On 4 May, ALDE Party member Progresívne Slovensko re-elected Michal Šimečka as party leader for a two-year term at a party Congress in Košice, Slovakia. 

Šimečka was first elected as party leader in May 2022, and led the party to its best-ever result in national elections last September. 

PS received 17.96% of the popular vote, becoming the second-biggest party in Slovakia and entering the Slovak Parliament for the first time since its inception in 2017 with 32 seats. 

During the Congress, Šimečka presented a number of concrete steps to defeat the current Slovak government, including winning the European elections in June and strengthening the liberal presence in Slovak regions.  

“We need to keep Slovakia in Europe. No one else can do it for us. This is the main task before the PS - to win the elections, form a government and give Slovakia back hope for the future. I want to devote all my energy to this task and every day as PS chair," said Šimečka. 

"We have achieved a number of successes in the last two years, but this alone is not enough. The Fico government is driving Slovakia into the abyss. They are destroying our justice, economy, media and nature. And we must stop them.  

"I want us to put down roots in every region, in every district. We will travel much more around Slovakia, we will open more regional offices, you will see us regularly and we will listen to you.” 

Šimečka highlighted the strengthening of PS with prominent regional personalities, and stressed that he will create the party’s new economic and social policy with European lead candidate Ľudovít Odor. 

In Košice, PS also elected new vice-presidents in Ivan Štefunko, Michal Truban, Tomáš Valášek, Simona Petrík and Zora Jaurová. 

The European elections in Slovakia are set to take place on 8 June, as citizens will head to the polls to elect 15 MEPs. 

Photo: PS