Direction – Social Democracy: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox political party

| native_name_lang = sk

| logo = Logo of the Direction – Slovak Social Democracy.svg

| leader2_name = [[Marián Saloň]]

}}

 

Founded by Fico in 1999 as a split from the [[post-communist]] [[Party of the Democratic Left (Slovakia)|Party of the Democratic Left]], Smer initially defined itself as the [[Third Way]] party.<ref name="HN122009">{{cite web |author= |date= 6 December 2009|title=Desať najdôležitejších míľnikov v histórii strany Smer-SD od jej vzniku až dodnes |url=https://hnonline.sk/slovensko/384069-desat-najdolezitejsich-milnikov-v-historii-strany-smer-sd-od-jej-vzniku-az-dodnes |access-date= |publisher=[[Hospodárske noviny]] |language=sk}}</ref> It adopted the epithet ''Social Democracy'' after merging with several minor center-left parties in 2005.<ref name="SME122004">{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Smer odsúhlasil zlúčenie a zmneu názvu |url=https://korzar.sme.sk/c/4551131/smer-odsuhlasil-zlucenie-a-zmneu-nazvu.html |access-date= |publisher=[[SME (newspaper)|SME]] |language=sk}}</ref> It dominated [[Slovak politics]] from 2006 to 2020, leading two coalition governments ([[Fico's First Cabinet|2006–2010]], [[Fico's Third Cabinet|2016–2020]]) and one single-party government ([[Fico's Second Cabinet|2012–2016]]). During its 12 years in charge it continued the European integration of Slovakia, lifted some [[Economic liberalism|economic-liberal]] reforms of the previous [[Centre-right politics|center-right]] governments and introduced various [[Welfare|social welfare]] measures.<ref name="Denník N022020">{{cite web |author= |date= 9 February 2020|title=Voľby 2006 – 2016: Ako Fico získal najväčšiu moc a dokázal vždy zlikvidovať partnerov |url=https://dennikn.sk/1747146/volby-2006-16-ako-fico-ziskal-najvacsiu-moc-a-co-tu-po-jeho-ere-zostalo/ |access-date= |publisher=[[Denník N]] |language=sk}}</ref> Smer-led governments have been associated with numerous [[political corruption]] scandals, and have been accused by opponents to have resulted in a deterioration of the [[rule of law]] in Slovakia.<ref name="The Times092022">{{cite news |author= |date= |title='Gangster prime minister' eyes up return to power in Slovakia |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gangster-prime-minister-eyes-up-return-slovakia-wzpx622ld |access-date= |work=[[The Times]]|last1= Prague|first1= Tim Gosling}}</ref><ref name="Al Jazeera092019">{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Slovakia tries to shake off mafia influence |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/9/13/slovakia-tries-to-shake-off-mafia-influence |access-date= |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]}}</ref><ref name="ČT042022">{{cite web |author= |date= |title=Slovenská policie obvinila expremiéra Fica ze založení zločinecké skupiny |url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/svet/3475536-slovenska-policie-obvinila-expremiera-fica-ze-zalozeni-zlocinecke-skupiny |access-date= |publisher=[[Czech Television]] |language=cs}}</ref><ref name="VSquare082020">{{cite web |author= |date= 31 August 2020|title=The life of Ján Kuciak and a brief history of Slovakia |url=https://vsquare.org/the-life-of-jan-kuciak-and-a-brief-history-of-slovakia/ |access-date= |publisher=VSquare}}</ref><ref name="BI082019">{{cite web |author= |date= |title='Mafia State' Slovakia struggles to root out corruption |url=https://balkaninsight.com/2019/08/28/mafia-state-slovakia-struggles-to-root-out-corruption/ |access-date= |publisher=[[Balkan Insight]]}}</ref>