Ján Slota

Infobox President
name = Ján Slota


imagesize = 200px

order=Member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
Slovak National Council until December 31, 1992
primeminister =
vicepresident =
term_start = July 4, 2006
term_end =
predecessor =
successor =
term_start2 = June 25, 1992
term_end2 = October 15, 2002
predecessor2 =
successor2 =

order3 = Mayor of the city of Žilina
term_start3 = 1990
term_end3 = 2006
predecessor3 = office created
successor3 = Ivan Harman

order4 =Member of the Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia
term_start4 =June 23, 1990
term_end4 =June 25, 1992

birth_date = birth date and age|1953|9|14
birth_place = Lietavská Lúčka, Czechoslovakia
spouse =
party = Slovak National Party

Ján Slota (September 14 1953 in Lietavská Lúčka) is the co-founder and President of the Slovak National Party (SNS). [http://www.hhrf.org/hhrf/index_en.php?oldal=182 Hungarian Human Rights Foundation] New Slovak Government Embraces Ultra-Nationalists, Excludes Hungarian Coalition Party] He was the mayor of the town of Žilina between 1990-2006. He is succeeded by Ivan Harman.

Political career

Slota became involved in politics after 1989 when the Communist party fell from power in Czechoslovakia in the Velvet Revolution. In 1990 he co-founded SNS and was elected as a member of the Federal Assembly. Later, he was elected into the National Council of the Slovak Republic. From 1994-1999 he served as the leader of SNS. After an internal crisis in the SNS in 2001, he left the party and set up his own party, the "Genuine Slovak National Party" . As a result of this split, none of the nationalist parties received the required 5% minimum of votes in the 2002 election. In 2003, the nationalist parties merged again, after heavy quarrels, with Slota as chairman. [ [http://www.slota.sk/zivotopis.html Ján Slota :: Oficiálna stránka ] ]

Slota has served as the mayor of Žilina between 1990 and 2006, overseeing the modernization of the city. He was reelected in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

In the 2006 parliamentary election, Slota became an MP and his SNS joined the ruling coalition with Robert Fico´s Direction - Social Democracy party and Vladimír Mečiar´s People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia. As a part of the coalition agreement, Slota didn't obtain any government position.Fact|date=February 2007

Controversial views, statements

Slota is frequently criticized for his arrogance and nationalism [cite web|title=Forgive and forget?|url=http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/30712/11/forgive_and_forget.html|work=The Slovak Spectator|date=2008-02-11|accessdate=2008-08-06] . Slota says he is protecting Slovaks, especially those living in southern Slovakia. According to Der Spiegel Slota said the best policy for Romani was "a long whip in a small yard."cite web|title=Chaos, Corruption and Extremism - Political Crises Abound in Eastern Europe|work=Der Spiegel|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,485497,00.html|date=2007-05-29|accessdate=2008-04-20] He is quoted to say 'we will sit in our tanks and destroy Budapest' and questioning if homosexuals are normal people [ [http://www.ujszo.sk/clanok.asp?vyd=20060630&cl=162118 ÚJ SZÓ online ] ] . He is also quoted to say that Slavic blood had civilised the ugly, Mongolic Hungarians and associated homosexuals with pedophiles [ [http://www.ujszo.sk/clanok.asp?vyd=20060602&cl=159226 ÚJ SZÓ online ] ] . He believes 200 members of the Hungarian intelligence are spying in Slovakia [cite web|title=Budapestet lerombolná Slota|language=Hungarian|url=http://www.fn.hu/kulfold/20060629/budapestet_lerombolna_slota/|work=Figyelő|date=2006-06-29|accessdate=2008-08-06] . Slota said that the country's ethnic Hungarian minority "are a cancer in the body of the Slovak nation." [cite web|title=Separatist Movements Seek Inspiration in Kosovo|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,537008-2,00.html|work=Der Spiegel|date=2008-02-22|accessdate=2008-08-06] While Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány and his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico were meeting in Brussels, he called the Turul, a Hungarian mythological eagle an "ugly parrot" [cite web|title=Slota ridicules Hungarians during PMs' meeting|url=http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/32832/10/slota_ridicules_hungarians_during_pms_meeting.html|work=Slovak Spectator|date=2008-09-03|accessdate=2008-09-18] , and insulted the first Hungarian king (Saint I. István) as clown rider.There had been several claims of Slota's criminal past, but those were rebutted by court statements. [ [http://www.webnoviny.sk/slovensko/clanok/8606/Slota-sa-na--vykradnuti-predajne-a-aut--nepodielal.html Slota sa na vykradnutí predajne a áut nepodieľal] , webnovy.sk, April 15, 2008]

In 1982 Slota worked in the Nováky Power Plant, where during a demolition of a wooden cooling tower he gave the order to burn it down. The flames reached 70 meters and the wind blew the cinder as far as 500 meters. [http://www.webnoviny.sk/slovensko/clanok/8717/Slota-pred-26-rokmi-zapricinil-obrovsky-poziar.html Slota pred 26 rokmi zapríčinil obrovský požiar] , webnoviny.sk, April 16, 2008] Slota was convicted of arson and sentenced to indemity.

Tabloid claims

He supposedly confessed a total yearly income of 311 400 SKK [ [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/07/17/otazniky/doplatil-na-chvastanie.html Doplatil na chvastanie?] , Plus Jeden Den, July 17, 2007] in his 2006 annual tax return, however he himself supposedly confirmed that he bought a Bentley Continental GT [cite web|title=Érdekes szlovák állami autók - Négy karikát pörgetni propellerrel jó csillagzat alatt|language=Hungarian|publisher="Totalcar"|url=http://totalcar.hu/magazin/kozelet/slotacar|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-04-20] for 2.6 million SKK in that year [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/05/28/o-kom-sa-hovori/uz-si-uziva.html Už si užíva] , Plus Jeden Den, May 28, 2007] . In his ATR he also supposedly confessed that he has a luxury villa on the Croatian riviera as well as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/02/23/politika/slota-vymenil-auto.html Slota vymenil auto] , Plus Jeden Den, February 23, 2007] "borrowed by one of his friends to him for using".

Criminal past

Slota had illegally immigrated to Austria in 1971, where he participated in multiple grand theft autos, until he fled Austria in fear of persecution. He went back to Czechoslovakia, where he committed some store robberies in the Prievidza region before fleeing the country. After returning, his father, Milan had to voluntary enter the Czechoslovak secret service, the StB to save his son from prison [ [http://index.hu/politika/kulfold/js080319/ Index - Slota Bécsben autótolvajkodott fiatalkorában? ] ] [ [http://www.webnoviny.sk/slovensko/clanok/8606/Slota-sa-na--vykradnuti-predajne-a-aut--nepodielal.html Slota sa na vykradnutí predajne a áut nepodieľal] , webnovy.sk, April 15, 2008] [Markíza TV, April 15, 2008] [ [http://www.sme.sk/c/3786723/Slota-na-uteku-kradol.html Slota na úteku kradol] , SME.sk, March 20, 2008]

In 1982 Slota worked in the Nováky Power Plant, where during a demolition of a wooden cooling tower he gave the order to burn it down. The flames reached 70 meters and the wind blew the cinder as far as 500 meters. [http://www.webnoviny.sk/slovensko/clanok/8717/Slota-pred-26-rokmi-zapricinil-obrovsky-poziar.html Slota pred 26 rokmi zapríčinil obrovský požiar] , webnoviny.sk, April 16, 2008] Slota was convicted of arson and sentenced to one year in prison suspended for two years.

He confessed a total yearly income of 311 400 SKK [ [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/07/17/otazniky/doplatil-na-chvastanie.html Doplatil na chvastanie?] , Plus Jeden Den, July 17, 2007] in his 2006 annual tax return, however he himself confirmed that he bought a Bentley Continental GT [cite web|title=Érdekes szlovák állami autók - Négy karikát pörgetni propellerrel jó csillagzat alatt|language=Hungarian|publisher="Totalcar"|url=http://totalcar.hu/magazin/kozelet/slotacar|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-04-20] for 2.6 million SKK in that year [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/05/28/o-kom-sa-hovori/uz-si-uziva.html Už si užíva] , Plus Jeden Den, May 28, 2007] . In his ATR he also confessed that he has a luxury villa on the Croatian riviera as well as a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S [http://www.plus1den.sk/2007/02/23/politika/slota-vymenil-auto.html Slota vymenil auto] , Plus Jeden Den, February 23, 2007] "borrowed by one of his friends to him for using".

See also

2006 Slovak-Hungarian diplomatic affairs

External links

*sk icon [http://www.slota.sk/ Official site]

References