Referendum in Slovakia fails to bring early

22/1/2023 18:55

        A referendum in Slovakia failed to open a path to early elections after most voters avoided the polling stations on Saturday, quashing the opposition's plan to bring the contest forward.
        
        Only 27.3% of voters cast ballots, far below the absolute majority a referendum must attract to be valid, according to data released overnight by the Statistics Office.
        
        Only one popular vote - on joining the European Union - has passed the threshold since Slovakia's independence in 1993.
        
        An early election can be held in Slovakia if the constitution is changed to permit parliament's four-year term to be shortened. Such a change of constitution would need approval by a referendum or by at least 90 votes in the 150-seat parliament.
        
        The government of Prime Minister Eduard Heger has been ruling in a caretaking capacity after it lost a no-confidence vote in parliament in December.