17 June 2006 2010 → 28 seats 0 seats 31 20 Start date June 17, 2006 | 25 seats 28 seats 50 31 25 3 | |
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Winner Robert Fico | ||
Parliamentary elections were held in Slovakia on 17 June 2006. Direction – Social Democracy emerged as the largest party in the National Council, winning 50 of the 150 seats. Its leader Robert Fico was appointed Prime Minister on 4 July 2006, leading a three-party coalition.
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Background
Originally the election was planned for 16 September 2006. However, on 8 February the government proposed calling an early election after the Christian Democratic Movement left the coalition government. This proposal was passed by the Parliament on 9 February and signed by the President on 13 February. For the first time Slovak citizens living abroad could vote, using absentee ballots. A total of 21 parties contested the elections.
Aftermath
On 28 June Fico announced that the government coalition would consist of his Direction - Social Democracy party, together with the Slovak National Party and People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia. The Party of European Socialists criticized this decision because of nationalist statements of the leader of the Slovak National Party and subsequently suspended Direction's membership.