National Council of Slovakia explained

National Council of the Slovak Republic
Native Name:Národná rada Slovenskej republiky
Native Name Lang:sk
Coa Pic:Národná rada Slovenskej republiky Logo.svg
Coa Res:300px
House Type:Unicameral
Leader1 Type:Speaker
Leader1:Peter Žiga
Party1:Hlas
Election1:7 April 2024 (acting)[1]
Leader2 Type:Deputy speakers
Leader2:Andrej Danko
Party2:SNS
Election2:25 October 2023
Leader3 Type:
Leader3:Tibor Gašpar
Party3:Smer
Election3:27 June 2024
Leader4 Type:
Leader4:Peter Žiga
Party4:Hlas
Election4:25 October 2023
Leader5 Type:
Leader5:Michal Šimečka
Party5:PS
Election5:25 October 2023
Members:150
Political Groups1:Government (79)

Opposition (71)

Voting System1:Open list proportional representation with a 5% electoral threshold (7% for two-, three-party alliances; 10% for four-or-more party alliance) allocated under the largest remainder method with Hagenbach-Bischoff quota
Last Election1:30 September 2023
Next Election1:2027
Session Room:National Council of the Slovak Republic, Bratislava, Slovakia.jpg
Meeting Place:Parliament Building, Bratislava
Committees1:19 Committees
Foundation:1 January 1993, 30 years ago
Preceded By:Slovak National Council
Federal Assembly

The National Council of the Slovak Republic (Slovak: Národná rada Slovenskej republiky, abbreviated to NR SR) is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral and consists of 150 members, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation with seats distributed via largest remainder method with Hagenbach-Bischoff quota every four years.[2]

Slovakia's parliament has been called the 'National Council' since 1 October 1992. From 1969 to 1992, its predecessor, the parliament of the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia, was called the Slovak National Council (Slovak: Slovenská národná rada).

The National Council approves domestic legislation, constitutional laws, and the annual budget. Its consent is required to ratify international treaties, and is responsible for approving military operations. It also elects individuals to some positions in the executive and judiciary, as specified by law.[3]

The parliament building is in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital, next to Bratislava Castle in Alexander Dubček Square.

Functions

The 150-seat unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic is Slovakia's sole constitutional and legislative body.[4] It considers and approves the constitution, constitutional amendments, and other legislation.[5] It approves the state budget.[5] It elects some officials specified by law, as well as justices of the Constitutional Court and the prosecutor general.[6] [7] Prior to their ratification, the parliament also should approve all important international treaties.[5] Moreover, it gives consent for dispatching of military forces outside of Slovakia's territory and for the presence of foreign military forces on the territory of the Slovak Republic.[5]

Decision-making

The parliament may vote only if a majority of all its members (76) are present. To pass a decision, the approval of a simple majority of all MPs present is required. Almost all legal acts can be adopted by this relative majority. An absolute majority (76 votes) is required to pass a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet or its members, or to elect and recall the Council's speaker or the deputy speakers. A qualified majority of 3/5 of all deputies (at least 90 votes) is required for the adoption of a constitution or a constitutional statute.[8]

Committees of the National Council

Standing committees and current leadership are listed below.

CommitteePresidentGroup
Mandate and Immunity Committee
(Slovak: Mandátový a imunitný výbor)
Marián SaloňSmer-SD
Function Incompatibility Committee
(Slovak: Výbor pre nezlučiteľnosť funkcií)
Veronika RemišováOĽaNO
Committee for European Affairs
(Slovak: Výbor pre európske záležitosti)
Ján FerenčákSmer-SD
Constitutional Committee
(Slovak: Ústavnoprávny výbor)
Miroslav ČellárSmer-SD
Committee for Finance and Budget
(Slovak: Výbor pre financie a rozpočet)
Ján BlcháčHlas-SD
Committee for Economic Affairs
(Slovak: Výbor pre ekonomické záležitosti)
Róbert PuciHlas-SD
Committee for Agriculture and the Environment
(Slovak: Výbor pre pôdohospodárstvo a životné prostredie)
Rudolf HuliakSNS
Committee for Public Administration and Regional Development
(Slovak: Výbor pre verejnú správu a regionálny rozvoj)
Michal ŠipošOĽaNO
Committee for Social Affairs
(Slovak: Výbor pre sociálne veci)
Ján RichterSmer-SD
Committee for Health
(Slovak: Výbor pre zdravotníctvo)
Vladimir BalážSmer-SD
Committee for Defence and Security
(Slovak: Výbor pre obranu a bezpečnosť)
Tibor GašparSmer-SD
Foreign Committee
(Slovak: Zahraničný výbor)
Marián KérySmer-SD
Committee for Education, Science, Youth and Sport
(Slovak: Výbor pre vzdelávanie, vedu, mládež a šport)
Jozef HabánikSmer-SD
Committee for Culture and Media
(Slovak: Výbor pre kultúru a médiá)
Roman MichelkoSNS
Committee for Human Rights and National Minorities
(Slovak: Výbor pre ľudské práva a národnostné menšiny)
Lucia PlavákováPS
Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the NBU
(Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu čiinosti NBÚ)
Roman MikulecOĽaNO
Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the SIS
(Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu čiinosti SIS)
Mária KolíkováSaS
Special Control Committee to Control the Activities of the Military Intelligence
(Slovak: Osobitný kontrolný výbor pre kontrolu činnosti Vojenského Spravodajstva)
Tomáš ValášekPS
Committee for Review of Decisions of the NBU
(Slovak: Výbor na preskúmavanie rozhodnutí NBÚ)
Irena BihariováPS

Speakers

See main article: List of speakers of Slovak parliaments.

The current speaker of the Slovak National Council is Peter Pellegrini.[9]

Structure of former legislatures

The length of the bars underneath represents each party's electoral performance. The difference in the total width of the bars is due to the election threshold of 5%; this threshold prevents a varying number of small parties from entering the National Council (most notably, after the 1994 election).

227486311422
2918741415
1813151761179
231342431514
11251528153620
503114152020
62142815229
831311161611
4910111921111514
381253131717
42273216111210

Elections

Members of the parliament are elected directly for a 4-year term, under the proportional system. Although the suffrage is universal, only a citizen who has the right to vote, has attained 18 years of age and has permanent residency in the Slovak Republic is eligible to be elected. Similarly to the Netherlands and Israel, the whole country forms one multi-member constituency. The election threshold is 5%. Voters may indicate their preferences within the semi-open list. Parliamentary elections were last held in 2023.

Latest election

2023 Slovak Parliamentary Election

Members (1990–present)

Buildings

The main parliament building is situated next to the Bratislava Castle on the castle hill. The building is insufficiently large to accommodate all officials and representatives. This is because it its construction started in 1986 during the Czechoslovak period as a building for the Federal Parliament, which usually met in Prague.[10] The secondary parliament building, the Zhupa house, which was the main building until 1994, is situated at Župné square next to the Trinitarian Church below the castle hill in Bratislava.

External links

48.1419°N 17.0972°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Katuška . Michal . Pellegrini sa už nepovažuje za poslanca. Po zvolení konal inak ako Schuster . SME Domov . PETIT PRESS, a. s. . 8 April 2024 . sk . 8 April 2024.
  2. 180/2014 . 29 May 2014 . 68 . Article . National Council of the Slovak Republic . Zákon o podmienkach výkonu volebného práva a o zmene a doplnení niektorých zákonov . Act on the Conditions for the Exercise of the Right to Vote and on Amendments to Certain Acts .
  3. Web site: Postavenie a právomoci. NR SR. sk. 20 May 2020.
  4. Constitution . 1992 . 72 . Article . National Council of the Slovak Republic . Constitution of the Slovak Republic . 29 .
  5. Constitution . 1992 . 86 . Article . National Council of the Slovak Republic . Constitution of the Slovak Republic . 33 .
  6. Constitution . 1992 . 134 . Article . National Council of the Slovak Republic . Constitution of the Slovak Republic . 52 .
  7. Web site: Postavenie a právomoci . Status and powers . National Council of the Slovak Republic . 26 May 2020 . sk.
  8. Constitution . 1992 . 84 . Article . National Council of the Slovak Republic . Constitution of the Slovak Republic . 32 .
  9. News: Kollára zvolili za predsedu parlamentu. Väčšina výborov pozná svojich šéfov. Michal. Svítok. 20 March 2020. Pravda.sk. sk. 20 May 2020.
  10. Web site: Slovakia May Hold Key to Euro Debt Bailout. Nicholas. Kulish. 7 October 2011. 15 December 2017. The New York Times.