Ordinary People (Slovakia)


Ordinary People, full name Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, is a conservative and populist political party in Slovakia. It presents itself as a movement in which independent personalities and experts have a space. It was established on 11 November 2011 by registration with the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. In 2020, with a result 25.0%, the party won the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election. The chairman of the movement has been a former businessman since its inception, currently the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Igor Matovič.

History

The four Ordinary People MPs were Igor Matovič, Erika Jurinová, Martin Fecko, Jozef Viskupič. OĽaNO sat in the National Council with the SaS and signed an agreement with the SaS that its members could not cross the floor to another group. In June and July 2010, it was rumoured that OĽaNO would refuse to back the programme of the new centre-right coalition, which included Freedom and Solidarity, and whose majority depended on Ordinary People.
In August 2010, Matovič said that it was not the right time to become an independent party. However, on 28 October 2011, Ordinary People filed a formal party registration, while Matovič announced that the party would compete in 2012 parliamentary election as a separate electoral list, of independents and representatives of the Civic Conservative Party and the Conservative Democrats. In the 2012 election, the party came in third place overall, winning 8.55% of the vote and 16 seats.
In the 2014 European elections, OĽaNO came in fourth place nationally, receiving 7.46% of the vote and electing 1 MEP.
In the 2016 parliamentary election, Ordinary People ran in alliance with New Majority. They received 11.03% votes in Slovakia and consequently 19 MPs in the Slovak Parliament, 17 of whom came from Ordinary People.
In 2014–2019, the party was member of European Parliament group of European Conservatives and Reformists and in 2019 switched to the European People's Party group.
At the February 2020 parliamentary election, the Party received 25.0% of the vote, winning a 53 of 150 seats in the National Council. Party leader Igor Matovič was appointed as the Prime Minister designate.

Political positions

In 2019, Ordinary People suggested toughening restrictions on abortions. The proposal included a fee charge for abortion for women over 40 years of age. The proposal also featured written guidance to be given by the doctor to the woman before the procedure. This guidance included a detailed description of the medical procedure and the feelings that women can expect after the procedure.
During the election campaign in 2019, the party's leader Igor Matovič promised that Ordinary People would not enter a government which would approve registered partnerships for same sex couples. OĽaNO also rejects migrant relocation quotas, proposed by the European Commission.

Election results

National Council

European Parliament

Footnotes