Slovakia Requires Birth Dates on Referendum Petitions Under New Law

Slovakia's president has approved amendments requiring citizens to include their birth dates when signing petitions for national referendums. The change aims to prevent potential abuse of the petition process by making it easier to verify the authenticity of signatures and prevent fraud. Under Slovakia's direct democracy system, citizens can initiate referendums on constitutional or legislative matters by collecting sufficient petition signatures, but concerns have emerged about possible manipulation of the petition process through duplicate or false signatures.