| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Narodna rada Slovenskej republiky / National Council |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
17 June 2006 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all seats in the National Council following a proposal for an early election approved by the National Council on 9 February 2006. Elections had been previously held on 21 September 2002. |
Following the collapse of the coalition government in February 2006
elections were held on 17 June
three months earlier than scheduled.
After the last elections held in 2002
the first-placed Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS
renamed in 2003 the People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
LS-HZDS)
was unable to form a governmental coalition. Subsequently
four centre-right parties formed a coalition that controlled 78 seats in the 150-member National Council. The coalition was composed of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU)
the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK)
the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and the Alliance of New Citizens (ANO). However
on 8 February 2006
the KDH withdrew from the coalition after the SDKU refused to approve a treaty with the Vatican that would have allowed doctors working for hospitals funded by the Catholic Church to refuse to carry out abortions on grounds of conscience.
A total of 21 political parties and 3
427 candidates contested the 2006 elections. The main parties focused on the reforms required in order to adopt the euro as the national currency. Despite the economic growth rate reaching 6.1 per cent in 2005 and a sharp increase in foreign investment
the SDKU was losing ground in opinion polls in favour of the leftist Smer ('Direction')
against a backdrop of 15 per cent unemployment.
Smer
which had won 25 seats in the 2002 elections
pledged to increase social spending
and abolish a 19 per cent flat rate for income and corporate taxes and VAT
introduced in 2004. Meanwhile
the LS-HZDS
led by Mr. Vladimir Meciar
promised to cut government spending and keep university tuition free. The far right Slovak National Party (SNS) campaigned to keep the ethnic Hungarian SMK
led by outgoing Speaker Mr. Bela Bugar
out of the government.
A total of 54.67 per cent of the country's 4.3 million eligible voters turned out at the polls
the lowest figure since the country's independence in 1993. Slovaks living abroad were allowed to vote for the first time
but only 541 cast their ballots.
The final results doubled the number of seats held by Smer to 50; the SNS
which had not been represented in the outgoing parliament
took 20; and the LS-HZDS won 15. The SDKU gained three more seats than in 2002
winning 31 in all. The SMK retained its 20 seats
while the KDH lost one
obtaining 14.
After a coalition agreement was reached between Smer
the SNS and the LS-HZDS
President Ivan Gasparovic appointed Mr. Robert Fico (Smer) as Prime Minister.
The newly-elected National Council held its first session on 4 July 2006 and elected Mr. Pavol Paska (Smer) as its new Speaker. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 17 June 2006 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
4'272'517
2'335'917 (54.67%)
32'778
2'303'139 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Smer ('Direction') |
150 |
671'185 |
|
|
29.14 |
|
|
| Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) |
150 |
422'815 |
|
|
18.36 |
|
|
| Slovak National Party (SNS) |
149 |
270'230 |
|
|
11.73 |
|
|
| Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) |
150 |
269'111 |
|
|
11.68 |
|
|
| People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (LS-HZDS) |
150 |
202'540 |
|
|
8.79 |
|
|
| Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) |
150 |
191'443 |
|
|
8.31 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Smer ('Direction') |
50
|
|
|
|
|
| Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) |
31
|
|
|
|
|
| Slovak National Party (SNS) |
20
|
|
|
|
|
| Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) |
20
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (LS-HZDS) |
15
|
|
|
|
|
| Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) |
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
126
24
16.00%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
21 to 30 years
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
|
4
17
67
54
8
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Engineers/PC experts |
28 |
| Legal professions |
17 |
| Economists |
15 |
| Scientists |
14 |
| Educators |
14 |
| Civil/public servants/administrators (including social/development workers) |
14 |
| Medical professions (doctors
dentists
nurses) |
14 |
| Business/trade/industry employees
including executives |
12 |
| Others |
8 |
| Farmers/agricultural workers (including wine growers) |
5 |
| Liberal professions (including artists
authors) and sports professionals |
4 |
| Media-related professions (journalists/publishers) |
3 |
| Bankers (including invest bankers)/accountants |
1 |
| Architects |
1 |
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (http://www.statistics.sk/nrsr_2006/angl/obvod/results/tab4.jsp)
- National Council (03.07.2006
01.01.2010)
Note on distribution of seats according to sex:
Twenty-four women were elected. After the formation of the new Government on 4 August 2006
some seats vacated by male MPs were filled by female substitute members
thus bringing the total number of women to 30
or 20 per cent.
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
