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Opposition Parties in Slovakia by Vanessa Klingberg
Aliancia
Nového Obcana (ANO – Alliance of the new citizen) (ANO
is the Slovak word for “yes”) The
ANO was founded in April 2001. It aims at promoting free enterprises by
reducing the influence of the Slovak state on the economy. The
ANO set up a common list of candidates for the December 2001 elections in
the region Bratislava together with the governing parties SDKU, KDH, DS
and SMK. HZDS – Movement for a democratic Slovakia Pravá
Slovenská Národná strana (PSNS – The true Slovak national party) The
PSNS was founded in October 2001 by former members of the SNS. The program
of the PSNS does not differ
from the program of the SNS, it opposes the “preference given to the
Hungarian minority” and views the Slovak society as being threatened by
the “ever more impertinent gypsies”. The PSNS further opposes a Slovak
membership in the NATO. All
other parties have ruled out a future coalition with the PSNS and SNS. SDL
– Party of the democratic Left Smer
(Direction) Smer
was founded in 2000. Slovenská
Národná Strana (SNS – Slovak national party) The
SNS was in government together with the HZDS until 1998. It is right-wing
extremist and nationalistic and, in the past, attacked the Roma and the
Hungarian minority verbally. It opposes a membership of Slovakia in the
NATO. All
other parties have ruled out a future coalition with the SNS and PSNS. SOP – Party of middle-class?/bourgeois? communication (Partei der bürgerlichen Verständigung) The
SOP is a liberal party.
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