Slovakia: Formation of new government coalition - timeline
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- November 2009. The Direction-Social Democracy Party (S-SD) and its junior coalition partner, the People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (LS-HZDS), win regional elections, taking just under a quarter of the seats. Turnout is extremely low at 22.9 per cent.
- June 2009. President Ivan Gasparovic is sworn in for a second five-year term.
- January 2009. Slovakia joins the Euro.
- August 2008. Agriculture Minister Zdenka Kramplova is dismissed over allegations of cronyism in the awarding of tenders.
- May 2008. Slovakia's application to join the Euro is approved by the European Commission.
- April 2008. Newspapers appear with blank front pages in protest at a new law allowing politicians or other citizens to force newspapers to print replies to their articles. The law is condemned by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as a significant restriction on editorial freedom.
- January 2008. Defence Minister Frantisek Kasicky resigns amid allegations of deliberate over-pricing of cleaning contracts for military barracks.
- November 2007. Prime Minister Robert Fico dismisses LS-HZDS Agriculture Minister Miroslav Jurena over alleged corruption in the selling of government land.
- June 2006. In legislative elections the centre-left S-SD wins with 29 per cent of the vote, ahead of the ruling Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) on 18 per cent. The S-SD forms a coalition with the Slovak National Party (SNS), and the populist LS-HZDS.
- February 2006. The three-party ruling coalition collapses after its junior member, the Catholic Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), leaves over a debate on abortion and fertility treatment.
- September 2005. The New Citizens' alliance (ANO) is ejected from the ruling minority coalition. Disaffected members of the ANO are expelled at the party conference and rejoin the government.
- August 2005. Economy Minister Pavol Rusko of the ANO is dismissed after a loan scandal reveals conflicts of interest between his portfolio and his private business interests.
- May 2005. The legislature ratifies the European Constitution. The popularity of the EU had grown in Slovakia as the country enjoyed an economic boom as a result of membership.
- April 2004. Ivan Gasparovic of the Movement for Democracy (HZD) is elected president, defeating the incumbent Rudolf Schuster.
- February 2004. The SDKU-led minority government loses another seat as ANO deputy Jozef Banas resigns.
- December 2003. The government loses its majority in parliament after seven deputies defect from the SDKU.
- May 2003. A referendum on EU membership returns an overwhelming yes vote, though turnout only just exceeds the 50 per cent required for validity.
- April 2003. A treaty to allow Slovakia to join NATO is approved by 124 votes to 11 in the legislature.
- October 2002. The SDKU is invited to form a government after the HZDS fails to find coalition partners to allow it take power.
- September 2002. The HZDS wins the general election but gains only 36 seats, fewer than in the outgoing chamber. The ruling centre-right SDKU comes second with 28 seats.
- June 2002. Josef Macejko, the minister for transport, is dismissed following allegations of corruption.
- December 2001. The HZDS emerges as the strongest party in Slovakia's first regional elections.
- August 2001. The Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK) indicates that it will leave the government over a row concerning regional autonomy. The move threatens the viability of the governing coalition.
- May 2001. Pavol Hamzik, the deputy prime minister responsible for EU accession, is dismissed after it is revealed that a member of his personal staff was at the centre of the recent scandal concerning misuse of EU funds.
- April 2001. The European Commission (EC) suspends preparation of new projects as well as tenders financed from EU development funds in Slovakia in the wake of a corruption scandal involving a high-ranking government official.
- December 2000. Defence Minister Pavol Kanis resigns amid allegations of corruption.
- February 2000. The SDKU is formed by Prime Minister Dzurinda.
- January 2000. Dzurinda announces he will form a new party to contest upcoming elections after failing to fully integrate the Slovak Democratic Coalition into a single party.
- October 1999. The government approves a plan to join NATO.
- September 1999. A rally is organised in Bratislava (the capital) by the Slovak Trade Union Confederation to demand action on unemployment, higher salaries and lower taxes.
- May 1999. Rudolf Schuster of the governing Party of Civic Understanding (SOP) is elected president.
- March 1999. Ivan Lexa, a former director of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) and an HZDS legislator is charged with abuse of power, abduction, theft, and three other offences.
- January 1999. Former Economy Minister Jan Ducky of the HZDS is assassinated.
- December 1998. The upcoming presidential election is cancelled due to no candidates being nominated.
- November 1998. Dzurinda announces that his new government will be committed to freedom, equality, justice, and democracy. He lays out a plan to stabilise the economy and reduce the budget deficit while fighting organised crime.
- September 1998. Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar of the HZDK wins legislative elections but accepts that the party has too few seats to form a government. The Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK), the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK) and the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP) announce that they will attempt to form a coalition.
- July 1998. The SDK is formed by the merger of the Christian Democratic Movement, the Democratic Union, the Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party of Slovakia and the Slovak Green Party.
- June 1998. The legislature's attempts to elect a president continue to be frustrated as the only remaining candidate, an independent, withdraws.
- April 1998. The governing HZDK put forward MilanSecansky for the presidency for the first time, but he fails to secure enough support in the legislature to gain the post.
- March 1998. President MichalKovac's term ends without a successor in place. Several of the powers of the presidency are transferred to the government.
- February 1998. The legislature again fails to elect a president. The opposition accuses the government of aiming to leave the presidency vacant, thus increasing the power of the prime minister.
- January 1998. None of the three candidates for the presidency, Stefan Markus, Juraj Hrasko, and Augustin Kurek, reaches the necessary 60 per cent of votes in the legislature. Another round of voting is scheduled for February.
- July 1997. Round table talks on democratisation and EU entry between the government and opposition parties collapse shortly after opening.
- May 1997. Controversy about whether a referendum on NATO membership should be coupled with a referendum on direct election to the presidency leads to a very low turnout. The referendum results are invalidated by the turnout.
- October 1995. The USA and EU express concerns about the state of democracy in Slovakia.
- June 1995. Prime Minister Meciar calls for a national referendum on removing President Kovac from office. The legislature votes to move the role of head of the armed forces from the presidency to the government.
- May 1995. The legislature passes a vote of no confidence in President Kovac. The vote is condemned as unconstitutional by Kovac as it was not passed by the two thirds majority required to unseat him.
- December 1994. A new HZDK-SNS- Workers of Slovakia (ZRS) government is sworn in. Most cabinet posts are held by the HZDS but the privatisation portfolio goes to the ZRS and the defence and education ministries are taken by the SNS.
- November 1994. The populist HZDS announces that it will form a coalition with the extreme nationalist SNS and the left-wing ZRS.
- October 1994. The HZDS, victorious in the previous month's election, fails to create a coalition with a parliamentary majority, resulting in political paralysis.
- September 1994. The HZDS, led by former Prime Minister Meciar, wins an unexpectedly convincing victory in legislative elections.
- August 1994. Representatives of the ethnic Hungarian minority complain to the Council of Europe that they are being discriminated against.
- July 1994. The IMF approves a $263 million loan for Slovakia to support the government's economic reform programme.
- May 1994. A law is passed to allow ethnic Hungarians to officially register their names without modifying them to a Slovak form.
- March 1994. Prime Meciar resigns after a no-confidence vote. The HZDS coalition is replaced by a new group formed by the opposition.
- February 1994. Deputy Prime Minister Roman Kovac and Foreign Minister Jozef Moravcik defect from the HZDS to the opposition.
- November 1993. Members of the SNS are appointed to cabinet posts, in line with the coalition deal agreed in October.
- October 1993. The HZDS agrees a coalition deal with the SNS. This allows the HZDS to remain in power.
- June 1993. Two ministers resign from the HZDS government as internal dissent continues to pull the party apart.
- April 1993. The HZDS loses its majority as six deputies leave to form a new block led by former foreign minister Milan Knazko. Popular protests break out against high unemployment and a worsening financial situation.
- March 1993. Prime Minister Meciar tightens his grip on the HZDS by removing Knazko, the foreign minister. Another critic, Economy Minister Ludovit Cernak resigns in protest at the increasingly authoritarian leadership of the party.
- February 1993. Kovac is elected as Slovakia's first president amid bitter wrangling within the ruling HZDS.
- February 1993. The currencies of Slovakia and the Czech Republic are split.
- January 1993. The government of the now legally independent Republic of Slovakia is sworn in.
- September 1992. A new republican constitution is adopted by the Slovak National Council.
- July 1992. The sovereignty of the Republic of Slovakia is proclaimed, presaging the end of the Federal Republic of Czechoslovakia.
- November 1989. The communist government of Czechoslovakia is toppled by popular protests and democratic reforms are promised.
- May 1945. The government-in-exile of Czechoslovakia returns from London after the country is liberated by Soviet forces.
- March 1939. Czechoslovakia is broken up with Czech areas becoming part of Germany and Slovakia becoming a nominally independent state under German protection.
- December 1938. A National Socialist Party is formed in Slovakia.
- September 1938. The government of Czechoslovakia agrees to the occupation of the Sudetenland by Nazi German forces.
- October 1932. A demonstration of approximately 200,000 people is held in Slovakia to demand autonomy within Czechoslovakia.
- October 1918. Czechoslovakia is formed as one of the successor states to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
