After chaotic autumn negotiations and pressure for early elections, voters will finally go to the polls. Parliament decided on it early Tuesday evening. Deputies approved the resolution shortening the election period and early elections will be held on September 30. The parties of the former coalition OĽaNO, Sme rodina, SaS and Za lúdí agreed on the date of September 30.

Despite the loud noises from the corridors and the doubts of the opposition, 92 MPs voted for the autumn term, despite the fact that the two coalition MPs Marek Hattas (SaS) and Peter Kremský (OĽaNO) were on a foreign trip. It was almost all the deputies who also voted for the amendment of the constitution. Instead of Hattas and Kremský, György Gyimesi from OĽaNO and unaffiliated MP Martin Čepček (OĽaNO), who originally voted against the constitutional change, gave their votes to the coalition instead of Hattas and Kremský. 148 deputies were present in the hall, 54 deputies were against and two abstained.

Before that, two amendments from the workshop of two opposition parties were also voted on. Both sides better sooner. The head of Smer, Robert Fico, wanted elections on May 27, and the leader of Hlas, Peter Pellegrini, on June 24. Neither of the proposals received enough support, 75 MPs voted for both.

Čaputová respects this, but raises a warning finger

Parliament Speaker Boris Kollár (We are a family) now has to make an early announcement. According to the resolution, I can register them no earlier than 130 and no later than 110 days before they take place. Finally, Miloš Svrček (We are a family) withdrew his amendment proposal, so that they could register already 242 days before the election (that is, already on February 1). Today, the announcement of the election will begin the pre-election campaign. Candidates for the elections must form their parties by July 2 at the latest. Until then, they must also create their party bodies according to what they will have in the statutes.

In response, President Zuzana Čaputová stated that she respects that the constitutional majority agrees on the date of early elections. “Today’s decision of the parliament is the only result of the fact that the government was dismissed in December and it lost the legitimacy to rule until the end of the regular election period,” he wrote, adding that although the parliament made the decision at the last minute, it will not appoint an official government.

“However, I remind you that in case of fundamental failures of the temporarily appointed government of Eduard Heger, I am always ready to ensure that there is time left until the appointment of an official government,” she added. According to SaS leader Richard Sulík, it was a clear agreement. “I would have preferred to make such a difficult agreement with our former partners, especially when Igor Matovič is not in the government, as they say one thing and then sulk,” he said.