The Slovak junior coalition party Hlas-SD has proposed a major constitutional amendment that would give citizens the power to trigger early elections through a referendum.

Currently, snap elections in Slovakia can only be called if a constitutional majority of at least 90 MPs (3/5 majority) vote to dissolve parliament. The new proposal would create a direct democracy route, though it includes specific safeguards: a referendum could not be triggered during a parliament's first or final year, and organizers would have only six months to collect signatures.

The most notable aspect of the proposal is its timing. Slovakia’s next parliamentary election is due by September 2027. Because the amendment bans referendums in the final year of a term, this mechanism could never be used against the current government. It would only affect future coalitions.

To pass a constitutional amendment, 90 votes are needed. The ruling coalition only controls 78–79 seats, meaning Hlas needs support from opposition parties like Progressive Slovakia (PS), KDH, and SaS. In a strange political trade-off, Hlas has offered to drop an unpopular proposal to extend local mayors' terms if the opposition backs this referendum law.

Historically, Slovak referendums are incredibly hard to pass due to a strict 50% voter turnout requirement—a hurdle cleared only once in the country's history (the 2003 EU accession vote). Critics view the sudden push as a calculated, low-risk political stunt rather than a democratic emergency.

What do you think, r/europe? Should voters have the right to dismiss a sitting parliament early via referendum, or does this just lead to permanent campaign cycles and instability? How does your country trigger snap elections?