The crucial problem of Slovakia’s EU Accession referendum was that citizens were treated in the pre-referendum campaign as if they were a people governed without law. The basic law of the Slovak Republic, its Constitution, was seriously flouted. Lies and misrepresentation in the name of the higher EU good were widely seen as justified.

This political goal of the Government overcame good sense and basic human rights. Our organisation has established that there were over 60 violations of the law within two days of the referendum on the part of one press agency alone. There is no come-back or retribution for any of these 60 offences.

Broken referendum laws

Slovakia’s President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament broke the law governing the referendum moratorium on several occasions. Referendum officials gave information about turnout to anyone asking them who gave their names. This was used continually during the polling days to stimulate greater voter turnout; yet it was in clear breach of the legal moritorium on referendum campaigning. There is no serious legal way of enforcing the referendum law.

Slovak members of parliament said continually during the pre-referendum campaign: It is not necessary to explain something to people with different opinions and to give them public resources to enable them campaign.

Citizens denied balanced information

The largest circulation national daily, Pravda, published information on May 12 on its cover page about Government untruths in its campaigning. It quoted official spokesmen as saying that if the people gave a No answer all Slovakia’s neighbours would immediately introduce visas for Slovaks travelling abroad. The referendum rules predetermined the result and favoured only one side of the argument. Slovak citizens were denied any balanced information. Yet this is not in accordance with the provisions of Slovakia’s referendum law.

The referendum umbrella organization supporting the No-side did not have the same rights as the Yes-side and was heavily discriminated against. Free debate was effectively not allowed. Government ignorance of the law, or failure and implement it, is no excuse. The 12-days of Slovakia’s official referendum campaign did not allow enough time for citizens to be informed of the EU Accession Treaty. Some MPs and Government spokesmen said that there would be more information later - after Referendum Day!

Appeal to the Constitutional Court

The Slovak Government’s campaign strategy had the sole objective of mobilizing and supporting voters for a Yes. There was virtually no objective information on the EU or the Accession Treaty. Nothing that would detract from mobilising the Yes turnout. Advertising agencies played a central role, not objectivity and free democratic discussion.

Proposals for genuine information campaigns and public education projects on the EU were refused. Perhaps the most important ultimate consideration for the voters was that in the European Union Brussels, not Bratislava, would rule Slovakia. The Slovak people are currently hugely dissatisfied with their politicians and hope naively that it can only be better under Brussels.

Slovakia’s referendum was very similar to the last one held in the country, away back in June 1951, on the peace accord of the two superpowers. Or on the lines of pre-1989 communist-period elections, when two mock alternative answers would be proposed: Yes or Yes! Slovakia’s current referendum legislation is not in conformity with the State’s international obligations and guarantee of human rights. This has made us appeal to the Constitutional Court and we envisage appealing perhaps later to the European Court of Human Rights. Success in that would at least help with future referendums.

But for the present the political game is over. Slovakia joins the EU, with most of its people having little idea of what this means.

Agora - Civic Association in Support of Direct Democracy

Address:
Sputnikova 37
821 02 Bratislava
Tel: +421 904192627
Website: www.priamademokracia.sk
E-mail: agora@nextra.sk