be identified on the basis of written sources. The first Celtic groups came from the West around 400 BC, settlements of the La Tène culture indicate that the Celts colonized the lowlands along the river Danube and its tributaries. The local population was subjected by the Celts or withdrew to the mountainous northern territory. New Celtic groups arrived from Northern Italy during the 2nd century BC, the Celts initially lived in tiny huts –4 by 3 metres in size – which either formed small villages or were scattered across the countryside. Some of the hill forts which were built in the 1st century BC developed into important local economic. For example, the fort at Zemplín was a center of iron-working, glass works were unearthed at Liptovská Mara. Coins from Bratislava bore inscriptions like Biatec and Nonnos, the fort at Liptovská Mara was also an important center of the cult of the bearers of the Púchov culture of the Northern Carpathians. Burebista, King of the Dacians, invaded the Middle Danube region, burebistas empire collapsed after he died about 16 years later. Archaeological sites yielding painted ceramics and other artefacts of Dacian provenance suggest that Dacian groups settled among the local Celts in the region of the rivers Bodrog, Hron and Nitra. The spread of the Púchov culture, associated with the Celtic Cotini, taking advantage of internal strifes, the Romans settled a group of Quadi in the lowlands along the Danube between the rivers Morava and Váh in 21, making Vannius their king. The Germans lived in houses, rather than square ones. Although the Danube formed the frontier between the Roman Empire and the Barbaricum, the Romans built small outposts along the bank of the Danube, for instance, at Iža. Emperor Marcus Aurelius accomplished the first chapter of his Meditations during a campaign against the Quadi in the region of the Hron River in 172. The Miracle of the Rain – a storm which saved an exhausted Roman army – occurred in the north of the Danube in 173. Roman troops crossed the Danube for the last time in 374, during Emperor Valentinian Is campaign against the Quadi who had allied with the Sarmatians, in the 4th century AD, the Roman Empire could no longer resist the attacks by the neighboring peoples
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Czechoslovakia
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From 1939 to 1945, following its forced division and partial incorporation into Nazi Germany, the state did not de facto exist but its government-in-exile continued to operate. From 1948 to 1990, Czechoslovakia was part of the Soviet bloc with a command economy and its economic status was formalized in membership of Comecon from 1949, and its defense status in the Warsaw Pact of May 1955. A period of liberalization in 1968, known as the Prague Spring, was forcibly ended when the Soviet Union, assisted by several other Warsaw Pact countries. In 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the two states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Form of state 1918–1938, A democratic republic, 1938–1939, After annexation of Sudetenland by Nazi Germany in 1938, the region gradually turned into a state with loosened connections among the Czech, Slovak, and Ruthenian parts. A large strip of southern Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukraine was annexed by Hungary, 1939–1945, The region was split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Slovak Republic. A government-in-exile continued to exist in London, supported by the United Kingdom, United States and its Allies, after the German invasion of Russia, Czechoslovakia adhered to the Declaration by United Nations and was a founding member of the United Nations. 1946–1948, The country was governed by a government with communist ministers, including the prime minister. Carpathian Ruthenia was ceded to the Soviet Union, 1948–1989, The country became a socialist state under Soviet domination with a centrally planned economy. In 1960, the country became a socialist republic, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It was a state of the Soviet Union. 1989–1990, The federal republic consisted of the Czech Socialist Republic, 1990–1992, Following the Velvet Revolution, the state was renamed the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, consisting of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Neighbours Austria 1918–1938, 1945–1992 Germany Hungary Poland Romania 1918–1938 Soviet Union 1945–1991 Ukraine 1991–1992 Topography The country was of irregular terrain. The western area was part of the north-central European uplands, the eastern region was composed of the northern reaches of the Carpathian Mountains and lands of the Danube River basin. Climate The weather is mild winters and mild summers, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean from the west, Baltic Sea from the north, and Mediterranean Sea from the south. The area was long a part of the Austro Hungarian Empire until the Empire collapsed at the end of World War I, the new state was founded by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, who served as its first president from 14 November 1918 to 14 December 1935. He was succeeded by his ally, Edvard Beneš. The roots of Czech nationalism go back to the 19th century, nationalism became a mass movement in the last half of the 19th century
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Parliamentary republic
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A parliamentary republic is a republic that operates under a parliamentary system of government where the executive branch derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature. There are a number of variations of parliamentary republics, most have a clear differentiation between the head of government and the head of state, with the head of government holding real power, much like constitutional monarchies. Some have combined the roles of head of state and head of government, much like presidential systems and this usually means that they are the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in parliament. Some parliamentary republics could therefore be seen as following the semi-presidential system, typically, parliamentary republics are states that were previously constitutional monarchies with a parliamentary system, with the position of head of state given to a monarch. Following the defeat of Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War, France once again became a republic – the French Third Republic – in 1870, the President of the Third Republic had significantly less executive powers than those of the previous two republics had. The Third Republic lasted until the invasion of France by Nazi Germany in 1940, following the end of the war, the French Fourth Republic was constituted along similar lines in 1946. Additionally, the government proved unable to make decisions regarding decolonization. Chile became the first parliamentary republic in South America following a war in 1891. However, following a coup in 1925 this system was replaced by a Presidential one, since the London Declaration of 29 April 1949 republics have been admitted as members of the Commonwealth of Nations. In the case of republics in the Commonwealth of Nations, it was common for the Sovereign, formerly represented by a Governor-General. This was the case in with South Africa, Malta, Trinidad and Tobago, India, in many of these examples, the last Governor-General became the first president. Such was the case with Sri Lanka and Pakistan, others became parliamentary republics upon gaining independence. List of countries by system of government Parliamentary system Republic Republicanism Semi-presidential system
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Slovak Constitution
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The Constitution of Slovakia, officially the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, is the current constitution of Slovakia. It was passed by the Slovak National Council on 1 September 1992 and it went to effect on 1 October 1992. The passing of constitution is now remembered as Constitution Day on 1 September, the Slovak Constitution was prepared hastily in 1992, with many formulations taken directly from the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920 and being marked by a compromise with socialism. According to Slovak lawyer Ján Drgonec many parts of the constitution are hard if not impossible to execute. The text of the Constitution is divided into the preamble and 9 parts and it has been amended several times. Amendment from 14 January 1999, President was no longer voted by the Parliament and it also changes Presidents powers and his relations between him and other institutions. Amendment from 23 February 2001, It is the greatest amendment so far, Amendment from 4 March 2004, Minor change to the constitution, from article 78, paragraph 2, where the last sentence was omitted. Amendment from 14 May 2004, Amendment was in relation to the preparation to the European Parliament election and it added sentence about inconsistency of being an MP in the Parliament and in the European Parliament. It also extended rights of the Constitutional Court of Slovakia for ruling whether the election to the EP is constitutional, Amendment from 27 September 2005, Expanded the authority of the Supreme Audit Office to include oversight of the finances of regional and local governments. In disputed cases, it granted the Constitutional Court the authority to decide whether the Supreme Audit Office has the right of oversight in that case. Amendment from 21 October 2014, Banned the export of drinking and mineral waters in pipelines, the ban excludes bottled water and water for personal use
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First Czechoslovak Republic
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The first Czechoslovak Republic was the Czechoslovak state that existed from 1918 to 1938. The state was commonly called Czechoslovakia and it was composed of Bohemia, Moravia, Czech Silesia, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia. After 1933, Czechoslovakia remained the only functioning democracy in central and it also ceded southern parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia to Hungary and the Zaolzie region in Silesia to Poland. This, in effect, ended the First Czechoslovak Republic and it was replaced by Second Czechoslovak Republic, which lasted less than half a year before Germany occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia. The independence of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on 28 October 1918 by the Czechoslovak National Council in Prague, several ethnic groups and territories with different historical, political, and economic traditions had to be blended into a new state structure. The full boundaries of the country and the organization of its government was established in the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk had been recognized by World War I Allies as the leader of the Provisional Czechoslovak Government and he was re-elected in 1925 and 1929, serving as President until 14 December 1935 when he resigned due to poor health. He was succeeded by Edvard Beneš, following the Anschluss of Nazi Germany and Austria in March 1938, the Nazi leader Adolf Hitlers next target for annexation was Czechoslovakia. His pretext was the privations suffered by ethnic German populations living in Czechoslovakias northern and western border regions and their incorporation into Nazi Germany would leave the rest of Czechoslovakia powerless to resist subsequent occupation. To a large extent, Czechoslovak democracy was held together by the countrys first president, as the principal founding father of the republic, Masaryk was regarded similar to the way George Washington is regarded in the United States. Such universal respect enabled Masaryk to overcome seemingly irresolvable political problems, Masaryk is still regarded as the symbol of Czechoslovak democracy. The Constitution of 1920 approved the constitution of 1918 in its basic features. The National Assembly was responsible for legislative initiative and was given control over the executive. Every seven years it elected the president and confirmed the cabinet appointed by him, executive power was to be shared by the president and the cabinet, the latter, responsible to the National Assembly, was to prevail. The reality differed somewhat from this ideal, however, during the presidencies of Masaryk and his successor. The constitution of 1920 provided for the government to have a high degree of control over local government. From 1928 and 1940, Czechoslovakia was divided into the four lands, Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia, Slovakia, although in 1927 assemblies were provided for Bohemia, Slovakia, and Ruthenia, their jurisdiction was limited to adjusting laws and regulations of the central government to local needs. The central government appointed one third of the members of these assemblies, the constitution identified the Czechoslovak nation as the creator and principal constituent of the Czechoslovak state and established Czech and Slovak as official languages
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