Wikipedia

Progressive Slovakia

Progressive Slovakia (Slovak: Progresívne Slovensko, PS) is a liberal and social-liberal political party in Slovakia established in 2017. The party is led by Michal Šimečka, a former Vice President of the European Parliament. It is a member of the Renew Europe group and is a full member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party. PS currently has 6 MEPs: Ľudovít Ódor (former Prime Minister of Slovakia), Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (a former journalist), Martin Hojsík, Michal Wiezik (both environmental activists), Ľubica Karvašová, and Lucia Yar.

Progressive Slovakia
Progresívne Slovensko
AbbreviationPS
LeaderMichal Šimečka
Deputy leaders
See list
FounderIvan Štefunko
Founded27 November 2017; 7 years ago (2017-11-27)
HeadquartersGrösslingová 2478/4, 81109 Bratislava
Think tankProgressive Institute
Youth wingYoung Progressives
Membership (2022)Decrease 609[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre
European affiliationAlliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
European Parliament groupRenew Europe
Colours  Capri
Slogan"We create the future together" (2023)[2]
National Council
33 / 150
European Parliament
6 / 15
Regional governors
1 / 8
Regional deputies[a][3]
38 / 419
Mayors[a][3]
9 / 2,904
Local councils[a][3]
302 / 20,462
Website
www.progresivne.sk

Zuzana Čaputová, the Former president of Slovakia who is also the co-founder and former deputy leader of PS who won the 2019 Slovak presidential election, was nominated by the party for the election, focusing her campaign on themes of anti-corruption, environmentalism, and pro-Europeanism. In the National Council, it was first represented by deputy Tomáš Valášek elected for For the People, which he left in 2021. In local politics, PS has a dominant position in Bratislava, cooperating with Team Bratislava and Freedom and Solidarity.

History

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The party was registered as Progressive Slovakia (PS) with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic on 27 November 2017, after the submission of 13,500 signatures.[4] The party's founding congress was held on 20 January 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".[5] 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 due to health issues.[6] Štefunko was replaced by former deputy leader Michal Truban.[7] Truban is an IT professional, an entrepreneur, and an anti-corruption activist who also favors digitalization of governance and bureaucracy.[6]

 
Zuzana Čaputová, co-founder and former deputy leader of Progressive Slovakia, became the first country's female president, as well as the youngest president in the history of Slovakia

PS first gained attention in 2018 when Matúš Vallo, its favored candidate, won the 2018 municipal elections in Bratislava, and subsequently became the city's mayor.[6] After the 2019 Slovak presidential election, the victory of its presidential candidate, 45-year-old lawyer Zuzana Čaputová,[8] was hailed by international media commentators as a victory of liberalism over populism.[9] According to political scientist 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 Brockovich".[9] 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 were opposed to, and was the only major candidate not to condemn the Global Compact for Migration.[10][11]

PS 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 Smer-SD's 15.7% and the neo-fascist Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia's 12.1%.[12] For the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, PS signed a cooperation agreement and non-aggression pact with former president Andrej Kiska's extra-parliamentary For the People party and the Christian Democratic Movement.[13][14] In an upset on election day, the PS/SPOLU coalition narrowly missed on entering the National Council after finishing with 6.96% of the vote,[15] as coalitions must reach a threshold of 7% in order to enter Parliament.[16]

Ideology

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Progressive Slovakia is generally described as social-liberal,[17] as well as liberal.[18][19][20] The party is socially progressive,[20] holding culturally liberal views,[21] and is pro-European.[19][22] PS is economically liberal,[23] and occasionally called neoliberal.[24][25] PS also support queer rights, such as same-sex unions and same-sex marriage. In its communication, the party uses gender-balanced language and presents gender-equal lists in all elections.[19][26] The party refuses to cooperate with the "extremist parties" and the center-left Direction – Social Democracy.[27]

The party's position on the political spectrum is nuanced, and has been debated. Internationally, PS has been generally described as centrist,[24][28][29] or centre-left.[30][31][32] Slovak politologist Darina Malová positioned the party on the left-wing of the political spectrum, labeling them a "modern left-wing" party; she distinguished them from the "old school" left-wing Slovak parties, such as Direction – Social Democracy.[33] Despite this, the party is generally associated with the centre-right in Slovakia,[34] with the majority of its voters describing themselves as right-wing.[35][36]

Following the 2023 parliamentary election, in which Progressive Slovakia became the main opposition, the party, under Michal Šimečka's leadership, is making a strategic shift towards a more centrist position. PS aims to broaden its appeal to rural voters and non-urban regions, moving away from its previous image as a "Bratislava party." This shift includes a focus on defending democratic values, institutions, and the rule of law, with Šimečka describing its current role as paradoxically taking on a "conservative role" to protect existing democratic structures while remaining open to compromise on specific programmatic issues. The inclusion of figures such as Ľudovít Ódor and Ivan Korčok in the leadership reflects a more technocratic and moderate approach, emphasizing PS's pro-European stance and its attempt to expand its base in upcoming elections, including regional and local contests.[37][38][39]

European representation

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In the European Parliament, PS sits in the Renew Europe group with two MEPs.[40][41] The party joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party in November 2018.[42] In the European Committee of the Regions, PS sits in the Renew Europe CoR group with one full member for the 2020–2025 mandate.[43]

Election results

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National Council

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Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
2020 Michal Truban 200,780
7.0%
 5th
0 / 150
 Extra-parliamentary
In coalition with Together – Civic Democracy, which did not win any seat.
2023 Michal Šimečka 533,136
18.0%
 2nd
32 / 150
   32 Opposition

European Parliament

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Election List leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– EP Group
2019 Michal Šimečka 198,255
20.1%
 1st
2 / 14
 RE
In coalition with Together – Civic Democracy, which won 4 seats in total.
2024 Ľudovít Ódor 410,844
27.8%
 1st
6 / 15
   4 RE

Presidential

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Election Candidate First round Second round
Votes % Rank Votes % Rank
2019 Zuzana Čaputová 870,415
40.6%
 1st 1,056,582
58.4%
 1st
2024 Endorsed
Ivan Korčok 		958,393
42.5%
 1st 1,243,709
46.9%
 2nd

Party chairpersons

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Chairperson Year
1 Ivan Štefunko 2018–2019
2 Michal Truban 2019–2020
3 Irena Bihariová 2020–2022
4 Michal Šimečka 2022–present

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Also with coalitions

References

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  1. ^ "Výročná správa politického hnutia: Progresívne Slovensko" (PDF). Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (in Slovak). 2022. p. 38.
  2. ^ "Fiasko, zavádzanie aj nevyužitá šanca. Ako hodnotia billboardovú kampaň odborníci na marketing?". 13 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c https://www.volbysr.sk/oso/sk/suhrnne_vysledky.html Archived 31 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL]
  4. ^ "Interior Ministry registers new political party: Progressive Slovakia". The Slovak Spectator. 29 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Newly launched Progressive Slovakia aims for 20 percent of the vote in the next election". The Slovak Spectator. 22 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Potočár, Libor (6 May 2019). "Čaputová's Progressive Slovakia Party on the rise ahead of EU elections". Kafkadesk. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  7. ^ Jeseňák, Šimon (18 November 2019). "Michal Truban: Nemám dojem, že sme Kisku odplašili". Týždeň (in Slovak). Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Zuzana Čaputová elected President of Slovakia". TASS. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ Lindsay, Frey. "Will Slovakia's New Progressive President Change Anything On Migration?". Forbes. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  11. ^ Walker, Shaun (13 April 2019). "Zuzana Čaputová, the spiritual liberal who beat Slovakia's populists". The Observer. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  12. ^ Jancarikova, Tatiana (26 May 2019). "Liberal coalition Progressive Slovakia/Together wins EU vote in Slovakia". Reuters. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Kiska: We will defeat Fico". The Slovak Spectator. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  14. ^ "For the People Joins Non-Aggression Pact of PS-Together and KDH". News Agency of the Slovak Republic. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2023). "Slovakia". Parties and Elections in Europe.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ "The Capitals: Präsidentinnen, Klimademonstrationen, Homophobie". Euractiv. 18 March 2019. Die Anwältin Čaputová von der liberalen Partei „Fortschrittliche Slowakei" wäre im Falle eines Sieges die erste Frau im Präsidentenamt des Landes.
  19. ^ a b c "Der globale Stresstest 2020". Der Spiegel. 31 December 2019. Ob ihre liberale, proeuropäische Partei 'Fortschrittliche Slowakei' an ihren Erfolg anknüpfen kann, oder doch wie in den Nachbarländern rechtspopulistische Kräfte triumphieren, wird sich bei der Parlamentswahl am 29. Februar zeigen.
  20. ^ a b Peter Daubner (3 June 2019). "The Slovak Paradox". Transform Europe. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2020. 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).
  21. ^ Lang, Kai-Olaf; Walther, Eva-Maria (27 February 2020). "Slowakei: Neuanfang mit Unbekannten". German Institute for International and Security Affairs.
  22. ^ Teraz.sk (11 November 2018). "Hnutie Progresívne Slovensko sa stalo členom liberálnej ALDE". TERAZ.sk.
  23. ^ Müller, Peter; Reiermann, Christian (14 March 2018). "Macron Eyes Expanding His Movement Across Europe". Der Spiegel. And in Slovakia, a new left-leaning economic liberal party called Progressive Slovakia was founded last year based on the En Marche! model.
  24. ^ a b Michael Rossi (14 June 2019). "Slovakia's 'progressive turn' is a rejection of corruption – not a stand against populism". London School of Economics. Even within party ideology, Progressive Slovakia identifies closest with France's 'La République En Marche!' the party of Emmanuel Macron, which may be pro-European, but is avowedly neoliberal centrist.
  25. ^ "Presidential Elections in Slovakia". Transform Europe. 24 May 2019. Zuzana Čaputová, the candidate of the non-parliamentary neoliberal party 'Progressive Slovakia', has won the second round of presidential elections with 58% of votes.
  26. ^ "PS predstavilo návrhy, ktorými chce zabrániť odchodu mladých zo SR". spravy.pravda.sk (in Slovak). 23 May 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  27. ^ Marcišiak, Marcel (25 January 2022). "Michal Šimečka z PS: Zo spolupráce vylučujeme Smer, Hlas a extrémistov, problém je aj Matovič s Kollárom". TVNOVINY.sk.
  28. ^ "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.
  29. ^ Marianne Kneuer; Darina Malová; Frank Bönker (2022). "Slovakia Report" (PDF). Bertelsmann Stiftung. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ "Kto je kto. Průvodce slovenskými politickými stranami". ct24.ceskatelevize.cz (in Czech). 1 March 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  32. ^ Morway, Peter (20 January 2018). "Slovensko asi konečne má demokratickú ľavicovú stranu. Otázka je, či má dosť demokratických ľavicových voličov". Denník N.
  33. ^ "Aká je ľavica na Slovensku? Od exkomunistov po Fica a Progresívne Slovensko". aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 4 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  34. ^ Aktuality.sk (6 September 2024). "Z Progresívneho Slovenska sa stáva pravica, z Demokratov strana Igora Matoviča (komentár Martina Behula)". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  35. ^ Mikušovič, Dušan (26 January 2020). "Focus: OĽaNO dobieha Kisku a Trubana, Kotleba má taký pomer mladých ako PS/Spolu". Denník N.
  36. ^ Sliz, Martin (19 May 2021). "Vzniká priestor pre novú politickú silu? Rast Hlasu sa zastavil, progresívci sa viac vyhraňujú". Aktuality.sk.
  37. ^ "Šimečka pokračuje, Plaváková končí: Progresívci chcú prevziať „konzervatívnu rolu" a robiť ústupky v programe". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  38. ^ "Korčok vstupuje do Progresívneho Slovenska. Jedinou cestou je podpora strany, ktorá môže poraziť Fica, vraví". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  39. ^ "Michal Šimečka pochopil, že Progresívne Slovensko musí byť menej progresívne (komentár Martina Behula)". {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  40. ^ "Home | Martin HOJSÍK | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 27 January 1977. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  41. ^ "Home | Michal ŠIMEČKA | MEPs | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 10 May 1984. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  42. ^ "Four new member parties join the ALDE Party".
  43. ^ "CoR Members Page".
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