List of political parties in Slovakia

Slovakia
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This article lists political parties in Slovakia. Slovakia has a democratic multi-party system with numerous political parties, established after the fall of communism in 1989 and shaped into the present form with Slovakia's independence in 1993. Since 1989 there has been altogether 236 registered political parties in the country, 61 are active as of March 2012.^[1]

In the Slovak political system usually no one party has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other to form coalition governments, an exception being the last parliamentary elections in 2012.

Active political parties

Parliamentary parties

Extra-parliamentary parties

• NGO OZ Občan v akcii.
• Agrarian Countryside Party (AGRÁRNA STRANA VIDIEKA) - (ASV) - Est. 2003 - Leader: Vladimír Gozora
• Slovak Democratic Alliance (Demokratická aliancia Slovenska) - (DAS) - Est. 2010 - Leader: Miroslav Lupták
• Democratic Party (Demokratická strana) - (DS) - Est. 2006 - Leader: Peter Hríb
• European Democratic Party (EURÓPSKA DEMOKRATICKÁ STRANA) - (EDS) - Est. 2006 - Leader: Antonio Parziale
• Movement for Democracy (Hnutie za demokraciu) - (HZD) - Est. 2002 - Leader: Jozef Grapa - the party split from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
• United Slovakia (JEDNOTNÉ SLOVENSKO) - (JS) - Est. 2000 - Leader: Štefan Gavorník
• Communist Party of Slovakia (Komunistická strana Slovenska) - (KSS) - Est. 1991 - Jozef Hrdlička - the party is not in the parliament since 2006.
• Conservative Democrats of Slovakia (Konzervatívni demokrati Slovenska) - (KDS) - Est. 2008 - Leader: Vladimír Palko - the party split from Christian Democratic Movement (KDH).
• Christian People's Party (Kresťanská ľudová strana) - (KĽS) - Est. 1998 - Leader: Jozef Fibich
• Liberal Party (Liberálna strana) formerly 'People's Union' (Ľudová únia) - (LS) - Est. 2003 - Leader: Gustáv Krajči - the party split from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), not in the parliament since 2006.
• People's Party (Ľudová strana) - (ĽS) - Est. 1995 - Leader: Magdaléna Sulanová
• People's Party - Our Slovakia (Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko) - (ĽSNS) - formerly Party of Friends of Wine (Strana priateľov vína) until 2009 and People's Party of Social Solidarity (Ľudová strana sociálnej solidarity) until 2011. Est. 2000 - Leader: Marian Kotleba - the party is affiliated with the extremist Slovak Brotherhood.
• Magnificat Slovakia (Magnificat Slovakia) - (MS) - Est. 2012 - Leader: Anton Selecký - the party is affiliated with the Christian NGO OZ Magnificat Slovakia.
• Nation and Justice - Our Party (Národ a Spravodlivosť - naša strana) - (NaS-ns) - Est. 2011 - Leader: Anna Belousovová - the party split from Slovak National Party (SNS), until 2011 it was named Nation and Justice (Národ a Spravodlivosť).
• Our Region (NÁŠ KRAJ) - (NÁŠ KRAJ) - Est. 2010 - Leader: Ľuba Kráľová
• Independent Forum (Nezávislé fórum) - (NF) - Est. 1998 - Leader: Tomáš Černý
• New Slovak Alternative, Civic-Liberal Party (Nová alternatíva Slovenska, občiansko-liberálna strana) - (NASK) - Est. 2008 - Leader: Pavol Krišpinský
• New Democracy (NOVÁ DEMOKRACIA) - (ND) - Est. 2009 - Leader: Tibor Mikuš - the party split from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
• New Parliament (NOVÝ PARLAMENT) - (NP) - Est. 2005 - Leader: Jozef Behýl
• Civic Conservative Party (Občianska konzervatívna strana) - (OKS) - Est. 2001 - Leader: Peter Zajac
• Civic Party TODAY (Občianska strana DNES) - (OS DNES) - Est. 2011 - Leader: Branislav Král
• Civic Liberals (Občianski liberáli) - (OL) - Est. 2004 - Leader: Rastislav Guľaša
• Ordinary People (Obyčajní ľudia) - (N/A) - Est. 2005 - Leader: Víťazoslav Moric
• Paliho Kapurková, Cheerful Political Party (Paliho Kapurková, veselá politická strana) - (Paliho Kapurkov) - Est. 2010 - Leader: Pavel Vass
• Law and Justice (PRÁVO A SPRAVODLIVOSŤ) - (N/A) - Est. 2011 - Leader: Peter Puškár
• Prosperity of Slovakia (Prosperita Slovenska) - (PS) - Est. 2005 - Leader: František Alexander Zvrškovec
• We are Doing It for the Children - Free Forum (Robíme to pre deti - SF), formerly until 2011 Free Forum (Slobodné fórum) - (N/A) - Est. 2004 - Leader: Zuzana Martináková - the party split from the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ-DS), not in the parliament since 2006.
• Roma initiative of Slovakia (Rómska iniciatíva Slovenska) - (RIS) - Est. 1996 - Leader: Alexander Patkoló - until 2000 the party was named Roma Intelligence for Co-Habitation in the Slovak Republic (Rómska inteligencia za spolunažívanie v Slovenskej republike)
• Freedom (SLOBODA) - (N/A) - Est. 1998 - Leader: Tomáš Pekný
• Slovak People's Party (Slovenská ľudová strana) - (SĽS) - Est. 1990 - Leader: Jozef Sásik - from 1994 to 1995 the party was named SĽS - Slovak People's Bloc (SĽS - Slovensky ľudový blok).
• Modern Slovak Society (Slovenská moderná spoločnosť) - (SMS) - Est. 2001 - Leader: Ján Garai - until 2002 the party was named Independent People's Party of the Unemployed (Nezávislá občianska strana nezamestnaných), in 2002 the words "and the Damaged" were added to the title and in 2009 it became SMS.
• Slovak National Unity (SLOVENSKÁ NÁRODNÁ JEDNOTA) - (SNJ) - Est. 1991 - Leader: Stanislav Pánis
• Party +1 Vote (STRANA +1 HLAS) - (+1 HLAS) - Est. 2009 - Leader: Martin Kuruc - until 2010 the party was named Civic Candidates (OBČIANSKI KANDIDÁTI), in 2010 it renamed itself Union - Party for Slovakia (Únia - Strana pre Slovensko) and in the same year it reverted to its previous name before finally changing it to Party +1 Vote in 2011.
• Party of the Democratic Left (Strana demokratickej ľavice) - (SDĽ) - Est. 2005 - Leader: Marek Blaha - the party is the 2005 reformation of another party by the same name.
• Party of Modern Slovakia (Strana moderného Slovenska) - (N/A) - Est. 2008 - Leader: Milan Urbáni - - the party split from the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS).
• Party of Slovak Citizens (Strana občanov Slovenska) - (SOSKA) - Est. 2011 - Leader: Peter Marček - Marčcek is the former head of slovak Greco-Roman Wrestlers and the party is endorsed by numerous known Slovak sportsmen.
• Party of Patriots (Strana patriotov) - (PATRIOTI) - Est. 2010 - Leader: František Jašík
• Labor Party (Strana práce) - (SP) - Est. 1991 - Leader: Anton Čapkovič - the party is active only in Košice and surrounding areas.
• Party of the Roma Coalition - SRK (Strana rómskej koalície - SRK) - (SRK) - Est. 2009 - Leader: Gejza Adam
• Party of the Roma Union in Slovakia (Strana Rómskej únie na Slovensku) - (SRÚS) - Est. 2010 - Leader: František Tanko
• Free Word Party (STRANA SLOBODNÉ SLOVO- NORY MOJSEJOVEJ) - (SSS-NM) - Est. 2001 - Leader: Eleonóra Mojsejová - the party was named 'Alliance of the New Citizen' (Aliancia Nového Občana, ANO) until 2011 - left the government in late 2005, not in the parliament since 2006.
• Green Party (Strana zelených) - (SZ) - Est. 1991 - Leader: Peter Pilinský - until 2006 the party was named Slovak Green Party (Strana zelených na Slovensku).
• Slovak Green Party (Strana zelených Slovenska) - (SZS) - Est. 2006 - Leader: Martin Čulen
• Union of the Slovak Self-Employed (Strana živnostníkov Slovenska) - (SŽS) - Est. 2004 - Leader: Vladimír Krivjaník
• Dawn (ÚSVIT) - (ÚSVIT) - Est. 2005 - Leader: Ivan Hopta - the party split from the Communist Party of Slovakia.
• ICOR
• Union of the Workers of Slovakia (Združenie robotníkov Slovenska) - (ZRS) - Est. 1994 - Leader: Ján Ľupták - in the government between 1994 and 1998, split from the Party of the Democratic Left.
• Green Wave (Zelená vlna) - (ZV) - Est. 2009 - Leader: Mário Mikloši
• Greens (Zelení) - (N/A) - Est. 2009 - Leader: Pavel Hraško - the party was founded as AZEN - Alliance for the Europe of Nations (AZEN - Aliancia za Európu národov) and it renamed itself in 2011.
• Greens - Party of National Prosperity (Zelení-Strana národnej prosperity) - (Z-SNP) - Est. 1990 - Leader: Rudolf Pardubský - until 2006 the party was named Party of National Prosperity (Strana národnej prosperity).
• United Slovak National Party (Zjednotená Slovenská národná strana) - (ZSNS) - Est. 2003 - Leader: Peter Lisý - until 2004 the party was named Unitary Slovak National Party (Jednotná Slovenská národná strana).
• Change from the Bottom, Democratic Union of Slovakia (Zmena zdola, Demokratická únia Slovenska) - (Zmena zdola, DÚ) - Est. 2000 - Leader: Ján Budaj - until 2002 the party was named Liberal Democratic Union (Liberálnodemokratická únia), until 2010 Democratic Union of Slovakia (Demokratická únia Slovenska) and took its current name in 2010.
• Strana Ochrany Prav Romov, defends the rights of the Romani people

Inactive and cancelled political parties

Parties in liquidation

There are dozens of political parties currently in the process of being liquidated.

Defunct parties (1989 - present)

• Democratic Union (Demokratická únia) - in the government between 1998 and 2002, now part of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union
• Civic Democratic Union (Občianska demokratická únia) - arose in 1991, its members are now in the Democratic Party and the small Civic Conservative Party (Občianska konzervatívna strana)
• Left Bloc (Ľavicový blok) - merged into Direction - Social Democracy in 2007/2008
• Slovak Democratic Coalition (Slovenská demokratická koalícia) - in existence from 1997 (as a coalition) / 1998 (as a party) to (?)2001, in the government from 1998 to 2001
• Party of Civic Understanding (Strana občianskeho porozumenia) - (SOP) - in the government between 1998 and 2002
• Party of the Democratic Left (Strana demokratickej ľavice) - before 2002, arose in 1990 from the Communist Party of Slovakia
• Social Democratic Alternative (Sociálnodemokratická alternatíva)
• Social Democratic Party of Slovakia (Sociálnodemokratická strana Slovenska) - arose in 1990, see also Alexander Dubček
• Public against Violence (Verejnosť proti násiliu) - the first party after the fall of the Communists in late 1989, ceased in 1991 (split into the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the Civic Democratic Union (Občianska demokratická únia, ODU) )
• True Slovak National Party (Pravá Slovenská národná strana) - Founded by Ján Slota in 2001 after being forced out of the Slovak National Party (SNS) by Anna Belousovová (at that time called Anna Malíková), the two parties re-merged in 2005 after both failing to get seats in the Parliament.

Political parties in Slovakia (1948 - 1989)

• Communist Party of Slovakia (1939) - leading force between 1948 and 1989
• Party of Slovak Revival (Strana slovenskej obrody) - arose in 1948 from the Democratic Party (see above, see also National Front (Czechoslovakia)), ceased in late 1989 when the new Democratic Party was founded (see above)

Political parties in Slovakia (1945 - 1948)

• Democratic Party (Demokratická strana) - an important party between 1944 and 1948, a new DS arose in 1989, since January 2006 part of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union - Democratic Party

Political parties in Slovakia (1939 - 1945)

• Slovak National Party (Slovenská národná strana) - in existence between 1871 and 1938, this is also a current party
• Slovak People's Party (Slovenská ľudová strana) - between 1913/1918 and 1945, after 1925 known as Hlinka's Slovak People's Party. The party was led by Slovak priest Andrej Hlinka (1913–1938) and ended with the hanging of the WWII Slovak leader Jozef Tiso (1938–1945).
• Labour Party (Strana práce) - formed by Social Democrats who opposed cooperation with the Communist Party.

See also

• Politics of Slovakia
• List of political parties by country
• Politics of Communist Czechoslovakia
• Liberalism in Slovakia

References