Slovakia

I

Communications

Slovakia has 13 daily newspapers, of which the most important dailies are Novy Cas and Pravda. Daily circulation in 2000 was around 705,000. Slovak Television is the major television broadcaster, and there are also private networks. In 2005 Slovakia had 222 telephones per 1,000 people, plus a total of 5 million radios and 2 million televisions.

V

Government

Slovakia is a constitutional republic, governed under a constitution adopted in September 1, 1992, as part of the process of partition of the former Czechoslovakia. This draws on the preceding Czechoslovak political reforms enacted following the collapse of Communism.

A

Executive and Legislature

The head of state of Slovakia is the president, who is elected by the people. The president serves a five-year term for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The president appoints the prime minister, who heads the executive government and with the president appoints the Cabinet.

The parliament is a unicameral body called the National Council, and consists of 150 deputies who are directly elected by popular vote under a proportional representation franchise. The council derives from the Slovak federal legislature of the former Czechoslovakia. Deputies serve for a four-year term.

B

Political Parties

Major political parties in Slovakia include the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS; Hnutie za Demokratické Slovensko); the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party (SDKÙ; Slovenska Demokraticka a Krest’anska Unia-Demokratická strana); the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK; Strana Mad’arskej Koalície); the Direction-Social Democracy (Smer; Sociálna Demokracia); the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH; Krest’ansko-Demokratické Hnutie); the Slovak National Party (SNS; Slovenská Národná Strana); the New Civic Alliance (ANO; Aliancia Nového Občana); and the Slovak Communist Party (KSS; Komunisticeská Strana Slovenska). However, party alliances can shift rapidly, and a coalition government is usually formed. There are numerous small parties, some representing Hungarian and other minorities, others representing farmers or other special-interest groups.

C

Judiciary

The judicial system includes a constitutional court and four types of court: civil, criminal, commercial, and administrative (dealing with private claims against state bodies). There are regional and district courts. Judicial decisions are normally reached at the regional level by a panel of five judges. The ten judges of the constitutional court are nominated by the president for seven-year terms.