A parliamentary election will take place in Slovakia on 10 March 2012. The election follows the fall of Prime Minister Iveta Radičová's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party-led coalition in October 2011 over a no confidence vote her government failed because of its support for the European Financial Stability Fund.
Background
On 11 October 2011, the National Council of the Slovak Republic, the parliament of Slovakia, voted on whether to approve the expansion of the European Financial Stability Fund. As Slovakia was the last eurozone country to vote on the measure, prime minister Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ) made it a vote of confidence. The motion was called on the grounds, according to the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, that Slovakia, the second poorest eurozone country, should not bailout richer countries such as Greece and for bank re-capitalisation. The motion then failed by 21 votes after SaS and Direction – Social Democracy (Smer–SD) abstained.[1][2]
Smer then came to an agreement with the governing coalition to support the measure in what party chairman and former prime minister Robert Fico called "the most important document of this period." He also explained the first round rejection of the measure as "saying 'no' to a rightist government, but we're saying 'yes' to the rescue fund." As per the agreement between the two parties, foreign minister Mikuláš Dzurinda (SDKÚ) said that, in return for Smer's support, a snap election would be called: "We decided that as the first point of [Thursday's] parliamentary session, we will work on a proposal to shorten the voting period, with the goal of organising an election on 10 March. Immediately after [13 October or 14 October] we will debate proposals related to the EFSF."[3] On 13 October, following pressures from the European Union, which were in turn warned by the United States and China to get its finances in order, the motion was passed by a vote of 114–30 with 3 abstentions.[4]
In the run-up to the election, the Gorilla scandal (secret recordings of leading politicians in 2005–2006 showing political corruption) shook the political scene. The scandal will likely hurt the SDKÚ.[5] A new centre-right party, Ordinary People, might enter parliament according to polls,[6] but Smer–SD, the favourite in the election, may not secure a full majority due to the emergence of another new party named 99 Percent – Civic Voice (99%).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_parliamentary_election,_2012
