On September 26, 2025, an unexpected vote took place in the Slovak parliament: members of parliament supported an amendment to the Constitution, initiated by Prime Minister Robert Fico. Exactly 90 parliamentarians voted in favor — the minimum number required.
The changes establish the concept of two sexes — male and female — in the country's main law. Previous counts suggested there might not be enough votes, but the situation was turned around by two MPs from Igor Matovič's "Slovensko" movement — Marek Krajčí and Rastislav Krátky.
This decision caused a wave of criticism from the opposition. The leader of "Progressive Slovakia," Michal Šimečka, stated that Matovič himself "saved Fico" and helped push through a "harmful and unnecessary change." He also emphasized that after this, any possible cooperation between progressives and Matovič's group could be forgotten.
SaS also reacted critically, noting that "today all of Slovakia has received proof that it is impossible to build even opposition cooperation with Igor Matovič and his team." Matovič himself sharply criticized the actions of his colleagues, calling them a "betrayal on an extremely important issue." He promised to address the situation at the party level.
Prime Minister Robert Fico, on the other hand, welcomed the adoption of the amendment, thanking not only coalition partners but also the MPs from "Slovensko" who provided the decisive votes. He called the result a "historic opportunity" for the country.
According to observers, this vote could have far-reaching political consequences: it not only cemented constitutional changes but also exposed new lines of division within the opposition camp.
Exact vote distribution by party
Coalition:Smer — 41 MPs
Hlas — 25 out of 26 MPs
SNS — 8 MPs
Opposition:
Progresívne Slovensko — none out of 25 MPs
Slovensko (formerly OĽaNO) — three out of 14 MPs
SaS — none out of 12 MPs
KDH — 9 out of 11 MPs
Independent MPs: 4 out of 5 voted "yes."
Content of the amendments
Robert Fico's proposals include:- Limiting the priority of EU law over Slovak laws on matters of values and culture: if EU regulations conflict with the Slovak Constitution, national law takes precedence.
- Establishing only two sexes — male and female — in the Constitution. Gender reassignment surgery will only be allowed in exceptional cases, to be defined by a separate law.
- Control of school curricula: only what complies with the Constitution can be taught. For example, if marriage is defined as a union of a man and a woman, other interpretations cannot be taught without parental consent.
- Adoption of children will only be allowed for married couples, but the possibility of adoption for single individuals by court decision will remain if it is in the child's best interest.
- Equal pay for equal work: guarantees of equality for men and women.
