Michal Šimečka, leader of the strongest opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS), has been re-elected as party chair for another two-year term. At the party congress in Trnava on Saturday, he won support from 191 of 202 voting delegates, running unopposed.
The congress also ruled out post-election cooperation with coalition parties Smer-SD, Hlas-SD, and the Slovak National Party (SNS), as well as the extra-parliamentary Republika. PS declared its ambition to form a stable government after the next general election, aiming to strengthen a bloc of constructive opposition parties including PS, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), and Democrats. The Movement „Slovensko“ is not expected to be a partner.
The congress was overshadowed by controversy involving the party’s expelled sponsor, Martin Pekár, whose removal was reportedly due to questions over the origin of his funds and harassment of a female colleague at a party retreat.
If PS forms a government in 2027, it plans to push measures such as higher penalties for corruption and preventing anyone facing criminal charges from holding leadership positions in Parliament.
Source: TASR, STVR
