Life – National Party

{{Short description|National conservative political party in Slovakia}}

{{Infobox political party

| name = Life – National Party

| native_name = Život – národná strana

| logo = Logo of the Život – National Party.svg

| logo_size = 100px

| colorcode = {{party color|Život – National Party}}

| chairman = Tibor Pénzeš

| foundation = 4 February 2019

| split = Christian Democratic Movement{{cite news |last1=Bardy |first1=Peter |title=Slovaks combine Christianity and science fiction |url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/611142/slovaci-spojili-krestanstvo-a-sci-fi-glosa/ |accessdate=21 November 2020 |publisher=Aktuality}}

| national = Slovak National Party (2023–)

| headquarters = Štefana Baniča 508/10, Smolenice

| membership_year = 2022

| membership = {{increase}} 146{{Cite web |date=25 April 2023 |title=Výročná správa za rok 2022|url=https://www.minv.sk/swift_data/source/statna_komisia_pre_volby/30_annual_report/ar2022/VS22_ZIVOT.pdf |access-date=10 March 2024 |website=Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic |language=sk |type=document}}

| ideology = {{plainlist|

Christian right
Christian nationalism{{cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/in-der-slowakei-streiten-vor-der-wahl-die-christen-16647940.html|author=Niklas Zimmermann|title=In der Slowakei streiten vor der Wahl die Christen |lang=de|date=26 February 2020|access-date=4 April 2024|work=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung}}
National conservatism{{cite web|url=https://aebrus.ru/upload/iblock/2f9/Kesarev_Memo_Slovakia_Crisis_March2021.pdf|page=2|title=COALITION CRISIS IN SLOVAKIA|date=9 March 2021|access-date=4 April 2024|work=Kesarev}}
Social conservatism
Anti-abortion{{cite book|chapter-url=https://hal.science/hal-04017060/document|page=232|author=Jana Vargovčíková|chapter=Anti-gender Campaigns in Slovakia and the Dissolution of the Liberal-Conservative Alliance|title=Central European Culture Wars: Beyond Post-Communism and Populism|year=2021|publisher=Faculty of Arts, Charles University |isbn=978-80-7671-034-4}}

}}

| position = Far-right

| colours = {{color box|{{party color|Life – National Party}}|border=darkgray}} {{color box|#CA0928|border=darkgray}} Blue and red

| seats1_title = National Council

| seats1 = {{composition bar|0|150|hex={{party color|Life – National Party}}}}

| seats2_title = European Parliament

| seats2 = {{composition bar|0|15|hex={{party color|Life – National Party}}}}

| website = {{URL|strana-zivot.sk}}

| country = Slovakia

}}

Life – National Party ({{langx|sk|Život – národná strana}}, Život), formerly known as Christian Democracy – Life and Prosperity – Alliance for Slovakia ({{langx|sk|Kresťanská demokracia – Život a prosperita – Aliancia za Slovensko}}, KDŽP), is a far-right{{Cite web |last=Aktuality.sk |date=2020-05-27 |title=Fico je stále silný. Aký by bol Pelleho Smer? Sú Kuffovci umiernení fašisti alebo náboženskí extrémisti? (podcast) |url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/794022/fico-je-stale-silny-aky-by-bol-pelleho-smer-su-kuffovci-umierneni-fasisti-alebo-nabozenski-extremisti-podcast/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Aktuality.sk |language=sk}} Christian political party in Slovakia.

History

File:KDŽP – Alliance for Slovakia logo.png

The split between the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and the KDŽP was sparked by a dispute between the presidency of the party and its member Peter Molda. Molda wanted the right to life to be a condition for any future KDH participation in government, a move which was not permitted by the more liberal presidency of the KDH.{{cite news |last1=Kyseľ |first1=Tomáš |title=Since Hlina is chairman, more than 2,000 people have left KDH |url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/589178/odkedy-je-hlina-predsedom-kdh-opustilo-viac-ako-2000-ludi/ |accessdate=21 November 2020 |publisher=Aktuality}} On the 26 April 2018, Molda attacked this move on Conservative Daily Postoj, a conservative website founded after the 2015 Slovak same-sex marriage referendum, stating "I am amazed that it is said on Christian soil that we will conclude the status quo with the Liberals again"{{cite web |last1=Molda |first1=Peter |title=28 years of tactical Christian democracy |url=https://blog.postoj.sk/32718/28-rokov-taktizovania-krestanskej-demokracie |website=Conservative diary Postoj |accessdate=21 November 2020}} and emphasising that the KDH should be focused on "the question of life". Alojz Hlina, the president of the KDH, criticised Molda's article on 12 May,{{cite web |last1=Hlina |first1=Alojz |title=It will probably start in a moment. We can do it. |url=https://blog.postoj.sk/33172/za-chvilu-to-asi-zacne-zvladneme-to |website=Conservative daily Postoj |accessdate=21 November 2020}} with Molda announcing his intent to form a new party the same day.{{cite web |last1=Molda |first1=Peter |title=Answer to the chairman of KDH Hlina |url=https://blog.postoj.sk/33176/odpoved-predsedovi-kdh-hlinovi |website=Conservative daily Postoj |accessdate=21 November 2020}}

Alongside Tibor Pénzeš (former assistant deputy of the National Council of the Slovak Republic), Pavol Abrhan (former member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic) and Miroslav Vetrík,{{cite news |last1=Čulen |first1=A. |title=A new party, Christian Democracy - Life and Prosperity, is emerging |url=https://www.omediach.com/marketing/13612-vznika-nova-strana-krestanska-demokracia-zivot-a-prosperita |accessdate=21 November 2020 |publisher=Omediach}} Molda began collecting the 10,000 signatures needed to register the party.{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206001100/http://www.kdzp.sk/o-nas/ |date=6 February 2019|title=ONLY WHERE THERE IS LIFE CAN THERE BE PROSPERITY}} By 16 January 2019, they had collected over 14,000 signatures,{{cite web |title=KDH called the new Christian party supporters of Harabin |url=https://domov.sme.sk/c/22031408/kdh-oznacilo-novu-krestansku-stranu-za-podporovatelov-harabina.html |website=SME |accessdate=21 November 2020}} meaning that the party was officially registered on 4 February.{{cite web |title=Register of Political Parties and Political Movements |url=http://ives.minv.sk/rez/registre/pages/detailps.aspx?id=222528 |website=Registers and Evidences |accessdate=21 November 2020}}

In September 2019, KDŽP and the Slovak National Party entered into a cooperation agreement, signing a memorandum concerning "Life and Homeland". They also expressed their support for March for Life, an anti-abortion event in Slovakia.{{cite web |title=The CIS concluded a memorandum with KDŽP |url=https://www.tyzden.sk/politika/58692/sns-uzavrela-memorandum-s-kdzp/ |website=Tyzden |date=20 September 2019 |accessdate=20 November 2020}} Their first contested national election was the 2020 parliamentary election, in which 3 candidates were elected on joint tickets with the neo-nazi People's Party Our Slovakia (L'SNS).{{cite web |title=The deputies of the ĽSNS have changed significantly. A candidate came with a scandal or members of KDŽP |url=https://dennikslovensko.sk/27487/poslanci-lsns-sa-vyrazne-obmenili-prisla-kandidatka-so-skandalom-ci-clenovia-kdzp/ |website=Dennikslovensko |accessdate=21 November 2020}} However, on 27 May 2020, all three members left the ĽSNS parliamentary club due to a dispute with ĽSNS National Council member Milan Mazurek.{{cite web |title=KDŽP deputies leave the Kotlebovec family |url=https://tv.zoznam.sk/cl/1003001/1909879/Poslanci-KDZP-odchadzaju-z-klubu-kotlebovcov |website=Zoznam TV |date=27 May 2020 |accessdate=21 November 2020}}

In February 2021, the party was renamed from KDŽP to Life - National Party.{{Cite web |last=TASR |title=Dianie v opozícii / Poslanec Taraba premenoval stranu KDŽP na Život - národná strana |url=https://www.postoj.sk/71739/poslanec-taraba-premenoval-stranu-kdzp-na-zivot-narodna-strana |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=www.postoj.sk |language=sk}}

In April 2023, the party's former chairperson, Tomáš Taraba, and other prominent members of the party reached an agreement with Andrej Danko to run on the list of the Slovak National Party for the September 2023 elections.{{Cite web |last=Aktuality.sk |date=2023-04-11 |title=SNS sa dohodla s Tarabom. Aj s exministrom, podľa ktorého Danko ľudí vníma ako toaletný papier |url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/cvezie4/sns-sa-dohodla-s-tarabom-aj-s-exministrom-podla-ktoreho-danko-ludi-vnima-ako-toaletny-papier/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Aktuality.sk |language=sk}}

Ideology

The ideology of the party is based around a fundamentalist, far right understanding of Christianity. The party advocates for a ban on abortions, fights against LGBT+ rights, sexual education, and transgender care,{{Cite web |last=Gehrerová |first=Ria |date=2021-10-15 |title=Parlament bude rokovať o piatich návrhoch proti právam LGBTI ľudí, koaliční poslanci sú tentoraz opatrnejší |url=https://dennikn.sk/2575351/parlament-bude-rokovat-o-piatich-navrhoch-proti-pravam-lgbti-ludi-koalicni-poslanci-su-tentoraz-opatrnejsi/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Denník N |language=sk-SK}}{{Cite web |last=a.s |first=SITA Slovenská tlačová agentúra |date=2023-03-30 |title=Taraba: Vláda si zo Slovenska urobila progresívno-liberálne laboratórium a presadzuje agendu, ktorá nikoho nezaujíma |url=https://sita.sk/taraba-vlada-si-zo-slovenska-urobila-progresivno-liberalne-laboratorium-a-presadzuje-agendu-ktora-nikoho-nezaujima/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=SITA.sk |language=sk}} while also advocating for an increased support for families with children and financial assistance to the elderly.{{cite web |title=What we enforce |url=http://www.kdzp.sk/politicky-program/ |website=KDZP |accessdate=21 November 2020}} It also calls for increased environmental protections and the introduction of language lessons to schools.

The party was described as far right or fascist by mainstream media and political scientists,{{Cite web |last=Bán |first=Andrej |date=2023-04-12 |title=Dankovi ide o Život, kuffovcom o ďalší mandát a všetkým o slovenský Fidesz |url=https://dennikn.sk/3323220/dankovi-ide-o-zivot-kuffovcom-o-dalsi-mandat-a-vsetkym-o-slovensky-fidesz/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Denník N |language=sk-SK}} however this was disputed by others, such as the liberal-leaning National Council MP Martin Klus,{{Cite web |last=Kekelák |first=Lukáš |title=Martin Klus / Môj odchod z politiky je jeden z pravdepodobných scenárov |url=https://www.postoj.sk/117661/moj-odchod-z-politiky-je-jeden-z-pravdepodobnych-scenarov |access-date=2022-11-02 |website=www.postoj.sk |language=sk}} who has since decided to run on the list of the national-conservative Sme Rodina party.{{Cite web |last=Aktuality.sk |date=2023-07-02 |title=Martin Klus bude číslo 150 na kandidátke Sme rodina |url=https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/q0P9eOt/martin-klus-bude-cislo-150-na-kandidatke-sme-rodina/ |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Aktuality.sk |language=sk}}

List of party presidents

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
colspan=2\|{{Abbr\|No.\|Number}} ! colspan="1"\|President ! Term start ! Term end
1 ! style="background:#0082BF;"\| \| Štefan Kuffa \|\| 15 February 2019 \|\| 20 November 2019
2 ! style="background:#0082BF;"\| \| Tomáš Taraba\|\| 20 November 2019 \|\| 30 June 2023
3 ! style="background:#0082BF;"\| \| Tibor Pénzeš\|\| 30 June 2023 \|\| Incumbent

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

colspan=2|{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! colspan="1"|President

! Term start

! Term end

! style="background:#0082BF;"|

| Štefan Kuffa || 15 February 2019 || 20 November 2019

! style="background:#0082BF;"|

| Tomáš Taraba|| 20 November 2019 || 30 June 2023

! style="background:#0082BF;"|

| Tibor Pénzeš|| 30 June 2023 || Incumbent

Source: [https://ives.minv.sk/PolitickeStrany/detail?id_spolok=222528 MINV]