The National Council of the Slovak Republic (Slovak: Národná rada Slovenskej republiky, 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 largest remainder method with Hagenbach-Bischoff quota every four years.[2]
National Council of the Slovak Republic Národná rada Slovenskej republiky | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 January 1993, 31 years ago |
| Preceded by | • Slovak National Council • Federal Assembly |
| Leadership | |
Deputy speakers | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 150 |
 | |
Political groups | Government (79)
Opposition (71) |
| Committees | 19 Committees |
| Elections | |
| Open list proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold (7% for two-, three-party alliances; 10% for four-or-more party alliance) allocated under the largest remainder method with Hagenbach-Bischoff quota[2] | |
Last election | 30 September 2023 |
Next election | 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Parliament Building, Bratislava | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Slovakia's 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 (Slovak: Slovenská národná rada).
The National Council approves domestic legislation, constitutional laws, and the annual budget. Its consent is required to ratify international treaties, and is responsible for approving military operations. It also elects individuals to some positions in the executive and judiciary, as specified by law.[3]
The parliament building is in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital, next to Bratislava Castle in Alexander Dubček Square.
Functions
editThe 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic is Slovakia's sole constitutional and legislative body.[4] It considers and approves the constitution, constitutional amendments, and other legislation.[5] It approves the state budget.[5] It elects some officials specified by law, as well as justices of the Constitutional Court and the prosecutor general.[6][7] Prior to their ratification, the parliament also should approve all important international treaties.[5] Moreover, it gives consent for dispatching of military forces outside of Slovakia's territory and for the presence of foreign military forces on the territory of the Slovak Republic.[5]
Decision-making
editThe parliament may vote only if a majority of all its members (76) are present. To pass a decision, the approval of a simple majority of all MPs present is required. Almost all legal acts can be adopted by this relative majority. An absolute majority (76 votes) is required to pass a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet or its members, or to elect and recall the Council's speaker or the deputy speakers. A qualified majority of 3/5 of all deputies (at least 90 votes) is required for the adoption of a constitution or a constitutional statute.[8]
Committees of the National Council
editStanding committees and current leadership are listed below.
| Committee | President | Group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandate and Immunity Committee (Slovak: Mandátový a imunitný výbor) |
Marián Saloň | Smer-SD | |
| Function Incompatibility Committee (Slovak: Výbor pre nezlučiteľnosť funkcií) |
Veronika Remišová | OĽaNO | |
| Committee for European Affairs (Slovak: Výbor pre európske záležitosti) |
Ján Ferenčák | Smer-SD | |
| Constitutional Committee (Slovak: Ústavnoprávny výbor) |
Miroslav Čellár | Smer-SD | |
| Committee for Finance and Budget (Slovak: Výbor pre financie a rozpočet) |
Ján Blcháč | Hlas-SD | |
| Committee for Economic Affairs (Slovak: Výbor pre ekonomické záležitosti) |
Róbert Puci | Hlas-SD | |
| Committee for Agriculture and the Environment (Slovak: Výbor pre pôdohospodárstvo a životné prostredie) |
Rudolf Huliak | National Coalition | |
| Committee for Public Administration and Regional Development (Slovak: Výbor pre verejnú správu a regionálny rozvoj) |
Michal Šipoš | OĽaNO | |
| Committee for Social Affairs (Slovak: Výbor pre sociálne veci) |
Ján Richter | Smer-SD | |
| Committee for Health (Slovak: Výbor pre zdravotníctvo) |
Vladimir Baláž | Smer-SD | |
| Committee for Defence and Security (Slovak: Výbor pre obranu a bezpečnosť) |
Richard Glück | Smer-SD | |
| Foreign Committee (Slovak: Zahraničný výbor) |
Marián Kéry | Smer-SD | |
| Committee for Education, Science, Youth and Sport (Slovak: Výbor pre vzdelávanie, vedu, mládež a šport) |
Jozef Habánik | Smer-SD | |
| Committee for Culture and Media (Slovak: Výbor pre kultúru a médiá) |
Roman Michelko | SNS | |
| Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities (Slovak: Výbor pre ľudské práva a národnostné menšiny) |
Lucia Plaváková | PS | |
| Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the NBU (Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu čiinosti NBÚ) |
Roman Mikulec | OĽaNO | |
| Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the SIS (Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu čiinosti SIS) |
Samuel Migaľ | Hlas-SD | |
| Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the Military Intelligence (Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu činnosti Vojenského Spravodajstva) |
Tomáš Valášek | PS | |
| Committee for Review of Decisions of the NBU (Slovak: Výbor na preskúmavanie rozhodnutí NBÚ) |
Irena Bihariová | PS | |
Speakers
editThe National Council of the Slovak Republic currently has no speaker. The last speaker, Peter Pellegrini, lost his mandate upon being elected to the presidency on April 7, 2024. Since then Deputy Speaker Peter Žiga has been acting speaker.
Structure of former legislatures
editThe length of the bars underneath represents each party's 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 (most notably, after the 1994 election).
| 22 | 7 | 48 | 6 | 31 | 14 | 22 |
| KSS | DS | VPN | SZ | KDH | Együttélés–MKDM | SNS |
| 29 | 18 | 74 | 14 | 15 |
| SDĽ | KDH | HZDS | Együttélés–MKDM | SNS |
| 18 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 61 | 17 | 9 |
| Common Choice | ZRS | DEÚS | KDH | HZDS–RSS | Hungarian Coalition | SNS |
| 23 | 13 | 42 | 43 | 15 | 14 |
| SDĽ | SOP | SDK | ĽS–HZDS | SMK–MKP | SNS |
| 11 | 25 | 15 | 28 | 15 | 36 | 20 |
| KSS | Smer | ANO | SDKÚ–DS | KDH | ĽS–HZDS | SMK–MKP |
| 50 | 31 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 20 |
| Smer | SDKÚ–DS | KDH | ĽS–HZDS | SMK–MKP | SNS |
| 62 | 14 | 28 | 15 | 22 | 9 |
| Smer | Most–Híd | SDKÚ–DS | KDH | SaS | SNS |
| 83 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 11 |
| Smer | Most–Híd | SDKÚ–DS | KDH | OĽaNO | SaS |
| 49 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 14 |
| Smer | Network | Most–Híd | OĽaNO–NOVA | SaS | We Are Family | SNS | ĽSNS |
| 38 | 12 | 53 | 13 | 17 | 17 |
| Smer | For the People | OĽaNO–NOVA–KÚ–ZZ | SaS | We Are Family | ĽSNS |
| 42 | 27 | 32 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
| Smer | Hlas | PS | OĽaNO | SaS | KDH | SNS |
Elections
editMembers of the parliament are elected directly for a 4-year term, under the proportional system. Although the suffrage is universal, only a citizen who has the right to vote, has attained 18 years of age and has permanent residency in the Slovak Republic is eligible to be elected. Similarly to the Netherlands and Israel, the whole country forms one multi-member constituency. The election threshold is 5%. Voters may indicate their preferences within the semi-open list. Parliamentary elections were last held in 2023.
Latest election
editMembers (1990–present)
edit- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 1990–92
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 1992–94
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 1994–98
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 1998–2002
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2002–06
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2006–10
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2010–12
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2012–2016
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2016–2020
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2020–2023
- List of members of the National Council of Slovakia, 2023–2027
Buildings
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The main parliament building is situated next to the Bratislava Castle on the castle hill. The building is insufficiently large to accommodate all officials and representatives. This is because it its construction started in 1986 during the Czechoslovak period as a building for the Federal Parliament, which usually met in Prague.[9] The secondary parliament building, the Zhupa house, which was the main building until 1994, is situated at Župné square next to the Trinitarian Church below the castle hill in Bratislava.
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Katuška, Michal (8 April 2024). "Pellegrini sa už nepovažuje za poslanca. Po zvolení konal inak ako Schuster". SME Domov (in Slovak). PETIT PRESS, a. s. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ a b Zákon o podmienkach výkonu volebného práva a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov [Act on the Conditions for the Exercise of the Right to Vote and on Amendments to Certain Acts] (180/2014, Article 68). National Council of the Slovak Republic. 29 May 2014.
- ^ "Postavenie a právomoci". NR SR (in Slovak). Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ Constitution of the Slovak Republic (PDF) (Constitution, Article 72). National Council of the Slovak Republic. 1992. p. 29.
- ^ a b c d Constitution of the Slovak Republic (PDF) (Constitution, Article 86). National Council of the Slovak Republic. 1992. p. 33.
- ^ Constitution of the Slovak Republic (PDF) (Constitution, Article 134). National Council of the Slovak Republic. 1992. p. 52.
- ^ "Postavenie a právomoci" [Status and powers] (in Slovak). National Council of the Slovak Republic. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ Constitution of the Slovak Republic (PDF) (Constitution, Article 84). National Council of the Slovak Republic. 1992. p. 32.
- ^ Kulish, Nicholas (7 October 2011). "Slovakia May Hold Key to Euro Debt Bailout". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
External links
edit
- Official website (in Slovak and English)