Jul 2, 2025
New legislation aims to restrict funding, raise barriers, and weaken democratic competition
The Slovak government has proposed a legislative package that poses a serious threat to the country's democratic pluralism. Under the draft law, smaller and opposition political parties would face steep financial and administrative obstacles that threaten their ability to participate meaningfully in elections.
Key measures include:
Tripling election deposits for parliamentary elections (from €17,000 to €50,000) and increasing the minimum vote share required to reclaim the deposit from 2% to 5%.
Raising the threshold for public funding — only parties exceeding 5% of the national vote would qualify for state contributions, effectively cutting off resources for smaller movements.
Reducing existing funding by 30% whenever the public deficit exceeds 3% of GDP.
Restricting donations by banning cash contributions and requiring full identification of all donors.
Limiting parties' ability to change their names, making internal renewal and adaptation more difficult.
These changes are being advanced at a time when the ruling coalition is consolidating control over the prosecution service, the police, and public service media.
Article 31 of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic clearly states:
"The legal regulation of all political rights and freedoms, and their interpretation and application, must enable and protect the free competition of political forces in a democratic society."
This legislation does the opposite.
The civic association Future Slovakia Forum calls for open public debate on alternative reforms that strengthen citizens' sovereignty and ensure fair political competition — including its own proposal, Systém 2027, which introduces a bicameral parliament with 45 local single-member districts, a national compensatory tier, and a 45-seat Senate.
