Šimečka Re-elected as Leader of Progressive Slovakia, Party Rules Out Coalition with Government

Overwhelming Support Without Challenger

Delegates of Progressive Slovakia (PS) at Saturday's congress in the Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava re-elected Michal Šimečka as chairman of the movement. Šimečka received 191 votes out of 202 delegates present — more than 94 percent — and was the only candidate for the position. He will thus continue to lead the strongest opposition party for another two-year term.

Šimečka has led PS since May 2022, when he replaced Irena Bihárová. Under his leadership, the party won six seats in the European Parliament and has consistently maintained its position as the leader of the opposition.

Clear "No" to Coalition and Republika

The congress adopted a fundamental policy decision: PS categorically ruled out any post-election partnership with the parties of the current ruling coalition — Smer-SD, Hlas-SD, and SNS — as well as with the non-parliamentary Republika party. The movement justified its decision by citing the "destruction of the rule of law, public finances, the coalition's foreign policy orientation, and the overall direction of Slovakia under the current government."

Instead, PS declared its intention to strengthen cooperation with opposition partners — the SaS, KDH, and Demokrati parties — with the aim of forming a stable government after the 2027 parliamentary elections.

New Vice-Chairmanship and Program Priorities

Delegates also elected seven new vice-chairpersons. Michal Truban received the highest number of votes (137), followed by Ivan Štefunko (129), Beáta Jurík (126), Irena Biháriová (122), Ivan Korčok (121), Tomáš Valášek (110), and Simona Petrík (104). The presence of former presidential candidate Korčok in the inner leadership signals the movement's emphasis on foreign policy and a pro-European orientation.

In the policy area, the congress tasked the leadership with developing strategies focused on reducing the cost of living, addressing the housing crisis, and supporting economic growth. Šimečka proposed declaring a "housing emergency" in the most affected cities and simplifying building regulations.

Warning Against Pre-Election Manipulations

In his speech, Šimečka warned delegates to expect "fabricated security crises" and the spread of deepfake videos created by artificial intelligence before the 2027 elections. He also expressed concern about the possible threat to the integrity of the electoral process from the current government.

The re-election comes at a turbulent time in Slovak politics, marked by the investigation of Prime Minister Robert Fico, international pressure to stop electricity supplies to Ukraine, and a growing energy crisis. Šimečka presented the concept of a "shadow government" and sharply criticized Fico's administration for economic stagnation and declining living standards.

The coalition's reaction was not long in coming. Former Prime Minister Igor Matovič ironically stated that "Fico will celebrate" Šimečka's re-election, and suggested that PS should have chosen a different leader. However, Šimečka used the clear mandate of the delegates to strengthen PS's position as the main alternative to the current government.