HUIn Slovakia, a referendum held on Sunday regarding whether to revoke Prime Minister Robert Fico’s lifetime pension was declared invalid because voter turnout did not reach the legally required 50 percent threshold. Out of 4,369,989 eligible voters, only 705,227 participated, resulting in a 16.13% turnout. The valid ballots totaled 698,757. One question asked if voters agreed to remove Fico’s pension, which he currently receives along with other senior officials. 93.43% of participants voted 'yes' while 5.32% voted 'no'. Another question sought support for the reactivation of the Special Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAKA), with 92.23% voting 'yes' and 6.07% 'no'. The law allowing such pensions was introduced in 2024 after an alleged assassination attempt against Fico. The Slovak parliament had previously approved a plan to abolish the special prosecutor’s office, which faced strong domestic and international criticism, leading to mass protests. Fico himself did not vote in the referendum. Voter participation varied significantly across regions, with the highest turnout in the Trnava region at 21.84% and the lowest in the Kassa region at 13.4%.
Bias read (Center): The article presents factual data about the referendum results and provides background on the legal framework and political context surrounding the issue. It does not take a clear ideological stance but reports on both the approval rates for removing Fico’s pension and supporting the reactivation of
