People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia

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File:Bratislava HZDS Headquarters.jpg
Former headquarters of the ĽS-HZDS political party at Tomášikova Street 32/A in Bratislava

The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (Template:Langx, HZDS), later known as the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (Template:Langx, ĽS–HZDS), was a populist[1][2][3][4] political party in Slovakia. The party is commonly considered as having been authoritarian and illiberal.[5][6][7]

During 1992–1998, HDZS was the leading party of the government, led by Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar. The party rule was characterized by a fundamental violation of civil liberties, rule of law and a halt to post-communist economic reforms, and European integration.[8][9][10][11]

After the 1998 parliamentary election, the party remained in opposition for two terms still as the strongest party.[12][13] In opposition, HZDS moved its positions from Euroscepticism to pro-Europeanism and joined European Democratic Party, although it did not profess EDP's liberal ideology.[14] In the 2006 parliamentary election, the party dropped to 5th place and became a junior partner in the Fico's First Cabinet.[15]

In the 2010 parliamentary election the party did not exceed the electoral threshold narrowly for the first time, and this was repeated in 2012, when it won less than 1%.[1][2] In 2014, HZDS officially dissolved and designated the Party of Democratic Slovakia as the successor.[3]

History

Velvet Revolution

The party was created as a Slovak nationalist faction of Public Against Violence (VPN), from which it seceded at an extraordinary VPN congress on 27 April 1991.[16] Called 'Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (HZDS), it was led by Vladimír Mečiar, who had been deposed as Slovak Prime Minister a month earlier, and composed mostly of the VPN's cabinet members. The HZDS claimed to represent Slovak national interest, and demanded a more decentralised Czechoslovak confederation. On 7 May 1992, the HZDS voted for a declaration of independence, but this was defeated 73-57.[17]

At the first election in which it took part, on 5–6 June, the HZDS won an overwhelming victory, with 74 seats on the National Council: two short of an absolute majority. Mečiar was appointed prime minister on 24 June. Whereas the HZDS wanted a confederation, the Czech elections on the same day were won by Civic Democratic Party, which preferred a tighter federation. Recognising that these positions were irreconcilable, the National Council voted for Slovakia's Declaration of Independence by 113 votes to 24,[18] and Mečiar concluded formal negotiations over the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Dominant party

The party adopted an economically populist position,[19] and sought to slow the post-Soviet privatisation and liberalisation.[20]

In the first elections after independence, in late 1994, the HZDS retained its dominant position, winning 58 seats (the Peasant's Party of Slovakia won a further 3 on its list).[21]

Decline in opposition

Originally designating itself as a centre-left party, the party moved towards the mainstream right and, in March 2000, renamed itself the 'People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (ĽS-HZDS) to try to achieve membership of the European People's Party (EPP).[22] However, lingering memories of former anti-Europeanism, conflicting rhetoric,[22] and the presence of three Slovak parties already in the EPP prevented this.[23] The ĽS-HZDS then looked to the Euro-integrationist European Democratic Party,[23] which it joined in 2009.

The build-up to the 2002 election saw Mečiar exclude a number of prominent members from the party's list of candidates. Several of the excluded members, led by Ivan Gašparovič, split from the party and founded the similarly titled Movement for Democracy (HZD). The new party won 3.3% of the vote, eating significantly into the ĽS-HZDS's position, and contributing to it winning only 36 seats. By 2006, further divisions and splits had reduced it to only 21 MPs.

Back in government

In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 8.8% of the popular vote and 15 out of 150 seats.

Two ĽS-HZDS ministers were sworn in with the Robert Fico government on July 4, 2006:

In the 2010 election the party lost all its seats, after its share of the vote halved to below the 5% threshold for entering parliament.

Election results

National Council

Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
1992 Vladimír Mečiar 1,148,625 Template:Percentage bar 1st Template:Composition bar HZDS–SNS
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Opposition
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1994 1,005,488 Template:Percentage bar 1st Template:Composition bar Decrease 16 HZDS–RSS–SNS–ZRS
In coalition with the Peasants' Party of Slovakia, which won 61 seats in total.
1998 907,103 Template:Percentage bar 1st Template:Composition bar Decrease 15 Opposition
2002 560,691 Template:Percentage bar 1st Template:Composition bar Decrease 7 Opposition
2006 202,540 Template:Percentage bar 5th Template:Composition bar Decrease 21 Smer–SNS–ĽS–HZDS
2010 109,480 Template:Percentage bar 8th Template:Composition bar Decrease 15 Extra-parliamentary
2012 23,772 Template:Percentage bar 13th Template:Composition bar Steady 0 Extra-parliamentary

European Parliament

Year Vote Vote % Seats Place
2004 119,582 17.04 Template:Composition bar 2nd
2009 74,241 Decrease 8.97 Decrease Template:Composition bar 5th Decrease

Presidential

Election year Candidate 1st round 2nd round
# of overall votes % of overall vote # of overall votes % of overall vote
1999 Vladimír Mečiar 1,097,956 37.24% (#2) 1,293,642 42.82% (#2)
2004 Vladimír Mečiar 650,242 32.74% (#1) 722,368 40.09% (#2)
2009 Milan Melník 45,985 2.45% (#5) Supported Ivan Gašparovič

See also

Notes

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References

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External links

Template:Political parties in Slovakia Template:Authority control

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  16. ↑ Archleb Gály (2006), p. 534
  17. ↑ Bartl (2002), p. 171
  18. ↑ Bartl (2002), p. 173
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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  22. ↑ a b Szczerbiak et al (2008), p. 285
  23. ↑ a b Henderson (2009), p. 4
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