Slovak National Party

The Slovak National Party (Slovak: "Slovenská národná strana", SNS) is a neo-fascist political party in Slovakia. It 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. The party characterizes itself as centre-right, however it is frequently described as ultra-nationalist [http://www.hhrf.org/hhrf/index_en.php?oldal=182 New Slovak Government Embraces Ultra-Nationalists, Excludes Hungarian Coalition Party] HRF Alert: "Hungarians are the cancer of the Slovak nation, without delay we need to remove them from the body of the nation." (Új Szó, April 15, 2005)] [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/07/europe/EU_GEN_EU_Slovakia.php Inernational Herald Tribune's article about Hungarian-Slovak relations] ] , right-wing extremist [ [http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw99-2000/slovakia.htm The Steven Roth Institute: Country reports. Antisemitism and racism in Slovakia] ] and neo-fascist [ [http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/jul2006/slov-j13.shtml World Socialists: junge Welt defends coalition between social democrats and neo-fascists in Slovakia] ] [ [http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?no=307414&rel_no=1 Democratic Dilemma - OhmyNews International ] ] (because of its offensive and often racist [ [http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2610 European Roma Rights Centre] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5151504.stm BBC: Europe diary: Franco and Finland - section Slovak Nationalism] ] [ [http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/details.cfm?ID=16759 Slovakia's new rulers, strange bedfellows] ] [ [http://cepa.ncpa.org/digest/concern-over-new-slovak-government Kristina Mikulova's (Financial Times) article on the pages of CEPA] ] statements about the Hungarians, the Roma, Jews and homosexuals).

The SNS is part of the current governing coalition led by the centre-left Smer. The formation of this coalition resulted in Smer being suspended from its membership of the Party of European Socialists (PES) on October 12, 2006. The PES considers SNS as a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." [http://www.pes.org/content/view/721/90 SMER suspended from PES political family] , Party of European Socialists, October 12, 2006]

History

The Slovak National Party was founded in December 1989. One of the biggest events the SNS has participated in since then was the establishment of an independent Slovakia on January 1, 1993. The SNS has had deputies in the Slovak parliament in the years 1990-2002 and since 2006. The party also had deputies in the Slovak government. Marián Andel, Jozef Prokeš, Jaroslav Paška and Ľudovít Černák were in the second Mečiar government (1992-1994), Ján Sitek and Eva Slavkovská in the third Mečiar government (1994-1998) and three SNS ministers were sworn in with the Robert Fico government on July 4, 2006:

* Ján Mikolaj (deputy prime minister; minister of education)
* Marián Janušek (minister of construction and regional development)
* Jaroslav Izák (minister of the environment)

Splinters from the SNS

Between the years 2001 and 2005 there was a Real Slovak National Party ("Pravá slovenská národná strana", PSNS), a party of SNS splinters, which remerged with SNS later. Since 2005, there is also a United Slovak National Party ("Zjednotená slovenská národná strana", ZSNS), also formed of former SNS members. In February 2006, PSNS changed its name into the Slovak National Coalition - Slovak Mutuality ("Slovenská národná koalícia - Slovenská vzájomnosť"). However, only the Slovak National Party is currently relevant.

Results of the general elections to Slovak parliament

*1990: 13.94%
*1992: 7.93%
*1994: 5.4%
*1998: 9.07%
*2002: 3.65% for PSNS, 3.32% for SNS
*2006: 11.6%

In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 11.6% of the popular vote and 20 out of 150 seats. Currently, the party has 19 seats.

Prominent members

*Jozef Prokeš (former chairman, mayor of Nitra, member of the Slovak government and MP)
*Štefan Kvietik (actor, former MP)
*Anna Belousovová (former chairwoman and mayor of Čadca, current MP)
*Ján Slota (current chairman and MP, former mayor of Žilina)
*Dušan Švantner

Controversy

For several months a map of Hungary divided between Slovakia and Austria was available on the online discussion forum of the party website, then in April 2008 after receiving media attention it was promptly removed and the party has denied responsibility, referring to forum free access policy. [ [http://www.magyarhirlap.hu/cikk.php?cikk=145884 Szétosztották hazánk területét Ján Slota pártjának honlapján] , Magyar Hírlap, April 16, 2008. (reach: 16-4-08)]

External links

References

Party site

* [http://www.sns.sk Official website of the Slovak National Party]