Direction – Social Democracy

Originally named Direction, the party emerged as a breakaway from the post-communist Party of the Democratic Left (SDL'), the successor of the original Communist Party of Slovakia and the governing party from 1998 to 2002, on 8 November 1999. Under Robert Fico, at the time one of the most popular politicians in the country, it quickly became one of the most popular parties in Slovakia, while the SDĽ experienced a constant decrease within popularity. In the 2002 election, its first formal election period, it became the third-largest party in the National Council of the Slovak Republic, with 25 out of 150 seats. In 2003 it changed its formal name to Direction (Third Way) (Slovak: Smer (tretia cesta)).[16] In 2005, it absorbed the SDĽ or Social Democratic Alternative, a small social-democratic party that split from the original SDĽ somewhat later than Smer did, in addition to the Social Democratic Party of Slovakia; founded in 1990, the party became known under the leadership of Alexander Dubček, and adopted its current name. Following the party's victory in 2006, it entered into a coalition with the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) and was readmitted into the PES in 2008. It later formed another coalition with the SNS in 2016.

In the parliamentary election of 17 June 2006, the party won 29.1% of the popular vote and 50 out of 150 seats. Following that election, Smer-SD formed a coalition government with the People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the Slovak National Party (SNS),[17][18][19] a nationalist party.[17][18][20] Smer was then temporarily suspended from membership in the Party of European Socialists (PES) on 12 October 2006.[21] The resolution to suspend Smer referred specifically to the PES Declaration "For a modern, pluralist and tolerant Europe", adopted by the PES Congress in 2001 in Berlin which states: "all PES parties adhere to the following principles… to refrain from any form of political alliance or co-operation at all levels with any political party which incites or attempts to stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial hatred". The PES Chairman, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, explained in The Slovak Spectator that "Most of our members stood solidly behind our values, according to which forming a coalition with the extreme right is unacceptable."[22] Smer was readmitted on 14 February 2008 after Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico and SNS leader Jan Slota pledged in a letter to respect European values, human rights and all ethnic minorities.[23]

Former party logo

Although the party won the most votes in the 2010 parliamentary election, with a lead of 20% over the second-place Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKÚ),[24] they had not been able to form a government because of losses sustained by their coalition partners. Their result, 34.8%, gave them 62 seats in the National Council, but the HZDS failed to cross the 5% threshold, losing all their seats, and the Slovak National Party was reduced to nine seats. As a result, the four opposition centre-right parties – SDKÚ, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and Most–Híd, were able to form a new government.[25]

In the parliamentary election held on 10 March 2012, Smer-SD won 44.4% of the votes and became the largest party in the National Council, with an absolute majority of 83 seats (out of 150).[26] The Smer-SD formed the first single-party government in Slovakia since 1993.

In the 2014 European Parliament elections, Smer-SD came in first place nationally, receiving 24.09% of the vote and electing 4 MEPs.[27]

Despite suffering a significant loss in support as a result of strikes by teachers and nurses earlier in the year,[28] Smer-SD won the 5 March 2016 parliamentary election with 28.3% of the vote and 49 out of 150 seats, and subsequently formed a coalition government with the Slovak National Party, Most-Híd and Network.

Prime Minister Robert Fico resigned in the wake of the political crisis following the murder of Ján Kuciak and was replaced by Peter Pellegrini, with the same majority. However, Fico remained leader of Smer-SD.

The party managed to score 18.29% in the parliamentary elections, which was 2 to 3 percent more than the latest polls showed, but it is still a decrease of 10% compared to previous elections. The party occupied 38 seats in parliament. The chairman of the Fico parliamentary group, Pellegrini, became the vice-chairman of the National Council for the Opposition on the basis of post-election negotiations. In May 2020, two deputies for SMER-SD, Ján Podmanický and Marián Kéry, founded the so-called value policy platform with deputies from the KDŽP, elected as a candidate of the ĽSNS. Because of this, Peter Pellegrini sharply criticized them, while Robert Fico defended Podmanický. In May 2020, Podmanický also left the Smer parliamentary group for criticism from his own ranks.

As early as April 2020, party vice-chairman Peter Pellegrini announced his ambition to run for party chairman as the party's most popular politician, winning 170,000 more votes than the chairman. Fico reacted strongly, saying that he did not intend to resign and wanted to remain at the head of the party, while Pellegrini gradually began to tighten his criticism of Fico and the party's situation. Pellegrini criticized the fact that the party's presidency had not met since the election and the date of the parliament was unknown. Pellegrini demanded that the assembly be held as soon as possible, while Fico insisted that the nomination assembly take place only at a ceremonial assembly in December. At a press conference in Banská Bystrica in June 2020, Pellegrini announced that he would resign as Vice-Chairman of the SMER-SD party and leave the party in the near future. He also outlined the establishment of a new party, which he said should be social democratic, but refused to be liberal; at a similar time, Fico had already offered Pellegrini the position of party chairman, provided that he maintained his influence in the party, an offer which was rejected via Pellegrini. In the first FOCUS survey, 21.4% of respondents would vote for the new Pellegrini party, while the original SMER-SD remained at 9.6%. At a press conference 1 week following the announcement of Pellegrini's departure, another 10 deputies announced the party, including Vice-Presidents Peter Žiga and Richard Raši, Bureau member Denisa Saková and long-standing deputies and party members. At the same time, together with Pellegrini, they announced the creation of a new Social Democratic Party at the press conference, which they would join. Political scientist Grigory Mesezhnikov postulated that after the departure of the Pellegrini group, the SMER-SD could move further to the left, into the spectrum of the radical to communist left wing.

The party is associated with many corruption cases in Slovakia. During the 12 years during which it ruled, the media revealed more than 30 alleged corruption cases in which Slovakia was to lose a total of 20 billion euros.[29][30]

However, the party itself strongly rejects the fact that it has a number of corruption scandals. Its chairman, Robert Fico, usually points to the cases of his opponents when asked about specific corruption cases; more than once, Fico verbally attacked the medium or the journalist himself who asked this question.[31][32] Some prominent members of the party to the corruption case, especially in recent years, have admitted that it is a thing of the past and made mistakes, but they also deny that corruption in the state is high.[33] No corruption case has yet been proven in court, nor has a conviction resulting from a party member's complicity in corruption cases been attained.