Freedom Party (Slovakia)

Slobody Strana ( German: Party of Freedom), abbreviated SSL ( also SSl ) was a Slovak political party in communist Czechoslovakia then a block party. It existed from 1946 until 1992.

The SSL was from Slovak politicians Vavro Šrobár as " Kresťansko - Republikanska strana " on March 1, 1946: founded ( German Christian- Republican Party), on April 1, 1946, she then has the name " Strana slobody " is assumed. She took lay claim to follow up on Christian traditions and would therefore appeal to Catholic voters in 1946 regarding the upcoming election. These intentions, however, was thwarted by the leadership of the majority Protestant -oriented party demokratická strana who made ​​a deal with the representatives of the Slovak Catholic community in April 1946 and secured their support.

As a member of the National Front, the SSL was indeed admitted to the elections, but they remained in the parliamentary elections far behind back with only 3.73 percent of the vote. The party published the weekly newspaper Sloboda.

Further developments

After the communist coup in February of 1948 it was brought into line as a block party, especially the party leadership was controlled by the Communist Party of Slovakia, the democratically-oriented members were expelled from the party. After the so-called Velvet Revolution of 1989, the attempt was made to renew them with a Christian program; However, after they in the parliamentary election in 1990, only 1.78 percent of the vote, it was dissolved in 1992.