What does HLAS – sociálna demokracia propose?

Everyone should pay the same rate of income tax, whatever they earn.

Reasoning: In 2025 its caucus voted for the consolidation package that added two new income tax brackets, of 30% and 35%; back in 2021 the party already called for progressive taxation of income and wealth.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 1005 (konsolidácia verejných financií), 24. 9. 2025.

Banks, energy companies and large retail chains should pay a special tax.

Reasoning: In 2023 it proposed heavy taxes on banks if they did not ease mortgage costs and promised firm rules on retail chains' margins; it does not propose a special tax on energy companies.

Source: TASR (teraz.sk), 12. 8. 2023: Bankový odvod nevylučuje po voľbách väčšina strán.

The deficit should be reduced by cutting state spending rather than by raising taxes.

Reasoning: Its programme rejects cutting the deficit by slashing social spending or investment, and in 2024 and 2025 its caucus voted for consolidation packages that raised VAT and income tax.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 1005 (konsolidácia verejných financií), 24. 9. 2025.

The standard VAT rate should be cut from 23%, even if the state collects less money.

Reasoning: In 2024 its caucus voted for the package that raised standard VAT from 20% to 23% and cut VAT on basic foods to 5%, as its programme demanded; it has not proposed lowering the standard rate.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 483 (konsolidácia verejných financií), 3. 10. 2024.

The state should cap electricity and gas prices by law for all households, not only for those on lower incomes.

Reasoning: Its economy minister, Denisa Saková, drew up the 2026 energy aid, which caps electricity and gas prices for about nine in ten households; the party presents it as its own achievement.

Source: Startitup, 3. 12. 2025: Fico tvrdí, že energopomoc zastihne až 90 % domácností.

The state should hold a majority stake in large energy companies.

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme wants the state to regain majority control of strategic energy companies; in government it has not yet carried this out.

Source: Rezortný program HLAS 2023, s. 27 (Energetické „desatoro“).

The state should cap supermarkets' profit margins on basic foods.

Reasoning: Its 2023 programme promises to cap retail chains' trade margins and to treat them as a regulated sector, in order to make food cheaper.

Source: Rezortný program HLAS 2023, s. 32 (Pôdohospodárstvo).

Only people with low pensions should receive the 13th pension.

Reasoning: In 2026 its leader said the party guarantees pensioners a full 13th pension and will not back down on this condition "under any circumstances".

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 30. 6. 2026: Prinášame opatrenia na zvýšenie kočíkovného….

The retirement age should keep rising with life expectancy, with no fixed cap.

Reasoning: In 2026 its deputy leader and labour minister, Erik Tomáš, criticised linking the retirement age to life expectancy and wants a cap, at least for physically demanding jobs.

Source: TASR (teraz.sk), 4. 6. 2026: Tomáš: Vláda bude chcieť prijať dôchodkové stropy pre určité povolania.

Social and family benefits should be kept, even if taxes have to rise to pay for them.

Reasoning: It voted for tax rises in 2024 and 2025 and stresses that the 2027 budget keeps social and family benefits intact: "We are not abolishing social security."

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 14. 10. 2026: Schválený rozpočet na rok 2027 je zodpovedný, sociálny a pomáha ľuďom.

People who are able to work should lose social benefits if they turn down a job or training.

Reasoning: In 2025 its caucus voted for its minister Erik Tomáš's law cutting material-need benefit for people who turn down a suitable job, and the party presents it as an achievement.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 727 („Práca namiesto dávok“), 29. 5. 2025; HLAS: Výsledky našej práce v roku 2025.

There should be a single public health insurer instead of several competing ones.

Reasoning: Its programme assumes several health insurers competing on quality, and in 2026 its health minister pushed a law giving equal access to medicines at all three insurers.

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 14. 9. 2026: Strana HLAS prichádza do parlamentu so zákonmi na ochranu detí….

Patients should be able to pay extra for healthcare above the standard level.

Slovakia should actively recruit doctors and nurses from abroad.

Reasoning: To tackle staff shortages it mainly wants to train more Slovak students, give them priority and bring emigrants back; separately, it wants easier recognition of foreigners' qualifications.

Source: Rezortný program HLAS 2023, s. 7-8 (Stabilizácia zdravotníckeho personálu).

Slovakia should resume sending state military aid to Ukraine.

Reasoning: The government programme it voted for in 2023 rules out further state military aid to Ukraine; the party has not called for resuming it and abstains on resolutions supporting Ukraine.

Source: Programové vyhlásenie vlády SR 2023-2027 (dôvera NR SR 21. 11. 2023), s. 82 a 85.

The EU should lift its sanctions on Russia.

Reasoning: In 2025, 22 of its 26 MPs abstained on the parliamentary resolution rejecting new sanctions on Russia (three voted for, one against); it has not called for lifting existing sanctions.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 759 (uznesenie o odmietnutí sankčnej politiky voči Ruskej federácii), 5. 6. 2025.

Slovakia should be able to keep buying Russian gas and oil after 2027.

Reasoning: In 2025 its economy minister, Denisa Saková, told a party press conference that one option was to keep buying Russian gas and ship it through Ukraine as Slovak gas.

Source: Startitup (podľa SITA), 13. 1. 2025: Saková prehovorila o tom, ako chce riešiť situáciu s plynom.

Ukraine should be able to join the EU once it meets all the conditions.

Reasoning: In 2026 its caucus abstained (24 MPs; one voted against) on PS's resolution backing Ukraine's EU accession, which was not adopted.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 995 (vstup Ukrajiny do EÚ), 14. 4. 2026.

Russian assets frozen in the EU should be used to help Ukraine.

Reasoning: In 2024 its MEP Branislav Ondruš voted against the EU loan to Ukraine that is repaid from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.

Source: TASR (teraz.sk), 22. 10. 2024: Europoslanci reagujú na plán pomôcť Kyjevu výnosmi zo zmrazených aktív.

Support for refugees from Ukraine should be cut back.

Reasoning: In 2024 its current leader, as interior minister, halved the payment for housing refugees from Ukraine for lack of money, though he said he would seek EU funds to keep it going.

Source: Noviny.sk (TV JOJ), 22. 2. 2024: Štát znížil príspevok na ubytovanie pre utečencov z Ukrajiny.

The EU should be able to decide foreign policy by majority vote, without any single country having a veto.

Reasoning: Its programme demands that the EU keep deciding foreign and security policy by consensus, and the government programme it voted for rejects replacing unanimity with majority voting.

Source: Rezortný program HLAS 2023, s. 18 (Európska a zahraničná politika).

If the EU does not change fundamentally, Slovakia should hold a referendum on whether to stay in it.

Reasoning: It regards EU and NATO membership as a guarantee of the country's free development and in 2023 pledged to work only with parties that do not call it into question.

Source: Deklarácia HLAS – Hodnotové princípy povolebnej spolupráce (snem v Púchove, 10. 5. 2023), s. 1.

The EU should be able to freeze EU funds for countries that do not respect the rule of law.

Slovakia should leave NATO and become a militarily neutral country.

Reasoning: It regards NATO membership as a guarantee of the country's free development, and the government programme it voted for pledges to meet its Alliance commitments.

Source: Deklarácia HLAS – Hodnotové princípy povolebnej spolupráce (snem v Púchove, 10. 5. 2023), s. 1.

Slovakia should increase defence spending to meet NATO's new target.

Reasoning: In 2025 its leader called NATO's demand for 5% of GDP "extreme"; he accepts more defence spending, but never at the expense of living standards, Hlas's "red line".

Source: SITA, 14. 6. 2025: Hlas má pri zvyšovaní výdavkov na obranu jasnú červenú čiaru.

Slovakia should withdraw from its defence cooperation agreement with the United States.

Reasoning: In 2022, in opposition, it rejected the defence agreement with the US over sovereignty concerns, but it has governed since 2023 without proposing to terminate it.

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 5. 1. 2022: Stanovisko HLASu k obrannej dohode.

Slovakia should re-establish the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption.

Reasoning: In 2024 all 27 of its MPs voted for the Criminal Code reform that abolished the Special Prosecutor's Office; the government programme it backed accused that office of defying the Prosecutor General.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 106 (novela Trestného zákona), 8. 2. 2024.

Non-governmental organisations funded from abroad should be subject to stricter state oversight.

Reasoning: In 2025 its caucus voted for the law tightening NGOs' obligations; the government programme it backed rejects foreign-funded groups influencing politics without transparency.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 245 (zákon o mimovládnych neziskových organizáciách), 16. 4. 2025.

The Prosecutor General should keep the power to annul final decisions by the police and prosecutors (the so-called Section 363).

Reasoning: The government programme it voted for backs a hierarchical prosecution service under the Prosecutor General, and in 2021 its current leader defended the Prosecutor General against critics of his decisions.

Source: Programové vyhlásenie vlády SR 2023-2027 (dôvera NR SR 21. 11. 2023), s. 66-67.

The management of the public broadcaster STVR should be chosen by an independent body, not by the government or the governing majority in parliament.

Reasoning: In 2024 its caucus voted for the law replacing RTVS with STVR, with a board chosen by parliament and the culture ministry; in 2023 its programme promised to strengthen public media.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 278 (zákon o Slovenskej televízii a rozhlase), 20. 6. 2024.

A referendum should be valid even if fewer than half of eligible voters take part.

Reasoning: In 2026 it proposed letting a referendum cut short the parliamentary term, but keeping the condition that at least half of voters take part, a "sufficient guarantee" according to Richard Raši.

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 24. 8. 2026: Občania majú mať právo skrátiť volebné obdobie parlamentu.

Same-sex couples should be able to register their partnership legally.

Reasoning: The government programme it voted for in 2023 keeps the status quo on cultural and ethical issues, and in 2025 its caucus voted for the constitutional reform recognising only two sexes.

Source: Programové vyhlásenie vlády SR 2023-2027 (dôvera NR SR 21. 11. 2023), s. 68.

Abortion should be more restricted than it is now.

Reasoning: In 2021 it argued that the abortion law is "good enough" and that society does not want it changed either way; the 2023 government programme keeps the status quo.

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 11. 11. 2021: Neschválenie zmeny interrupcií nech je apelom na vládnu koalíciu.

Ethical issues such as marriage or adoption should be decided only by each country, not by the EU.

Reasoning: In 2025 its caucus voted for the constitutional reform that reserves cultural and ethical matters, such as marriage and adoption, to national sovereignty.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 733 (novela Ústavy SR), 26. 9. 2025.

Possessing a small amount of cannabis for personal use should remain a criminal offence.

Reasoning: In 2024 it voted for the criminal reform that eased penalties for possession for personal use without decriminalising it; its spokeswoman rejected softening drug policy while criticising excessive punishment.

Source: Hlasovanie NR SR, tlač 106 (novela Trestného zákona), 8. 2. 2024.

In municipalities with a large Hungarian population, Hungarian should be an official language alongside Slovak.

The 2025 law that makes it a crime to question the Beneš decrees should be repealed.

Reasoning: In 2025 its caucus voted for the criminal reform punishing challenges to the post-war order, and the party called PS's reopening of the Beneš decrees issue "extremely dangerous".

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 25. 11. 2025: Progresívne Slovensko otvára Pandorinu skrinku.

People who acquire another country's citizenship should be able to keep their Slovak citizenship.

The state should invest more in integrating marginalised Roma communities, for example in pre-school education and housing.

Reasoning: Its education minister made pre-school education compulsory and aimed the 2025 reform at equal chances from an early age, especially for children from marginalised communities.

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 22. 10. 2025: HLAS presadil zásadnú reformu školstva.

Slovakia should stick to the EU goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

Reasoning: It says it does not reject climate goals and in 2021 boasted of having signed Slovakia up to carbon neutrality by 2050, but in 2025 it is fighting the EU's new emissions trading scheme (ETS2).

Source: HLAS – tlačová správa, 24. 10. 2025: HLAS odmieta ETS2: Brusel nesmie trestať slovenské rodiny.

Sales of new petrol and diesel cars should be banned from 2035.

Reasoning: In 2023 it answered that the ban on selling combustion-engine cars from 2035 "was wrong" and that it would seek a review; in 2025 the government, with its economy minister, asked for that review.

Source: Autoviny.sk, 22. 9. 2023: Hlas-SD reguláciu automobilov kategoricky odmieta (odpoveď strany).

Slovakia should make it easier for foreign workers to come and work in sectors with labour shortages.

Reasoning: Its programme wants labour migration managed according to the economy's needs, focused on shortage occupations, and less bureaucratic recognition of qualifications.

Source: Rezortný program HLAS 2023, s. 16 (Hranice a migrácia).