Ordinary People and Independent Personalities

Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (Slovak: Obyčajní ľudia a nezávislé osobnosti, OĽaNO) is a conservative political party in Slovakia. The anti-establishment party founded in 2011 won the 2020 parliamentary election on an anti-corruption platform.[13] After getting in charge, OĽaNO adopted a generally conservative outlook. The party is led by former prime minister of Slovakia Igor Matovič. In 2021, Eduard Heger, a member of the party's presidium, succeeded Matovič and led the country until the fall of the Heger Cabinet on 15 May 2023.[14]

Ordinary People and Independent Personalities
Obyčajní ľudia a nezávislé osobnosti
AbbreviationOĽaNO
ChairmanIgor Matovič
General SecretaryJúlius Jakab[1]
Parliamentary leaderMichal Šipoš
FounderIgor Matovič
Founded28 October 2011 (2011-10-28)
Split fromFreedom and Solidarity
HeadquartersZámocká 6873/14, 81101 Bratislava
Membership (2021)Increase 50[2]
Ideology
Political positionCentre[7][8] to centre-right[9][10]
National affiliationOĽaNO and Friends[11]
European affiliationEuropean People's Party
European Parliament groupEuropean People's Party
Colours
  •   Green
  •   Grey
Slogan"We will not sell you to the mafia" (2023)[12]
National Council
12 / 150
European Parliament
1 / 14
Regional governors
2 / 8
Regional deputies
21 / 416
Mayors[lower-alpha 1]
54 / 2,904
Local councillors[lower-alpha 2]
752 / 20,686
Website
obycajniludia.sk

In the 2016 and 2020 parliamentary election, the party integrated members of several minor parties within its list, not legally forming a coalition to avoid the imposed increased electoral threshold.

History

The four Ordinary People (OĽaNO) MPs were Igor Matovič, Erika Jurinová, Martin Fecko, Jozef Viskupič.[15] OĽaNO sat in the National Council with Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and signed an agreement with SaS that its members could not cross the floor to another group. In June and July 2010,[15] it was rumoured that OĽaNO would refuse to back the programme of the new centre-right coalition,[16] which included Freedom and Solidarity, and whose majority depended on Ordinary People.[17]

In August 2010, Matovič said that it was not the right time to become an independent party.[17] However, on 28 October 2011, Ordinary People filed a formal party registration, while Matovič announced that the party would compete in 2012 parliamentary election as a separate electoral list, of independents and representatives of the Civic Conservative Party and the Conservative Democrats.[18] In the 2012 election, the party came in third place overall, winning 8.55% of the vote and 16 seats.[19]

In the 2014 European elections, OĽaNO came in fourth place nationally, receiving 7.46% of the vote and electing 1 MEP.[20]

In the 2016 parliamentary election, Ordinary People ran in alliance with New Majority. They received 11.02% votes in Slovakia and consequently 19 MPs in the Slovak Parliament, 17 of whom came from Ordinary People.

In 2014–2019, the party was member of European Parliament group of European Conservatives and Reformists and in 2019 switched to the European People's Party group.

At the February 2020 parliamentary election, the Party received 25.0% of the vote, winning a 53 of 150 seats in the National Council. Party leader Igor Matovič was appointed as the Prime Minister designate.

Ideology and platform

Initially a big tent populist party, it eventually adopted a generally conservative outlook while maintaining its anti-corruption and anti-elitist rhetoric.[21][22] Although conservative voices were always present in OĽaNO, their influence became significant after the 2020 parliamentary election.[23][24] Party leader Igor Matovič endorsed the 2015 Slovak referendum initiated by Alliance for Family, voting against the introduction of same-sex marriages, adoptions and compulsory sex education in state schools.[25] Before the last election, Matovič announced that his party would not join a coalition government that wanted to establish civil unions or loosen drug policy.[26] At the same time, Christian Union merged into the party, presenting bills restricting abortions with major party support.[27][28]

OĽaNO lacks any internal democratic structures, and Matovič decides on the composition of the electoral list, admission of members and political nominations.[29][30][31] The use of public subsidies for the party is considered non-transparent and similar to a private company rather than a political entity.[32] OĽaNO claimed to have 50 members as of 31 December 2021.[33]

Election results

Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, (OĽaNO)

The party integrated Civic Conservative Party and Conservative Democrats of Slovakia members within its list; however, both parties withdrew from the list prior to the election due to a dispute with OĽaNO.

Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
2012 Igor Matovič 218,537
8.6%
3rd
16 / 150
Opposition

Ordinary People and Independent Personalities–NOVA, (OĽaNO–NOVA)

The party legally changed its name before the election to integrate NOVA and Change from Below members within its list.

Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
2016 Igor Matovič 287,611
11.0%
3rd
19 / 150
Increase 3 Opposition

Ordinary People and Independent Personalities–NOVA–Christian Union–Change from Below, (OĽaNO–NOVA–KÚ–ZZ)

The party legally changed its name before the election to integrate NOVA, Christian Union and Change from Below members within its list.

Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
2020 Igor Matovič 721,166
25.0%
1st
53 / 150
Increase 34 OĽaNO–We Are FamilySaSFor the People

Ordinary People, Independent Candidates, NOVA, Free and Responsible, Pačivale Roma, Magyar Szívek, (OĽaNO and Friends)

The party legally changed its name before the election to represent its internal factions and to integrate NOVA members within its list.

Election Leader Votes % Rank Seats +/– Status
2023 Igor Matovič 264,137
8.9%
4th
12 / 150
Decrease 40 Opposition
Running in coalition with , and NOVA, which won 16 seats in total.

European Parliament

Election Leader Votes  % Rank Seats +/– Group
2014 Jozef Viskupič 41,829
7.5%
4th
1 / 13
ECR
2019 Michal Šipoš 51,834
5.3%
6th
1 / 14
Steady 0 EPP

Presidential

Election Candidate 1st round 2nd round
Votes % Rank Votes % Rank
2014 Helena Mezenská 45,180
2.4%
7th
2019 Endorsed
Zuzana Čaputová
870,415
40.6%
1st 1,056,582
58.4%
1st

Notes

  1. Also with coalitions.
  2. Also with coalitions.

References

  1. "Predsedníctvo".
  2. "Výročná správa politickej strany: OĽaNO" (PDF). Ministry of the Interior (Slovakia) (in Slovak). 2021. p. 7.
  3. "Slovakia election: Exit polls show Fico wins with reduced majority". Deutsche Welle. 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  4. "Slovak MPs wear yellow stars to protest far-right party". Times of Israel. 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  5. "Slovakia opposition party wins parliamentary election". Deutsche Welle. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  6. Cunningham, Benjamin (2016-03-06). "5 takeaways from Slovakia's election". Politico. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  7. Varshalomidze, Tamila. "Far-right poised to make gains in Slovakia's key polls". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  8. Muller, Robert (2020-02-14). "Slovak opposition well-placed in poll to unseat long-ruling Smer". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  9. "Slovakia election: seismic shift as public anger ousts dominant Smer-SD party". The Guardian. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  10. "Slovakia election: Double murder haunts voters". BBC News. 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  11. "Voľby do NR SR 2023: kandidátne listiny v lehote určenej zákonom predložilo 24 politických strán a 1 koalícia". 3 July 2023.
  12. "Kandidátna listina koalície OĽANO a priatelia, Kresťanská únia, Za ľudí". 6 July 2023.
  13. "Analysis | Voters want Slovakia's incoming government to end corruption. That will be tough". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  14. "Prezidentka vymenovala vládu Eduarda Hegera".
  15. Vilikovská, Zuzana (15 June 2010). "SaS chairman speaks about its new MPs from the Ordinary People civic association". The Slovak Spectator.
  16. Vilikovská, Zuzana (5 August 2010). "'Ordinary Man' MP Matovič accuses Fico of lying". The Slovak Spectator.
  17. Vilikovská, Zuzana (3 August 2010). "SaS: Ordinary People faction will give up their parliamentary seats if they leave SaS caucus". The Slovak Spectator.
  18. Kft., Webra International (28 October 2011). "The Visegrad Group: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - Ordinary People files request to be registered as political party in Slovakia". www.visegradgroup.eu.
  19. Slovakia turns left, The Economist (11 March 2012)
  20. "Elections to the European Parliament 2014". Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-28.
  21. "Mení Matovič s OĽaNO svoju protikorupčnú tvár? Jasná odpoveď politológa | TVNOVINY.sk". 11 August 2022.
  22. "Matovič chce z OĽaNO konzervatívnu stranu. Pre KDH má ponuku, ktorú nemôžu odmietnuť".
  23. "Zmena identity OĽaNO: Zmení sa protikorupčné hnutie na konzervatívne?". 3 March 2020.
  24. "Konzervatívne OĽaNO: Poslancom bude hovorca referenda aj gospelový spevák". 5 March 2020.
  25. "VIDEO: Igor Matovič hlasoval v Trnave s manželkou a deťmi". 7 February 2015.
  26. "OĽaNO nevstúpi do koalície, ktorá rieši drogy a registrované partnerstvá".
  27. "Záborská z Kresťanskej únie: Máme s Matovičom dohodu, že v parlamente si vlastný klub nevytvoríme". 2 March 2020.
  28. "Nicholsonová kritizuje poslancov Kresťanskej únie za tému potratov, tí pripravujú návrh". 22 May 2020.
  29. "OĽaNO je za štruktúry bez straníckej knižky, Matovič v ringu "bojoval" bez priaznivcov Smeru". 19 May 2018.
  30. "Kto zarába na OĽaNO. Štát a verejnosť vedia veľmi málo o tom, ako strany míňajú svoje peniaze". 23 April 2021.
  31. "Stanovy".
  32. "Kto zarába na OĽaNO. Štát a verejnosť vedia veľmi málo o tom, ako strany míňajú svoje peniaze". 23 April 2021.
  33. "Výročná správa politickej strany: OĽaNO" (PDF). Ministry of the Interior (Slovakia) (in Slovak). 2021. p. 7.
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