Slovakia will hold a referendum on lifelong payments for country’s leaders

Slovakia will hold a referendum on July 4 to decide whether to cancel lifelong payments for political leaders and potentially restore the special prosecutor’s office, President Peter Pellegrini announced Monday.

The referendum comes in response to a petition organized by the Democrats, a pro-Western opposition party that gathered more than 350,000 signatures, surpassing the legal threshold required to trigger a public vote.

At issue are the controversial lifelong payments granted to prime ministers and parliament speakers who have served at least two terms. These benefits, equal to a lawmaker’s monthly salary, were introduced earlier this year following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and gravely wounded at a pre-election event in May. The attack sent shockwaves through the small Central European nation and across the continent.

Previously, such financial benefits were reserved exclusively for former presidents. The expansion of these privileges has faced criticism from opposition figures who view them as fiscally irresponsible and politically motivated.

The second referendum question will ask voters whether to reopen the office of the special prosecutor, which was abolished by Fico’s coalition government earlier this year. The special prosecutor’s office had been responsible for investigating serious crimes including corruption, organized crime, and extremism.

The elimination of this prosecutorial body sparked significant controversy both domestically and internationally. Thousands of Slovaks repeatedly protested the move in street demonstrations, and European Union officials expressed concerns about the potential weakening of anti-corruption mechanisms in the country.

President Pellegrini, however, declined to include a third question proposed by petitioners about whether to hold early parliamentary elections. He cited a 2021 ruling by Slovakia’s Constitutional Court that declared such referendum questions unconstitutional.

The upcoming referendum faces significant hurdles to success. Slovak law requires a turnout of more than 50 percent of eligible voters for a referendum to be valid. Historically, this threshold has proven difficult to meet. Of all referendums held since Slovakia’s independence in 1993, only the 2003 vote on the country’s European Union membership achieved sufficient participation.

The referendum comes amid continued political polarization in Slovakia. Fico, who returned to power in 2023 following a period in opposition, has remained a deeply divisive figure. His government’s pro-Russian stance on the Ukraine conflict, along with controversial domestic policies, has triggered numerous public protests and raised concerns among Slovakia’s Western allies.

Political analysts suggest the referendum represents a strategic effort by opposition forces to capitalize on public discontent with Fico’s administration. The Democrats, though not represented in parliament, have positioned themselves as defenders of democratic norms and Western alignment.

The timing of the vote during summer months could potentially impact turnout, with many Slovaks traditionally taking vacations during July. Opposition leaders have already begun mobilizing supporters, emphasizing the referendum’s importance for governmental accountability.

For Fico’s coalition, the referendum presents a test of their popular mandate and policy direction. Government officials have defended both the lifelong payments and the abolition of the special prosecutor’s office as necessary reforms, arguing that the prosecutor’s office had become politicized under previous administrations.

The Slovak referendum adds to a growing trend across Central and Eastern Europe of using direct democracy mechanisms to challenge controversial government policies, particularly on issues related to corruption and institutional reforms.