Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia
Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia Kotleba – Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Marian Kotleba |
| Founded | 21 February 2010 |
| Headquarters | Piešťany, Slovak Republic |
| Newspaper | Naše Slovensko |
| Ideology |
Slovak nationalism[1][2] Right-wing populism[3][4] Anti-globalism Euroscepticism[5] |
| Political position | Far-right[6] |
| European affiliation | Alliance for Peace and Freedom (2015-present) |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colours | Shades of green |
| National Council |
14 / 150 |
| European Parliament |
0 / 13 |
| Presidents of self-governing regions |
1 / 8 |
| Regional parliaments |
1 / 408 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| www.naseslovensko.net | |
The People's Party – Our Slovakia (Slovak: Ľudová strana – Naše Slovensko, ĽSNS), since November 2015 officially known as Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia (Kotleba – Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko), is a far-right political party in Slovakia.[7][8][9][10] The Party declares that it builds on the legacy of Ľudovít Štúr, Andrej Hlinka and Dr. Jozef Tiso[11] who took part in liquidation of the democratic regime in Slovakia after the Munich Agreement[12] and as a president of World War II Slovakia supported an implementation of antisemitic legal norms and advocated the deportations of the Jewish population.[13]
The party's platform includes anti-Roma rhetoric, immigration control, Christian morality, paternalism on economic issues, interest-free national loans, replacement of Euro currency with Slovak Koruna, law and order, and criticism of the country's current leadership and foreign policy. The party proposes to reduce the number of parliamentarians from 150 to 100 members, to widen the freedom of speech, to establish a home guard and to withdraw Slovak military missions from abroad. Moreover, it wants Slovakia to leave the European Union, European Monetary Union and NATO, replacement of Euro currency with Slovak Koruna and rejects the idea of same-sex civil unions.[9]
History
The origins of the party are closely related to the extremely nationalist, racist, anti-Semitic, and neo-fascist movement Slovak Togetherness.[14] The members of the movement tried to run in the 2006 elections under the name Slovak Togetherness - National Party, but the party was dissolved by the Supreme Court on grounds of counter-constitutional activities.[15] Instead of founding a whole new party, members of Slovak Togetherness under the leadership of Marian Kotleba entered the tiny Party of Friends of Wine that had existed since 2000, changed its name to People's Party of Social Solidarity in May 2009 and then to People’s Party – Our Slovakia in early 2010.[16] This was done to avoid legal difficulties with registering a new party under this name given that a different party called Our Slovakia already existed.[9]
During the elections of 2016, the party nominated several candidates seen as controversial, such as an ex-singer of neo-Nazi music bands Krátky proces and Juden Mord and a candidate who openly admired Adolf Hitler.[17]
Allegations of Fascism
The party is perceived by most politicians and most of the populace as being fascist.This is due to the some members of the party being connected to extremist movements such as the Slovak Brotherhood in Kotleba's case or the fact the party and it's members requested a minute of silence for Jozef Tiso,[18] who supported and actively put laws in place during The Second World War that discriminated against Jews and made the country pay Nazi Germany to transfer Slovak Jews into concentration camps. Kotleba and his party was also described by both the Slovak President Andrej Kiska[19] and Czech President Miloš Zeman[20] as Fascist. Party denies any connection to fascism.
Program
Kotleba – People's Party Our Slovakia wants a "functioning state" that is free from corruption, foreign influences and "larceny of public finance". It seeks to give the general public the power to abjure and renounce any member of the parliament and it wishes to decrease the total number of seats from 150 to 100. Additionally it wants to introduce a flat tax rate of 15% and stop the finance of campaigns for political parties from the state budget.[21] The party sees the EU and NATO as undermining the sovereignty of the Slovak nation and wants to leave these organizations to give Slovakia full sovereignty and not be part of "American war crimes and a toy in hands to foreign superpowers". ĽSNS also advocates investigation of foreign NGOs for possible unlawful or corrupting activity and to "liberate Slovakia from the slavery of foreign bankers".[21]
For internal security, the party wants to establish a home guard that can protect the people where the normal police forces are not adequate at stopping "Gypsy extremists" who "steal,rape and murder" the "Honest people" while also advocating the use of weapons for protection of personal life and private property. It also wants to make politicians responsible for any criminal or corrupt activity they partake in while being a public servant and to be punished accordingly. ĽSNS wants to make police forces train in illegal settlements inhabited by the resident Romani populace and demolish any illegal constructions whether they are "Black Settlements or Palaces of The rich".The party wants to re-establish border control on each of the country's borders and give the parliament the ability to use the army to enforce these borders if necessary. Due to the country's armed forces being small and ill-prepared, it is seen as necessary to modernize, renew, and increase the size of the army to be able to protect the nation effectively from any threats when it leaves NATO, to prevent the "hordes of Muslim immigrants" from coming to Slovakia and to protect Christianity and European Culture.[21]
The party wants to give jobs to the long-term unemployed. These jobs consist of the maintenance of roads, schools, national memorials, hospitals and construction of housing as part of their social policy. The retirement age would be set to 60 years of age and the government would increase financial benefits for mothers with children; with rent-able housing being provided to "polite and proper families" and the cancellation of benefits to "non-working gypsy thieves". The party wants to nationalize the health care system to provide free healthcare for the citizens as written in the constitution of Slovakia and create one nationwide health insurance firm. Additionally, the party wants to return to an one statewide emergency service and to make sure that every ambulance has a doctor on board to administer appropriate care. Furthermore, the party wants to rear children with traditional and Christian values, to protect them from violent media and to stop the service of gambling machines while supporting domestic media producers and artist to prevent a "degenerate society" made by "consumerism and empty liberalism".[21]
In terms of the economy, the party wants to also nationalize all strategic industries such as power stations, steel manufacturing or public transport.The party wants to create energy self-sufficiency and food self-sufficiency to make the country less dependent on imports by rebuilding the agricultural industry. The party wants to get rid of bureaucracy in business to increase growth of domestic companies and it rejects the TTIP agreement.In addition the party wants to exit the European Monetary Union and re-establish the previous currency (Slovak Koruna) to give the state and the central bank authority to decide on the monetary policy.Moreover, the party also wants to protect the environment from pollution and exploitation by implementing laws and regulation and support alternative energy.[21]
Views on Roma
The party sees and describes the Romani people as being a drain on the social security system due to large Roma families receiving higher amount of benefits for children compared to ethnic Slovaks.[21] Occasionally the party has said that it wants to stop "Gypsy terror" and uses the The Krásna Hôrka Castle fire of 2012 as an example. Whilst using rhetoric that describes the Roma as a social "parasites" and "extremists" that "steal, rape and murder".
