Consensus-Building
#28Key Findings
In the category of consensus-building, Slovakia falls into the sample’s bottom ranks (rank 28).
While institutional mechanisms are in place to give the government access to scientific expertise, the system is unstable and often bypassed. Recent governments have been openly antagonistic toward experts.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) serves as a consultative and coordinating body for the government and social partners at the national level, especially trade unions and employers’ associations. The government is not required to follow the ESC’s recommendations, and often fails to incorporate comments from nonstate members.
The ESC also incorporates recommendations from social welfare groups, and various ministries have consultation councils that deal with other social issues. Consultation with environmental groups has been more irregular, and the new Fico government has had antagonistic relations with environmental organizations. Open data efforts are underdeveloped.
While institutional mechanisms are in place to give the government access to scientific expertise, the system is unstable and often bypassed. Recent governments have been openly antagonistic toward experts.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) serves as a consultative and coordinating body for the government and social partners at the national level, especially trade unions and employers’ associations. The government is not required to follow the ESC’s recommendations, and often fails to incorporate comments from nonstate members.
The ESC also incorporates recommendations from social welfare groups, and various ministries have consultation councils that deal with other social issues. Consultation with environmental groups has been more irregular, and the new Fico government has had antagonistic relations with environmental organizations. Open data efforts are underdeveloped.
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To what extent is the government successful in effectively harnessing the best available scientific knowledge for policymaking purposes?
10
9
9
The government is able to harness the best available scientific knowledge for policymaking purposes.
8
7
6
7
6
In most cases, the government is able to harness the best available scientific knowledge for policymaking purposes.
5
4
3
4
3
Only rarely is the government able to harness the best available scientific knowledge for policymaking purposes.
2
1
1
The government is not able to harness the best available scientific knowledge for policymaking purposes.
The institutional mechanisms in place are designed to ensure that the government can access the best available scientific expertise from the outset and on short notice for all key projects. However, the advisory system is unstable and operates on an ad hoc basis (Krajňák et al., 2020). Since the pandemic, there has been an increasing tendency to bypass formal institutions (Buštíková and Baboš 2020), except under the Ódor caretaker government. The Matovič and, to a large extent, the Heger governments did not fully utilize the formal institutional potential (see Malý and Nemec, 2023).
The Heger government prepared the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was approved by the EU in the spring of 2022, partly using external expert capacities. The Ódor government established several expert commissions to produce its “White Papers.” For example, the “White Paper” titled “Bližšie k občanom” (Closer to Citizens), focusing on self-government reforms, was prepared in consultation with numerous experts and representative associations.
Former Prime Minister and later Minister of Finance Igor Matovič’s approach to experts can be characterized as antagonistic. For instance, he set up a temporary advisory body, the Economic Crisis Council; however, he demonstrated a near-zero capacity to regularly and systematically consult and collaborate with critical stakeholders during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite lacking expertise and executive experience, Matovič tried to behave dominantly, rejecting or publicly mocking many proposals from these advisory bodies. When most medical experts protested against blanket testing in October 2020, Matovič retaliated by publicly calling them “mazes” (Gręndzińska et al., 2022: 37).
There is no established indicator measuring the frequency of criticism for disregarding scientific advice, but the media cover such cases on an ad hoc basis. Criticism usually results in the resignation of experts.
Citations:
Bližšie k občanom. 2023. Bratislava: Úrad vlády SR.
Grendzinska, J., Hoffman, I., Klimovský, D., Malý, I., and Nemec, J. 2022. “Four Cases, the Same Story? The Roles of the Prime Ministers in the V4 Countries during the COVID-19 Crisis.” Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, Special Issue: 28-44.
Krajňák, S., Staronova, K., and Pickering, H. 2020. “Ministerial Advisers in Slovakia: Profiles and Career Paths, 2010–2020.” NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy 13 (2): 116–140. https://doi.org/10.2478/nispa-2020-0017
Buštíková, L., and P. Baboš. 2020. “Best in Covid: Populists in the Time of Pandemic.” Politics and Governance 8(4): 496-508. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v8i4.3424
The Heger government prepared the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which was approved by the EU in the spring of 2022, partly using external expert capacities. The Ódor government established several expert commissions to produce its “White Papers.” For example, the “White Paper” titled “Bližšie k občanom” (Closer to Citizens), focusing on self-government reforms, was prepared in consultation with numerous experts and representative associations.
Former Prime Minister and later Minister of Finance Igor Matovič’s approach to experts can be characterized as antagonistic. For instance, he set up a temporary advisory body, the Economic Crisis Council; however, he demonstrated a near-zero capacity to regularly and systematically consult and collaborate with critical stakeholders during the COVID-19 crisis. Despite lacking expertise and executive experience, Matovič tried to behave dominantly, rejecting or publicly mocking many proposals from these advisory bodies. When most medical experts protested against blanket testing in October 2020, Matovič retaliated by publicly calling them “mazes” (Gręndzińska et al., 2022: 37).
There is no established indicator measuring the frequency of criticism for disregarding scientific advice, but the media cover such cases on an ad hoc basis. Criticism usually results in the resignation of experts.
Citations:
Bližšie k občanom. 2023. Bratislava: Úrad vlády SR.
Grendzinska, J., Hoffman, I., Klimovský, D., Malý, I., and Nemec, J. 2022. “Four Cases, the Same Story? The Roles of the Prime Ministers in the V4 Countries during the COVID-19 Crisis.” Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, Special Issue: 28-44.
Krajňák, S., Staronova, K., and Pickering, H. 2020. “Ministerial Advisers in Slovakia: Profiles and Career Paths, 2010–2020.” NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy 13 (2): 116–140. https://doi.org/10.2478/nispa-2020-0017
Buštíková, L., and P. Baboš. 2020. “Best in Covid: Populists in the Time of Pandemic.” Politics and Governance 8(4): 496-508. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v8i4.3424
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To what extent does the government facilitate the participation of trade unions and business organizations in policymaking?
10
9
9
The government is able to effectively involve trade unions and business organizations in policy development.
8
7
6
7
6
Most of the time, the government is able to effectively involve trade unions and business organizations in policy development.
5
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3
4
3
The government is rarely able to effectively involve trade unions and business organizations in policy development.
2
1
1
The government is not able to effectively involve trade unions and business organizations in policy development.
The existing institutional mechanisms facilitate the active involvement of non-state actors in capital and labor policymaking and implementation. Legislation clearly defines the roles of key actors, including trade unions and employers’ associations.
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) serves as a consultative and coordinating body for the government and social partners at the national level. Meetings are held regularly according to a government plan, and all information from these meetings is published on the government’s website. The ESC and other institutional mechanisms, such as legislative rules, ensure a formal, inclusive process that allows participation from both private sector and labor representatives.
Non-state members of the ESC and other civil society organizations in this sector have a highly visible presence. Media coverage frequently highlights their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their involvement in the policymaking process and its outcomes, as required by media law.
As a consultative body, the ESC’s recommendations are not mandatory for the government. For example, most comments from non-state members regarding the state budgets for 2022 and 2023 were not incorporated by the OĽANO-led governments. A notable aspect of the ESC’s activities is its role in negotiating between employers’ and employees’ representatives over the minimum wage (as per Law 663/2007 on the minimum wage). While negotiations for the 2022 minimum wage were unsuccessful and the state set the rate, agreements were reached for the 2023 and 2024 minimum wage levels.
Citations:
Zákon č. 103/2007 Z. z. o trojstranných konzultáciách na celoštátnej úrovni. 2007. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2007/103/
Zákon 663/2007 Z. z. o minimálnej mzde. 2007. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2007/663/
The Economic and Social Council (ESC) serves as a consultative and coordinating body for the government and social partners at the national level. Meetings are held regularly according to a government plan, and all information from these meetings is published on the government’s website. The ESC and other institutional mechanisms, such as legislative rules, ensure a formal, inclusive process that allows participation from both private sector and labor representatives.
Non-state members of the ESC and other civil society organizations in this sector have a highly visible presence. Media coverage frequently highlights their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their involvement in the policymaking process and its outcomes, as required by media law.
As a consultative body, the ESC’s recommendations are not mandatory for the government. For example, most comments from non-state members regarding the state budgets for 2022 and 2023 were not incorporated by the OĽANO-led governments. A notable aspect of the ESC’s activities is its role in negotiating between employers’ and employees’ representatives over the minimum wage (as per Law 663/2007 on the minimum wage). While negotiations for the 2022 minimum wage were unsuccessful and the state set the rate, agreements were reached for the 2023 and 2024 minimum wage levels.
Citations:
Zákon č. 103/2007 Z. z. o trojstranných konzultáciách na celoštátnej úrovni. 2007. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2007/103/
Zákon 663/2007 Z. z. o minimálnej mzde. 2007. https://www.slov-lex.sk/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2007/663/
To what extent does the government facilitate the participation of leading social welfare CSOs in policymaking?
10
9
9
The government is able to effectively involve leading social welfare CSOs in policy development.
8
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6
7
6
Most of the time, the government is able to effectively involve leading social welfare CSOs in policy development.
5
4
3
4
3
The government is rarely able to effectively involve leading social welfare CSOs in policy development.
2
1
1
The government is not able to effectively involve leading social welfare CSOs in policy development.
In addition to labor issues, the Economic and Social Council of the Slovak Republic addresses welfare matters. The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, and Family of the SR (Ministry of Labor) has several other councils that handle different welfare areas, such as senior citizens, families and differently abled individuals. Each council includes several members representing prominent CSOs in their respective regions. According to council statutes, CSOs should normally be consulted during the ex ante assessment of all draft laws in the area (legislative rules). Mechanisms allow social welfare CSOs to engage in expert commissions, public hearings, and performance monitoring. All official documents, including meeting minutes, voting records, and resolutions, are available on the Ministry of Labor’s website. However, not all aspects of the consultation process are fully transparent.
The quality of consultations and the results depend on the specific conditions and actors involved. The OĽANO governments from 2020 to 2023 often made decisions independently of other stakeholders’ positions due to their limited capacity for participative decision-making (see Malý and Nemec, 2023). Trade unions and other primary CSOs in the welfare area are publicly visible, and the media report criticism regarding the quality of their participation in policymaking and policy implementation processes. Besides government councils, there are no visible formal mechanisms to organize disputes within and between major social welfare CSOs or to balance potentially diverse opinions in practice.
Citations:
Malý, I., and J. Nemec. 2023. “‘Non-Standard’ Political Parties and The Capacity to Govern in Turbulent Times: Slovakia 2020-2022.” Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences Special issue: 101-117.
The quality of consultations and the results depend on the specific conditions and actors involved. The OĽANO governments from 2020 to 2023 often made decisions independently of other stakeholders’ positions due to their limited capacity for participative decision-making (see Malý and Nemec, 2023). Trade unions and other primary CSOs in the welfare area are publicly visible, and the media report criticism regarding the quality of their participation in policymaking and policy implementation processes. Besides government councils, there are no visible formal mechanisms to organize disputes within and between major social welfare CSOs or to balance potentially diverse opinions in practice.
Citations:
Malý, I., and J. Nemec. 2023. “‘Non-Standard’ Political Parties and The Capacity to Govern in Turbulent Times: Slovakia 2020-2022.” Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences Special issue: 101-117.
To what extent does the government facilitate the participation of leading environmental CSOs in policymaking?
10
9
9
The government is able to effectively involve leading environmental CSOs in policy development.
8
7
6
7
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Most of the time, the government is able to effectively involve leading environmental CSOs in policy development.
5
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3
4
3
The government is rarely able to effectively involve leading environmental CSOs in policy development.
2
1
1
The government is not able to effectively involve leading environmental CSOs in policy development.
Institutional mechanisms exist to ensure the active involvement of environmental CSOs from the initial stages of policymaking on issues central to this sector. Legislative rules and other regulations mandate the engagement of environmental CSOs in expert commissions, public hearings, and performance monitoring. In 2019, the Council for the Green Agreement was established to further this involvement. However, compared to the mechanisms in labor, capital, and welfare, the consultation process in the environmental sector has been more irregular, selective, and lacking in transparency during the period under review.
During this period, some environmental CSOs and their representatives received significant government support. For instance, Michal Šipoš, the chair of the parliamentary club of OĽANO (2020–2023), repeatedly declared that environmental protection was a major priority for the government. The OĽaNO-nominated minister, Ján Budaj, was active and frequently consulted with major environmental CSOs. Many of these organizations, such as Clima Coalition, Via Iuris, and Friends of the Earth Slovakia, were involved in consultations on the Clima Law prepared by the Ministry in February 2023. However, the law was not approved by the government due to politicization before the early elections in September 2023.
The new Fico government, in power from autumn 2023, indicates at least partly antagonistic relations with environmental CSOs. These CSOs played a critical role in the massive and successful protests against the nomination of Rudolf Huliak to the position of minister of the environment (see, for example, Mäkká and Grečko, 2023).
A notable example of the politicized situation in environmental protection is the issue of the brown bear. Some relevant CSOs state that the number of brown bears in Slovakia is at the optimal level, between 1,000 and 1,500 bears. Other CSOs claim there are 3,000 to 4,000 brown bears in Slovakia, exceeding the country’s real territorial capacity. The State Environmental Protection body of the Ministry of Environment ordered a study to estimate the real number of brown bears. Two Czech universities conducted the study to ensure its accuracy, determining the number to be between 1,012 and 1,275. However, some environmental experts claim that the study was manipulated because only 2,200 biological samples were collected and analyzed, suggesting that with 4,000 samples, the results would be different (see Správy RTVS, 27 July 2023). This case study highlights the variability of opinions and the frequent manipulation of facts in the sector. Reflecting its positions, the OĽANO government did not issue any regular permits to shoot brown bears (only a few were shot based on specific licenses), while the Fico government plans to significantly reduce the number of brown bears.
Citations:
Mäkká, S., and Grečko, T. 2023. “Kto je možný minister životného prostredia Rudolf Huliak.” Denník N, October 12. https://e.dennikn.sk/3622481/navadzal-na-obesenie-ochranara-kto-je-mozny-minister-zivotneho-prostredia-rudolf-huliak/
Správy RTVS. 2023. “Vedci a zoológovia obhajovali výsledky štúdie o počte medveďov. Narazila na kritiku lesníkov a poľovníkov.” https://spravy.rtvs.sk/2023/07/vedci-a-zoologovia-obhajovali-vysledky-studie-o-pocte-medvedov-podla-analyzy-dna-narazila-na-kritiku-lesnikov-a-polovnikov/
During this period, some environmental CSOs and their representatives received significant government support. For instance, Michal Šipoš, the chair of the parliamentary club of OĽANO (2020–2023), repeatedly declared that environmental protection was a major priority for the government. The OĽaNO-nominated minister, Ján Budaj, was active and frequently consulted with major environmental CSOs. Many of these organizations, such as Clima Coalition, Via Iuris, and Friends of the Earth Slovakia, were involved in consultations on the Clima Law prepared by the Ministry in February 2023. However, the law was not approved by the government due to politicization before the early elections in September 2023.
The new Fico government, in power from autumn 2023, indicates at least partly antagonistic relations with environmental CSOs. These CSOs played a critical role in the massive and successful protests against the nomination of Rudolf Huliak to the position of minister of the environment (see, for example, Mäkká and Grečko, 2023).
A notable example of the politicized situation in environmental protection is the issue of the brown bear. Some relevant CSOs state that the number of brown bears in Slovakia is at the optimal level, between 1,000 and 1,500 bears. Other CSOs claim there are 3,000 to 4,000 brown bears in Slovakia, exceeding the country’s real territorial capacity. The State Environmental Protection body of the Ministry of Environment ordered a study to estimate the real number of brown bears. Two Czech universities conducted the study to ensure its accuracy, determining the number to be between 1,012 and 1,275. However, some environmental experts claim that the study was manipulated because only 2,200 biological samples were collected and analyzed, suggesting that with 4,000 samples, the results would be different (see Správy RTVS, 27 July 2023). This case study highlights the variability of opinions and the frequent manipulation of facts in the sector. Reflecting its positions, the OĽANO government did not issue any regular permits to shoot brown bears (only a few were shot based on specific licenses), while the Fico government plans to significantly reduce the number of brown bears.
Citations:
Mäkká, S., and Grečko, T. 2023. “Kto je možný minister životného prostredia Rudolf Huliak.” Denník N, October 12. https://e.dennikn.sk/3622481/navadzal-na-obesenie-ochranara-kto-je-mozny-minister-zivotneho-prostredia-rudolf-huliak/
Správy RTVS. 2023. “Vedci a zoológovia obhajovali výsledky štúdie o počte medveďov. Narazila na kritiku lesníkov a poľovníkov.” https://spravy.rtvs.sk/2023/07/vedci-a-zoologovia-obhajovali-vysledky-studie-o-pocte-medvedov-podla-analyzy-dna-narazila-na-kritiku-lesnikov-a-polovnikov/
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To what extent does the government publish data and information that empowers citizens to hold the government accountable?
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The government publishes data and information in a manner that empowers citizens to hold the government accountable.
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Most of the time, the government publishes data and information in a manner that empowers citizens to hold the government accountable.
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The government rarely publishes data and information in a manner that strengthens citizens to hold the government accountable.
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1
The government does not publish data and information in a manner that strengthens citizens’ capacity to hold the government accountable.
The Slovak government is an EU outlier in developing comprehensive data governance frameworks, building data management capacities across the public sector, and enabling its open government data portals to function as interactive feedback and communication tools rather than mere data repositories. According to the European Data Portal, Slovakia ranked as one of the least-performing EU countries for the indicator “Maturity of open data” (59.37% of the maximum score in 2022). The Government at a Glance 2019 report (OECD, 2019) ranked Slovakia as one of the worst-performing EU countries regarding the openness, usefulness, and reusability of government data. In some critical areas, like the size and scope of public service employment, publicly available data do not exist (Nemec, 2022).
The government does not proactively provide information and data that adequately meet the increasing demands of citizens in terms of information diversity and level of detail. It does not ensure the availability of comparable data across different regions and administrative levels. Some databases, such as the public procurement registry, can be considered user-friendly for humans and machines, including data formats, ease of access, and the provision of documentation or user guides.
Citations:
OECD. 2019. Government at Glance. Paris: OECD.
Nemec, J. 2022. Public Administration and Governance: Slovakia. Brussels: European Union.
https://data.europa.eu/en
The government does not proactively provide information and data that adequately meet the increasing demands of citizens in terms of information diversity and level of detail. It does not ensure the availability of comparable data across different regions and administrative levels. Some databases, such as the public procurement registry, can be considered user-friendly for humans and machines, including data formats, ease of access, and the provision of documentation or user guides.
Citations:
OECD. 2019. Government at Glance. Paris: OECD.
Nemec, J. 2022. Public Administration and Governance: Slovakia. Brussels: European Union.
https://data.europa.eu/en