Issues that can be proposed by citizens using the initiative process at the national level

While the Constitution does not explicitly exclude constitutional amendments from being the subject of citizens’ initiatives (except for basic rights and freedoms), Art. 84(4) & 152(1) of the Constitution imply that constitutional amendments can only be passed by a vote of the legislature.

“Collecting 350,000 signatures of citizens on a petition that addresses an important question of public life mandates the president to call for a referendum. The legislative rules of the cabinet [government] stipulate that with 500 collected signatures, a group of citizens and legal entities may propose amendments to legislation introduced by a ministry and negotiate with the minister. On the other hand, an initiative that collects at least 100,000 signatures may end up being only formally acknowledged in the resolution of the national parliament, without any legal or policy implications.” (p. 153)

“The law on petitions serves as a general legal norm that sets conditions and requirements for a petition and its initiators, as well as obligations for public authorities. Other norms such as the law on referendum, standing order of the parliament or legislative rules of the cabinet [government], may specify additional conditions for specific types of initiatives.” (p. 157)

Erik L?štic, “If It Works, Fine, If Not, So What? Initiatives in Slovakia,” in Maija Set?l? and Theo Schiller, eds.: Citizens’ Initiatives in Europe: Procedures and Consequences of Agenda-Setting by Citizens. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

PETITIONLAW

(Adopted 1990; last amended 2010)

http://www.bratislava.sk/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700000&id=11025535&p1=15346

Article 1

(1) Každ? m? pr?vo s?m alebo sin?mi obracať sa vo veciach verejn?ho alebo in?ho spoločn?ho z?ujmu na št?tneorg?ny a org?ny ?zemnej samospr?vy (ďalej len 'org?n verejnejspr?vy') so žiadosťami, n?vrhmi a sťažnosťami (ďalej len'pet?cia').

(2) Pet?ciou sa nesmie zasahovaťdo nez?vislosti s?du.

(3) Pet?cia nesmie vyz?vať kporušovaniu ?stavy, z?konov a pr?vne z?v?zn?ch aktov Eur?pskej ?nie, popieraniualebo obmedzovaniu osobn?ch, politick?ch alebo in?ch pr?v.

CONSTITUTIONOF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

(Adopted 1992; lastamended 2006)

http://www.nrsr.sk/web/default.aspx?SectionId=124

Chapter5: Legislative Power

Part1: The National Council of the Slovak Republic

Article84

(4) The agreement of at least athree-fifths majority of all Members of Parliament is required to pass andamend the Constitution and constitutional laws, to adopt aninternational treaty stipulated in Article 7, paragraph 2, adopt resolution onpublic vote to remove the President of the Slovak Republic, file chargesagainst the President and to declare war on another state.

Part2: The Referendum

Article93

(1) Areferendum is used to confirm a constitutional law on entering into a unionwith other states, or on withdrawing from that union.

(2) Areferendum can be used to decide also on other important issues of publicinterest.

(3) Basicrights and freedoms, taxes, levies and the state budget may not be the subjectof a referendum.

Article95

(1) Thereferendum is called by the President of the Slovak Republic if requested by a petition signed by a minimumof 350,000 citizens, or on the basis of a resolution of the NationalCouncil of the Slovak Republic, within 30 days after the receipt of thecitizens' petition or the resolution of the National Council of the SlovakRepublic.

Chapter9: Transitional and Final Provisions

Article152

(1) Constitutionallaws, laws, and other generally binding legal regulations remain in force inthe Slovak Republic unless they conflict with this Constitution. They can be amended andabolished by the relevant bodies of the Slovak Republic.

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL

(Adopted 1996;last amended 2005)

http://www.nrsr.sk/web/default.aspx?SectionId=124

Part 4: Sessions ofthe National Council

Section 24: Agenda of Sessionsof the National Council

(1) At thebeginning of each session, the National Council shall discuss and vote on theagenda proposed by the Speaker of the National Council. In considering theproposed agenda, the National Council may amend the agenda upon a motion madeby any Member. Members’ names shall not be disclosed in any item on the agendainvolving disciplinary proceedings, criminal prosecution or detention ordersagainst any Member.

Voting at Sessions of the National Council

Section 36

(1) Any motion putbefore the National Council shall be decided by a vote. Voting shall usuallytake place immediately after the debate ends or is closed, unless the NationalCouncil decides otherwise without debate.

Part 19: Petitions

Section 133

(1)Petitions delivered to the National Council, its committees, the Speaker andDeputy-Speakers of the National Council shall be submitted to the Chancellery,which shall keep records thereof. The Speaker of the National Council shallrefer the petition to a lead committee for consideration and opinions. Where apetition falls within the powers of more than one committee, the appropriatecommittee shall be responsible for coordination of all activities andsettlement thereof.

(2) Wherethe petition relates to matters outside the powers of the National Council, theChancellery shall refer it to the appropriate Ministry or another central stateadministration body.

(3) A petition signed by at least100,000 citizens shall be considered by the National Council.

LEGISLATIVE RULESOF THE GOVERNMENT

(Adopted2010; last amended 2012)

http://www.vlada.gov.sk/dokumenty-vlady-sr/

Article 13

(1) N?vrhz?kona sa prerokuje s pr?slušn?mi org?nmi a inštit?ciamiv pripomienkovom konan?.

(3) Pripomienkov?konanie k n?vrhu z?kona sa uskutočňuje aj s vyšš?mi ?zemn?mi celkami, Združen?msamospr?vnych krajov SK, Združen?m miest a obc? Slovenska, ?niou miestSlovenska, hlavn?m mestom Slovenskej republiky Bratislavou a mestami, ktor? s?s?dlom kraja a s org?nmi a inštit?ciami, ktor?m sa ukladaj? ?lohy alebo ktor?chsa problematika n?vrhu z?kona t?ka, ako aj s verejnosťou, a to ešte pred predložen?m n?vrhu z?kona na rokovanie vl?dy.

(6) Lehota na zaslanie pripomienokje 15 pracovn?ch dn?, ak predkladateľ neurč? dlhšiu lehotu; lehotazač?na plyn?ť dňom zverejnenia n?vrhu z?kona na pripomienkovanie na port?li. Akpripomienkuj?ci org?n alebo inštit?cia pripomienky v určenej lehotenezašle, znamen? to, že nem? žiadne pripomienky.

(9) [...] Verejnosť m?že zaslaťpripomienky v elektronickej podobe prostredn?ctvom port?lu,v elektronickej podobe na určen? elektronick? adresu alebov listinnej podobe; ustanovenie čl. 14 ods. 9 t?m nie je dotknut?.

Article 14

(1)Pripomienkou podľa t?chto legislat?vnych pravidiel je v určenej lehoteuplatnen? a zd?vodnen? n?vrh na ?pravu n?vrhu z?kona.  Pripomienkou možno navrhn?ť nov? text aleboodporučiť ?pravu textu, a to doplnenie, zmenu, vypustenie alebo spresneniep?vodn?ho textu…

(6) Rozporov?konanie so z?stupcom verejnosti sa m?že uskutočniť, ak predkladateľ nevyhovelpripomienke, ktor? uplatnil v?čš? počet fyzick?ch os?b alebo pr?vnick?ch os?bzo strany verejnosti a z?roveň s?časťou pripomienky je splnomocneniez?stupcovi verejnosti na ich zastupovanie (hromadn? pripomienka). Rozporov? konanie so z?stupcomverejnosti sa uskutočn? vždy, ak predkladateľ nevyhovel hromadnej pripomienke,s ktorou sa stotožnilo aspoň 500 fyzick?ch os?b alebo pr?vnick?ch os?b...

Any issue of public interest can be the subject of initiatives, except those excluded. While Constitution does not explicitly exclude constitutional amendments from being the subject of citizens’ initiatives (except for basic rights and freedoms), Art. 84(4) & 152(1) of the Constitution implies that constitutional amendments can only be passed by a vote of the legislature.