Overview
- The referendum, held on Saturday, July 4, 2026, drew about 16% turnout and was declared invalid because Slovak law requires at least 50% participation for a binding result.
- Nearly all voters who cast ballots backed repealing the 2024 law that guarantees lifetime income to prime ministers and restoring two suspended anti‑corruption bodies, with preliminary counts showing about 95% for repeal and 94% for restoration.
- Voters were asked two specific questions: whether to abolish the lifetime‑income law that applies to prime ministers and speakers after two terms, and whether to reinstate the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the National Crime Agency (NAKA), both suspended in 2024.
- The vote was triggered by the Slovak Democratic Party and scheduled by President Peter Pellegrini, while Prime Minister Robert Fico’s coalition called the referendum a political stunt and many Smer‑SD supporters largely boycotted the poll.
- Because the referendum failed, the 2024 pension law and the suspension of the anti‑corruption bodies remain in force, which could intensify domestic tensions and keep questions about Slovakia’s rule of law and foreign policy alignment under EU scrutiny.