Slovak President Rejects Referendum Question on Shortening Parliamentary Term

Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini has rejected a referendum question proposing to shorten the current parliamentary term. The decision blocks a potential public vote that could have led to early elections. Slovak opposition parties and civil society groups have been pushing for early elections amid growing dissatisfaction with the current government led by Robert Fico's Smer-SD party, which returned to power in 2023. Under Slovakia's constitution, the president has the authority to approve or reject referendum questions before they can proceed to the signature-gathering phase required to trigger a national vote.