Slovak Republic

Youth Empowerment Project For the Institute for Go-Governance, Vienna www.go-governance.com

Slovak Republic

By Maros Lauer, Assistant Go-Governance, Summer 2014

Project Leader and Series Editor Dr Melanie Sully, [email protected]

Content

1. Definition of the term 2. Young members of representative bodies 2.1. National Council of the Slovak Republic 2.2. European parliament members and candidates 2.3. Age structure of self-governing regions members and candidates 2.4. The elections to the municipality self-government bodies 2.5. Presidential elections 3. Government and current and past young ministers 4. Election turnout 5. Youth organizations 5.1. Political parties youth organizations 5.2. Youth projects and fora 6. Selection process of the candidates 7. Generation gap or inter-generation projects

Definition of the Term „Youth“

For the purpose of this project I chose the definiton of young people to be those in the population under 35. My decision was influenced by the region I was given to examine. The minimum age to become a parliament member is 21, while for the president of a self-governing region it is 25.

I will examine the age distribution among parliament members later, but concerning the age limit for young people I should like at the outset to state one important fact - only one MP is younger than 30 years (he is 28). In addition most of the political organizations for youth in Slovakia have an age limit of 35 (the Young liberals have 33).1

There are in Slovakia 509598 inhabitants under 35 out of 5 410 836 in 2012, that is 9.45 of the total population.2

1http://www.novageneracia.sk/statut-ng/, http://www.kdms.sk/node/223, http://odm.sk/wp- content/uploads/2014/05/rokovaci.pdf, http://www.mladiliberali.sk/stanovy.pdf 2Population pyramides of the SR, 1945- 2012. Availableonline: http://portal.statistics.sk/showdoc.do?docid=38647 3

Young members of Representative Bodies

National Council of the Slovak Republic

According to the Act No. 333/2004 on Elections to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, paragraph 3, the candidate must be on the day of election at least 21 years old and have a permanent address in Slovakia and be a Slovak citizen .According to paragraphs 34 and 35, any Slovak citizen can send their votes via post, regardless of permanent adress or presence in the country on the day of elections. The voting age is 18, and this is the case for 3 other elections in Slovakia.

There are 9 parliament members under 35 years.4 The youngest one is 28 elected as a candidate of the biggest party in the Slovakian parliament, (social democrat).5 The Social Democratic Party has 6 MPs younger than 35, however it has more than 50% of the total seats in parliament. The other 3 MPs younger than 35, all come from liberal parties (SaS - Freedom and Solidarity and Oľano - Odrinary people). The other parties, which could be marked as conservative, with 40 seats of 150 have no MPs younger 35 years. It´s noteworthy that all of them are men and there is no woman among MPs under 35.

Distribution of the seats among the political parties after the 2012 elections. Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/nrsr/nrsr2012/graf/graf2.jsp@lang=en.htm

List of the names of the political parties elected in last elections with their abbreviations and number of seats (English translation in brackets):

Smer - SociálnaDemokracia "SMER - SD" (Direction – Social Democracy) - 83 seats

3http://www.minv.sk/?volby-nrsr&subor=28282 4https://www.nrsr.sk/web/default.aspx?SectionId=60 5https://www.nrsr.sk/web/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci/poslanec&PoslanecID=869&CisObdobia=6 4

Kresťanskodemokratickéhnutie "KDH" (Christian Democratic Party) - 16 seats

OBYČAJNÍĽUDIA a nezávisléosobnost "OĽaNO" (Ordinary People and Independent Personalities) - 16 seats

"MOST - HÍD" (the Bridge) - 13 seats

Slovenskádemokratická a kresťanskáúnia – Demokratickástrana "SDKÚ - DS" (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party) - 11 seats

Sloboda a Solidarita "SaS" (Freedom and Solidarity) - 11seats

In the following tables we can see age the structure of the candidates to National Council in last 3 elections, as well as average age of candidate for both genders.

2006 Elections

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2006. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/nrsr/nrsr2006/angl/info/vek_mz.jsp.htm

The Party with the highest average age of the candidate was ASV - Agrárna strana vidieka (Agrarian country party) with 0,13% of valid votes.

The Party with the lowest average age of candidate was SDĽ - Strana demokratickej ľavice (Left demokrats party) with 0,12% of valid votes

2010 Elections

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2010. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/nrsr/nrsr2010/info/vekkand.jsp@lang=en.htm

The Party with the lowest average age of candidate was EDS - EURÓPSKA DEMOKRATICKÁ STRANA (European demokratic party) with 0,40% of valid votes

The Party with the highest average age of candidate was KSS - Komunistická strana Slovenska (Communist party of Slovakia) - 0,82% of valid votes

2012 Elections

Source:Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2012. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/nrsr/nrsr2012/info/vekkand.jsp@lang=en.htm

From the elected parties, the lowest average age of a candidate was from the SaS party - Sloboda a Solidarita (Freedom and Solidarity) - 5,88% of valid votes

The highest average age for candidate came from the SMER - SD party (Social democracy)- 44,41% of valid votes

European parliament members and candidates

According to the Act No. 331/2003 on European Parliament Elections, paragraph 3, the candidate must be at least 21on the day of election and should have a permanent address in Slovakia.6

In 2004 elections to EP the youngest representative elected was Monika Flašíková Beňová.7 She was 35 years old at that time and the second youngest elected representative was 43, while the average age of elected representatives was 50.

In 2009 elections to the European parliament the youngest elected candidate was just 26 years old.8 She was also the only elected MP under 35. However the average age of candidates rose to 53.

6http://www.minv.sk/?volby-ep&subor=33130 7http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/sk/23868/MONIKA_FLASIKOVA+BENOVA_home.html 7

In the last EP elections the youngest elected candidate was 40.9 The average age remained the same as in previous elections - 53 years.

In all of the elections the youngest candidate was a woman and since 2004 the average age of elected MPs has increased to 53 from 50 higher than for the national parliament.

Age structure of self-governing regions members and candidates

The Slovak Republic is divided into 8 self-governing regions. Each of them has its own parliament with directly elected members. The president of each region is elected during the same elections, but separately from other representatives. According to paragraph 3, Act No. 303/2001 on Elections to the Bodies of Self-governing Regions and on Amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure a candidate for the regional parliament must be at least 18 years old on the day of election, while according to paragraph 4 the candidate for president of the self governing region must be at least 25.10 This law applies to all of the regions. All regions vote on the same day.

Self-governing regions of the Slovak Republic

Source: Road Databank of Slovakia. Available online: http://www.cdb.sk/sk/Vystupy-CDB/Mapy- cestnej-siete-SR/Mapy-krajov.alej

8http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/cs/96653/mep_home.html 9http://www.nrsr.sk/web/Default.aspx?sid=poslanci/poslanec&PoslanecID=776 10http://www.minv.sk/?volby-vuc&subor=28281 8

The election to the bodies of self-governing regions 2013

The youngest candidate for president of the self-governing regions in Slovakia was 25 years old.

Current presidents of the self-governing regions:

Bratislavský samosprávny kraj (Bratislava self-governing region): President Pavel Frešo is 45 years old.11

Trnavský samosprávny kraj (Trnava self-governing region): President Tibor Mikuš is 61 years old.12

Nitriansky samosprávny kraj (Nitra self-govering region): President Milan Belica is 63 years old.13

Trenčiansky samosprávny kraj (Trenčín self-govering region): President Jaroslav Baška is 39 years old.14

Žilinský samosprávny kraj (Žilina self-governing region): President Juraj Blanár is 48 years old.15

Banskobystrický samosprávny kraj (Banská Bystrica self-governing region): President Marian Kotleba is 37 years old.16

Prešovský samosprávny kraj (Prešov self-govering region): President Peter Chudík is 53 years old.17

Košický samosprávny kraj (Košice self-governing region): President Zdenko Trebuľa is 58 years old.18

11http://www.region-bsk.sk/EN/article/chairman-393435.aspx 12http://www.trnava-vuc.sk/sk/otvorena-samosprava/predseda 13http://www.unsk.sk/showdoc.do?docid=2196 14http://www.tsk.sk/trenciansky-samospravny-kraj/predseda-tsk.html?page_id=144 15http://www.regionzilina.sk/en/zilina-selfgoverning-region/president-self-governing-region/ 16http://www.vucbb.sk/portal/samosprava/predseda-bbsk 17http://www.po-kraj.sk/en/self-governing/chairman/nova-web-stranka.html 18http://web.vucke.sk/en/President/ 9

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2013. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/osk/osk2013/VUC/osk_def_en.html

The election to the bodies of self-governing regions 2009

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2009. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/osk/osk2009/menu/indexv.jsp@lang=en.htm

The election to the bodies of self-governing regions 2005

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2005. Available online: http://volby.statistics.sk/osk/osk2005/angl/index.jsp.htm

The elections to the municipality self-government bodies

According to the Act No. 302/1998 on Elections to the Municipality Self-government Bodies, paragraph 3, the candidate must be on the day of election at least 18 years old.According to paragraph 4 the candidate for mayor must be at least 25.19

The mayor of the city of Bratislava, Milan Ftáčnik, is 57 years old.20

19http://www.minv.sk/?volby-oso&subor=28297 13

The mayor of the city of Nitra, Jozef Dvonč, is 60 years old.21

The mayor of the city of Trnava, Vladimír Butko, 58 years old.22

The mayor of the city of Trenčín, Richard Rybníček, is 41 years old.23

The mayor of the city of Žilina, Igor Choma, is 50 years old.24

The mayor of the city of Banská Bystrica, Peter Gogola, is 46 years old25

The mayor of the city of Košice, Richard Raši, is 43 years old.26

The mayor of the city of Prešov, Pavel Hagyari, is 57 years old.27

Presidental elections

Acording to theArticle 103 of the constitution of the Slovak Republic the presidental candidate must be at least 40 years old28 The other conditions and process of election is regulated by Act No. 46/1999 on Election of the President of the Slovak Republic and constituion of the Slovak Republic.29 Because of this fact, young people are not allowed to stand for this position, so we are just stating age of the youngest candidate and age of the elected candidate.

The election of the president of the Slovak Republic - 2014

Youngest candidate was Helena Mezenská - 40 years, the oldest 75 years old. Elected Andrej Kiska 51 years old.30

The election of the president of the Slovak Republic- 2009

The youngest candidate Zuzana Martináková, 47 years old. Elected Ivan Gašparovič, 67 years old.31

The election of the president of the Slovak Republic - 2004

The youngest candidate - Jozef Kalman, 51 years. Elected - Ivan Gasparovic - 6332

20http://www.bratislava.sk/vismo/o_osoba.asp?id_org=700000&id_o=78461&p1=11050151 21http://www.nitra.sk/stranka.php?cat.10 22http://www.unia-miest.sk/vismo/o_osoba.asp?id_org=600175&id_o=1053&p1=1330 23http://www.trencin.sk/en/15183 24http://www.zilina.sk/primator-mesta_2/ 25 http://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gogola 26http://www.kosice.sk/clanok.php?file=gov_primator2010-2014.htm 27http://www.unia-miest.sk/vismo/o_osoba.asp?id_org=600175&id_o=1007&p1=1330 28http://www.nrsr.sk/web/Static/en-US/NRSR/Dokumenty/constitution.doc Some english translations of the constitutuion mention 35 years as an age limit in presidential elections. That´s a mistake, all of the official slovak sources stating 40 years as a minimal age limit. 29http://www.minv.sk/?volba-prezidentsr&subor=29261 30http://volby.statistics.sk/prez/prez2014/Prezident-dv/vseobecne-informacie-en.html 31http://volby.statistics.sk/prez/prez2009/jsp/index.jsp@lang=en.htm# 14

Government and current and past young ministers

There are no such official posts held by politicians under 35. Prime Minister Robert Fico is 49 years old and the youngest minister is Peter Pellegrini, 39 years old. He is responsible for the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic.33 The youngest minister in the history of independent Slovakia was Daniel Lipšic - when he was appointed as a minister of justice, he was 29 years old.34

Government members and their age35

Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic - Robert Fico - 49 years old.

Minister of Interior of the Slovak Republic - Robert Kaliňák - 43 years old

Minister of Finance of the Slovak Republic - Peter Kažimír - 46 years old

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic - Miroslav Lajčák - 51 years old

Minister of Economy of the Slovak Republic - Pavol Pavlis - 53 years old

Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic - Martin Glváč - 46 years old

Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic - Ján Počiatek - 43 years old

Minister of Justice of the Slovak Republic - Tomáš Borec - 47 years old

Minister of Health of the Slovak Republic - Zuzana Zvolenská - 42 years old

Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic - Ján Richter - 57 years old

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic - Ľubomír Jahnátek - 59 years old

Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic - Marek Maďarič - 48 years old

Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport od the Slovak Republic - Peter Pellegrini - 39 years old

Minister of Environment of the Slovak Republic - Peter Žiga - 42 years old

32http://volby.statistics.sk/prez/prez2004/president/index.jsp.htm, http://www.infovolby.sk/index.php?base=data/prez/2009/kandidati/cv/1235515364.txt 33 http://www.vlada.gov.sk/clenovia-vlady /Accessed: 29.7.2014 34http://www.etrend.sk/trend-archiv/rok-/cislo-J%C3%BAl/daniel-lipsic-30-.html 35 http://www.vlada.gov.sk/clenovia-vlady/ Accessed: 29.7.2014

Besides the PM there is also one extra member of the government, who is not a minister - Deputy Prime Minister for Investments Ľubomír Vážny, he is 57 years old.

The average age of government member is 48 years.

Youth organizations

Political parties youth organizations The most important Slovakian youth political organizations are the following:

 Mladí sociálni demokrati - Young Social Democrats (left wing orientation),  Občiansko - demokratická mládež - Civil - Democratic Youth (right wing orientation),  Nová generácia - The New Generation (right wing orientation)  Kresťansko - demokratickámládež Slovenska - Christian Democratic Youth of Slovakia (right wing orientation),  Mladí liberáli - Young Liberals  Mládež Slovenskej národnej strany - Youth of Slovak National Party (some aspects of conservative orientation, some socialist and some liberalism)36

Youth Council of Slovakia

The Youth Council of Slovakia unites non-govermental organisations, that work with children and young people. At the moment it consistsof 33 registered civic associations and non profit organisations that unite over 40 000 children and young people.37

There are 8 regional sub-organizations belonging under theYouth Council of Slovakia. (according to self governing regions)

With YCM projects, the Council is trying to support, appreciate and motivate organisations, as well as the public, towards further development of work with children and youth.38

Professional Publication and International activities Professional papers on informal learning, youth participation and volunteering were until recently published in YCM magazine ZOOM.

In international cooperation YCM represents Slovakia in international organisations such as European Youth Forum.

36ŠTEFANČÍK, Radoslav. Politické Mládežnícke Organizácie na Slovensku. Bratislava, IUVENTA, 2010. pp. 53 Available online: https://www.iuventa.sk/files/documents/4%20iuventa/vyskum/politicke_mlaeznicke_orgnizacie_sr.pdf 37http://mladez.sk/rms/english/ 38Ibid. 16

72 hours Project 72 hours aims to support volunteering in Slovakia since it΄s successful launch in autumn of 2010. YCM decided to continue this project with cooperation with neighbouring countries with the long and beloved tradition of 72 hours concept. This year 72 hours will take place in October.39

Most Award Most Award is a moral appreciation of volunteer work awarded each year by YCM. It is recieved by organisations and their individual members as well as municipalities and enterprises, that support young people. „Most“ means bridge in Slovakian, which symbolizes the efforts of young people to come together and overcome obstacles.40

United Nations Youth One of YCM΄s traditional successful project is United Nations Youth, aimed to increase participation and activisation of young people. This worldwide project sends young delegates from each country to represent their voice at the United Nations General assembly. These chosen young people speak about youth issues with delegates from all over the world.41

Democratic youth forum Non-govermental association that unites young people regardless of their political membership. Its aim is to create appropriate environment for youth to integrate into active social and economic life and to arouse interest of young people in social and politic process in the Slovak Republic.42

Mladí priatelia Európy - Young friends of Europe (JEF Slovakia)

Non-govermental organization that seeks to unite young people interested in current affairs of Europe. Its vision is to take part in active solving of the problems of Europe as well as world problems, to make different cultures of the European Union come together, to improve cooperation of member and non-member states of EU and to set the common values of EU member states. Its regularly organised activities:conferences, seminars, discussions, exhibitions, trainings, exchanges, sport and cultural events43

Young politicians in leading functions in parties:

The majority of Slovak political parties have one young member in presidium.

39http://www.72hodin.sk/ 40http://mladez.sk/most/ 41http://www.mladez.sk/mladiosn/ 42http://mladez.sk/rms-blok/demokraticke-forum-mladych/ 43http://www.jefslovakia.eu/o-nas 17

SMER - SD: The only member of the party presidium younger than 35 is Robert Madej. In 2002 he won a competition of the SMER - SD party for university students. He gained a place on the candidate list of the party and in the same year he was elected as a parliament member.44 on the day of election he was just 21 years old, the minimum age for an MP - he was the youngest elected MP in the history of the independent Slovak Republic.

SDKU-DS has one member younger than 35 years, who is also the president of the party youth organization.45 There is only one member of KDH party´s presidium younger than 35.46 The same situation is in the SaS party, where presidium member Martin Poliacik is 34 years old.47 The political party called "The ordinary people" didn´t published any official structure. We just know that this party has one MP younger 35 years.48 The only party without any member of the presidium younger than 35 years of age is MOST-HÍD.

Selection process for candidates, office.

The selection procedure for public functions and public servants (e.g.employees of ministries etc.) is coordinated by law number 400/200949 According to this law there is a possibility of selecting the candidate without due selection procedure, often criticised by the public.As well as in the other EU countries, any type of age discrimination is strictly prohibited according to paragraph 4. There are many other guidelines and directives depending on the position. These directives are published by ministries.

44http://osobnost.aktuality.sk/robert-madej/ 45http://www.novageneracia.sk/predsednictvo-ng/ 46http://www.kdms.sk/node/500 47http://www.strana-sas.sk/vedenie-sas/309 48http://obycajniludia.sk/zvoleni-poslanci-do-nrsr-po-volbach-2012/ 49http://www.teleoff.gov.sk/data/files/5992.pdf 18