Progressive Slovakia

Progressive Slovakia (Slovak: Progresívne Slovensko) is a progressive,[7] social-liberal,[8][9] and pro-European[10] political party in Slovakia that was established in 2017.

Progressive Slovakia

Progresívne Slovensko
AbbreviationPS
LeaderIrena Biháriová
Founded27 November 2017
HeadquartersBratislava
Youth wingYoung Progressives
IdeologyProgressivism
Social liberalism
Environmentalism[1]
Feminism[2][3]
Pro-Europeanism
Political positionCentre[4] to centre-left[5][6]
National affiliationIn coalition with SPOLU
European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours     Red
     Purple
     Blue
National Council
0 / 150
European Parliament
2 / 14
Local councils
3 / 2,904
Website
www.progresivne.sk

History
Original logo of Progressive Slovakia

The party was registered with the Slovak Interior Ministry on November 28, 2017, after the submission of 13,500 signatures.[11] The party's founding congress was held on January 20, 2018, which resulted in Ivan Štefunko being elected as the party's chairman. Štefunko views the left–right political spectrum as obsolete, instead aiming for the party to be a centrist and liberal political movement, claiming that "Slovakia is full of people who want a modern, open and European country".[12] However, Štefunko stepped down as the party's leader in 2019 following criticism of his past involvement in business and politics, although the official reasoning for his resignation was health issues.[13] Štefunko was replaced by former deputy leader Michal Truban.[14] Truban is an IT professional, an entrepreneur, and an anti-corruption activist, who also favors digitalization of governance and bureaucracy.[13]

Zuzana Čaputová, who was a former member of Progressive Slovakia, became the first female president in Slovakia's history.

The party first gained attention in 2018 when its favored candidate, Matúš Vallo, won the municipal elections in Bratislava, and subsequently became the city's mayor.[13] After the 2019 Slovak presidential election, the victory of Progressive Slovakia's presidential candidate, 45-year-old lawyer Zuzana Čaputová,[15] was hailed by international media commentators as a victory of liberalism over right-wing populism.[16] According to Professor Michael Rossi, Čaputová's popularity is related to her appeal as an outsider amidst frustration over political corruption and clientelism among the electorate. Čaputová first gained fame as a campaigner against a toxic waste dump created by real estate brokers who were connected to the ruling Smer-SD, which led to many commentators describing her as the "Slovak Erin Brokovich".[16] While campaigning for the presidency, Čaputová focused on the issues of corruption, inflation, justice, the environment, and overhaul of healthcare, and ran on the slogan "stand up to evil". She stayed silent on the issue of immigration and open borders, which most Slovaks are opposed to, and was the only major candidate not to condemn the Global Compact on Migration.[17][18]

The party also got the highest share in the 2019 European Parliament election in Slovakia, earning over 20.1% of the vote and becoming the largest party represented in the Slovak section of the European Parliament, with the establishment Smer-SD's 15.7% and the neo-fascist Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia's 12.1%.[19] For the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, Progressive Slovakia signed a cooperation agreement and non-aggression pact with former president Andrej Kiska's extra-parliamentary Za ľudí (For the People) party and the Christian Democratic Movement.[20][21] However on election day, in rather stunning fashion, the PS/Spolu coalition narrowly missed on entering the National Council after finishing with 6.96% of the vote,[22] as coalitions must reach a threshold of 7% in order to enter parliament.[9]

Electoral performance

Presidential elections
Election Candidate First round result Second round result
Votes %Votes Result Votes %Votes Result
2019 Zuzana Čaputová 870,415[23] 40.57%[24] Qualified 1,056,582[25] 58.41%[26] Won

Parliamentary elections
Year Leader Vote Vote % Seats Place Government
2020 Michal Truban 200,780 6.96
0 / 150
 5th Extra-parliamentary

European elections
Year Leader Vote Vote % Seats Place Government
2019 Michal Šimečka 20.1[19]
2 / 14
 1 –

Leaders
  • Ivan Štefunko (2018–2019)
  • Michal Truban (2019–2020)
  • Irena Biháriová (2020-)

See also

Footnotes
  1. "The political framework of Slovakia". Nordea trade. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  2. "Human Rights and Civic Society". Progressive Together (in Slovak). Progressive Slovakia. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. "Petra Balejová - For a Fair and Proud Slovakia". Progressive Together (in Slovak). Progressive Slovakia. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  4. "Ursula von der Leyen: Parliament vote puts EU politics to the test". EURACTIV. 15 July 2019. MEP Martin Hojsík, from the centrist Progressive Slovakia-Renew Europe, said VDL’s views on the climate and biodiversity were optimistic.
  5. Rohac, Dalibor (11 March 2019). "A Rebuke for Populism?". The American Interest. New political parties emerged, one on the center-Left (Progressive Slovakia) and another on the center-Right (SPOLU-Civic Democracy), both backing Ms. Čaputová in her run for president.
  6. "Slovakia". Europe Elects. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  7. Peter Daubner (3 June 2019). "The Slovak Paradox". Transform Europe. The winner of the EP election, surprisingly, is a coalition of two new political parties: the liberal, progressive, pro-European Progressive Slovakia and the liberal conservative center-right TOGETHER - Civic Democracy (Spolu – Občianska demokracia).
  8. Daniel Matthews-Ferrero; Patrik Fritz; Robert Steenland (24 April 2019). "EU country briefing: Slovakia". EURACTIV. Recent presidential elections were seen as a crossroads: sticking with the old establishment in the form of SMER-supported EC Vice-President for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, or a desire for change embodied in the political novice Zuzana Čaputová from the relatively new social liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party.
  9. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Slovakia". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  10. Teraz.sk (11 November 2018). "Hnutie Progresívne Slovensko sa stalo členom liberálnej ALDE". TERAZ.sk.
  11. "Interior Ministry registers new political party: Progressive Slovakia". The Slovak Spectator. 29 November 2017.
  12. "Newly launched Progressive Slovakia aims for 20 percent of the vote in the next election". The Slovak Spectator. 22 January 2018.
  13. Potočár, Libor (6 May 2019). "Čaputová's Progressive Slovakia Party on the rise ahead of EU elections". Kafkadesk. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  14. Jeseňák, Šimon (18 November 2019). "Michal Truban: Nemám dojem, že sme Kisku odplašili". .týždeň (in Slovak). Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  15. "Zuzana Čaputová elected President of Slovakia". TASS. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  16. Rossi, Michael (14 June 2019). "Slovakia's 'progressive turn' is a rejection of corruption – not a stand against populism". EUROPP—European Politics and Policy. London School of Economics. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  17. Lindsay, Frey. "Will Slovakia's New Progressive President Change Anything On Migration?". Forbes. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  18. Walker, Shaun (13 April 2019). "Zuzana Čaputová, the spiritual liberal who beat Slovakia's populists". The Observer. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  19. Jancarikova, Tatiana (26 May 2019). "Liberal coalition Progressive Slovakia/Together wins EU vote in Slovakia". Reuters. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  20. "Kiska: We will defeat Fico". The Slovak Spectator. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  21. "For the People Joins Non-Aggression Pact of PS-Together and KDH". News Agency of the Slovak Republic. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  22. "Valid Votes Cast for Political Parties by Territorial Division". The Election to the National Council of the Slovak Republic—29th February 2020. Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 1 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  23. "Morality, decency and change. What do voters want from Zuzana Čaputová?". The Slovak Spectator. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  24. "Zuzana Caputova becomes 1st female president in Slovak history". China Daily. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  25. "Presidential election: Slovaks did not elect "a woman" but "the woman"". The Slovak Spectator. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  26. Ige, Olugbenga (31 March 2019). "Slovaks Elect Caputova As First Female President". Concise News. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
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