On Monday, Parliament continued its session with a joint debate on proposals by Hlas-SD and SNS to amend the Constitution. Both parties want to extend the terms of local governments, while SNS is also calling for an extension of Parliament’s term.
Hlas-SD is proposing to enshrine the right to a referendum through an amendment linked to its constitutional bill extending local government terms from four to five years. According to Hlas-SD leader Matúš Šutaj Eštok, if the opposition supports only the referendum provision, the party is willing to “sacrifice” the extension of the electoral term. “I call on the leading Slovak democrats, who currently sit on the opposition benches, to support this change and thus give the people the opportunity to demand a shortened term of office through a valid referendum.”
A constitutional amendment requires 90 votes, meaning the coalition also needs support from the opposition. Igor Janckulík of KDH reiterated that his party will not back the proposal. “For one simple reason. It’s not enough to merely extend the terms of office of mayors and municipal leaders. Local governments need to function properly and have sufficient financial resources.”
Ondrej Dostál of SaS adds: “It’s just a little charade. The coalition knows it does not have the constitutional majority needed to pass the entire constitutional law, so it is attaching other provisions to it—which, I assume, also lack the support needed for a constitutional majority.”
SNS is proposing extending the terms of office of members of parliament as well. However, Roman Michelko does not consider it realistic to secure the constitutional majority required for the measure to pass. “If the smaller version doesn’t pass, then logically, the larger version probably won’t either. We’ve opened up the discussion, and it’s currently under review, so at this point, it’s unlikely to pass.”
Parliament is expected to hold a final vote on the proposal on Wednesday. Municipal and regional elections are set to take place in Slovakia in October 2026, followed by a general election in September 2027.
Source: STVR
