Ladislav Polka
{{Short description|Slovak politician (1952–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| image =
| image_size =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|1|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Turzovka, Czechoslovakia
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|4|24|1952|1|12|df=y}}
| order =
| termstart2 = 25 June 1992
| termend2 = 29 October 1998
| termstart1 = 15 October 2002
| termend1 = 7 February 2006
| party = Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (1992–2003)
Liberal Party (2003)
| education =
| spouse =
| children =
| office1 = Member of the National Council
| alma_mater = Comenius University
}}
Ladislav Polka (12 January 1952 – 24 April 2025) was a Slovak politician and police unionist. From 1992 to 1998 and again from 2002 to 2006, he served as a Member of the National Council of Slovakia.
Background
Ladislav Polka was born on 12 January 1952 in the town of Turzovka in the Čadca District in northern Slovakia.{{Cite web |date= |title=Stenografická správa o ustanovujúcej /1. / schôdzi Slovenskej národnej rady, konanej 23. júna 1992 |url=https://www.nrsr.sk/dl/Browser/Document?documentId=71563 |publisher=Národná rada SR |language=sk}} In 1975 he graduated in law from the Comenius University.Ladislav Polka. In: {{Cite web |title=Absolventi |url=https://absolventi.uniba.sk/ |publisher=Comenius University}} After graduation, he worked as a teacher at police academy. In 1989, he was one of the founders of the police trade union in Slovakia.
Polka died on 24 April 2025, at the age of 73.{{Cite web |date=26 April 2025 |title=Zomrel bývalý štátny tajomník a poslanec Ladislav Polka. Bol jedným zo zakladateľov Odborového zväzu polície |url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/749866-zomrel-byvaly-statny-tajomnik-a-poslanec-ladislav-polka-bol-jednym-zo-zakladatelov-odboroveho-zvazu-policie/ |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=Pravda.sk |language=sk}} He is buried at the Slávičie údolie cemetery.{{Cite web |last=Benko |first=Vlado |last2=Szórád |first2=Filip |date=30 April 2025 |title=Pohreb exposlanca HZDS (†73): Prišiel aj Černák, spoločnosť mu robil bývalý elitný policajt |url=https://plus7dni.pluska.sk/aktualne/pohreb-exposlanca-hzds-73-prisiel-aj-cernak-spolocnost-mu-robil-byvaly-elitny-policajt |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=Plus 7 dní |language=sk}}
= Political career =
Polka was a member of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). He was elected a Member of the National Council of Slovakia from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2002 to 2006. In 2003 he was among the group of 11 HZDS MPs who splintered from the party to start a new party called People's Union.{{Cite web |last=Teraz.sk |date=6 September 2013 |title=Končí sa éra Mečiarovho HZDS, vyhlásil Sergej Kozlík |url=https://www.teraz.sk/slovensko/meciar-hzds-koniec/57442-clanok.html |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=TERAZ.sk |language=sk}} Nonetheless, he soon after left also People's Union and served for the rest of his term as an independent MP.{{Cite web |date=11 November 2003 |title=Tkáčovu úniu opúšťajú poslanci |url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/144718-tkacovu-uniu-opustaju-poslanci/ |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=Pravda.sk |language=sk}}
After leaving People's Union, Polka voted with the government on several occasions, prompting corruption accusations from his former HZDS and People's Union comrades as well as uneasiness from some government MPs due to role Polka played in the authoritarian government led by HZDS in 1990s.{{Cite web |last=Tódová |first=Monika |title=Hort: Polku sme nekúpili, zmenil sa k lepšiemu |url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/5509237/hort-polku-sme-nekupili-zmenil-sa-k-lepsiemu.html |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=domov.sme.sk |language=sk}}
After leaving politics, Polka was active as a security analyst.{{Cite web |last=Stupňan |first=Igor |date=22 November 2011 |title=Polka: Galko v podstate potvrdil, že odpočúvanie bolo |url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/172460-polka-galko-v-podstate-potvrdil-ze-odpocuvanie-bolo/ |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=Pravda.sk |language=sk}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Bývalý poslanec L. Polka zakladá policajnú agentúru |url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/3234925/byvaly-poslanec-l-polka-zaklada-policajnu-agenturu.html |access-date=20 May 2025 |website=domov.sme.sk |language=sk}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polka, Ladislav}}
Category:Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 2002-2006
Category:Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 1994-1998
Category:Members of the National Council (Slovakia) 1992–1994
Category:People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia politicians
Category:Slovak police officers