Slovakia will hold a referendum on July 4 to decide whether to cancel lifelong payments for political leaders including Prime Minister Robert Fico, President Peter Pellegrini said Monday. Voters will simultaneously decide whether to reopen the special prosecutor’s office, which handles major crime and corruption investigations. The dual referendum follows a petition organized by the opposition Democrats party and signed by more than 350,000 citizens.
The votes reflect intensifying pressure for accountability in a country increasingly divided over Prime Minister Fico’s governance since his return to power in 2023, following his 2024 assassination attempt and subsequent policy changes that drew thousands of Slovaks into the streets.
President Peter Pellegrini announced Monday that Slovakia will hold a referendum on July 4 on whether to cancel lifelong monthly payments for former prime ministers and parliament speakers. The vote will simultaneously address the reopening of a special prosecutor’s office abolished in 2024.
The referendum resulted from a petition by the Democrats, a non-parliamentary pro-Western opposition party, which gathered more than 350,000 signatures — the threshold required by Slovak law. The dual vote reflects mounting domestic tension over Prime Minister Robert Fico’s policies since his return to power in 2023.
Lifelong Payments for Leaders
The lifetime payments for prime ministers and parliament speakers who served at least two terms equal monthly parliamentary salaries. The benefit was introduced following a 2024 assassination attempt on Fico, who was shot and gravely wounded during a pre-election event. Before 2024, lifelong payments were provided only to former presidents.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office
In 2024, lawmakers in Fico’s coalition approved legislation to abolish the special prosecutor’s office, which investigates major crimes including corruption, organized crime, and extremism. The move faced sharp international and domestic criticism. Thousands of Slovaks took to the streets repeatedly to protest the abolishment.
Several individuals linked to Fico’s party faced prosecution in corruption scandals, with the office playing a role in those investigations before its closure.
Constraints and Political Context
Pellegrini said the referendum would not include a question on early parliamentary elections, citing a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling declaring such a question unconstitutional.
Only one referendum in Slovakia’s history — a 2003 vote on the country’s European Union membership — succeeded. Other referendums failed due to insufficient turnout.
Fico has remained a divisive figure since returning to power. His pro-Russian policies and other positions have drawn repeated public protests. The upcoming referendum represents a challenge to the government’s direction on two core issues: financial privileges for leaders and the future of institutional oversight of corruption.