Slovak National Party

The Slovak National Party (Slovak: Slovenská národná strana, SNS) is a political party in Slovakia. The party characterizes itself as a socialist, nationalist party based on what it calls the European Christian system of values. However it is sometimes described as ultra-nationalist, right-wing extremist, and far-right, due to its statements about Hungarians, Roma and homosexuals, which have been characterised as racist. The party’s major concern after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia has been the alleged danger of "irredentism". Any moves and changes toward broader rights for the national minorities living in Slovakia, especially the sizeable Hungarian minority living in southern Slovakia, was seen as a step toward territorial autonomy.

Since 1990 SNS has won seats in every Slovak parliament but two (in 2002 and 2012) and has been part of the government since 2006. In that year it formed a coalition with Robert Fico's Smer, which resulted in suspension of Smer by the Party of European Socialists (PES). PES considered SNS a "political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred." However, in 2008 Smer's membership suspension ended with no further PES's demands regarding SNS. In the Slovak parliamentary election, 2012, SNS failed to meet the 5% electoral threshold, and thus lost parliamentary representation.