Prime Minister of Slovakia


The Chairman of the Government of the Slovak Republic, also known as the Prime Minister of Slovakia, is the head of the government of the Slovak Republic. On paper, the officeholder is the third highest constitutional official in Slovakia after the President of the Republic and Speaker of the National Council; in practice, the appointee is the country's leading political figure.
Since the creation of the office in 1969, thirteen persons have served as head of government. Since 1993, when Slovakia gained independence, six persons have occupied the function. On 21 March 2020, Igor Matovič became Prime Minister of Slovakia.

History

The office of Prime Minister of Slovakia was established in 1969 by the Constitutional Act on the Czechoslovak Federation. A similar office had existed from 1918 when various officials were presiding over executive bodies governing the Slovak part of Czechoslovakia or the Slovak State respectively. Since 1993, when the independent Slovak Republic was established, there have been six persons to hold the office. Since 2020, the Prime Minister of Slovakia has been Igor Matovič.

Powers and role

Since Slovakia is a parliamentary republic the Prime Minister is accountable to the National Council. The Slovak Constitution provides that upon the accession to the office each Prime Minister must gain and thereafter maintain the confidence of the Parliament. As soon as the Prime Minister loses the confidence, the President is obliged to dismiss him and designate a new Prime Minister or entrust the dismissed Prime Minister to act as a caretaker with limited powers.
The Prime Minister is the most powerful office in state, since he commands and presides over the Government. Although it is not the Prime Minister but the President who appoints Ministers in Cabinet, the President appoints Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Designated Prime Minister of Slovakia

Designated Prime Minister of Slovakia is an unofficial title for a person who has been entrusted by the President of the Slovak Republic with forming a new government and replacing the outgoing Prime Minister. This title, as well as the authorization of the president to entrust the designated PM, is not set by an act but is a legal or, more precisely, constitutional tradition. According to this tradition, the President designates a person who has support of the majority of deputies in the National Council.

List of Prime Ministers of Slovakia

[First Czechoslovak Republic] (1918–1938)

Minister plenipotentiary for administration of Slovakia
Land President of Slovakia
Prime Ministers of the Autonomy Government of Slovakia
Prime Ministers of the First Slovak Republic
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
1 January 1969 – 5 March 1990: called "Slovak Socialist Republic" within Czechoslovakia.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
Chairman of the Slovak National Council
Prime Ministers of the Slovak Socialist Republic
  1. Štefan Sádovský: 2 January 1969 – 5 May 1969
  2. Peter Colotka: 5 May 1969 – 12 October 1988
  3. Ivan Knotek: 13 October 1988 – 22 June 1989
  4. Pavel Hrivnák: 23 June 1989 – 8 December 1989

    [Czech and Slovak Federative Republic] (1990–1992)

6 March 1990 – 31 December 1992: called "Slovak Republic" within Czechoslovakia.
Prime Ministers of the Slovak Republic

Slovak Republic">Slovakia">Slovak Republic (1993–present)

From 1 January 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

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