Slovakia referendum anti-SSM and anti-SS adoption fails on technicality

Ten of Swords

Slovakia held a referendum yesterday with the government and religious groups pushing for approval. There were 3 questions asked.

1) Do you agree that only a bond between one man and one woman can be called marriage?

94.5% of voters said yes
4.13% of voters said no
1.36% of votes were spoiled

2) Do you agree that same-sex couples or groups should not be allowed to adopt and raise children?

92.43% of voters said yes
5.54% of voters said no
2.01% of votes were spoiled

3) Do you agree that schools cannot require children to participate in education pertaining to sexual behaviour or euthanasia if their parents or the children themselves do not agree with the content of the education?

90.32% of voters said yes
7.34% of voters said no
2.33% of votes were spoiled


In spite of these overwhelming yes votes the referendum was declared invalid as turnout of eligible voters was only 21.4% but the law requires a minimum turnout of 50% on constitutional matters.

No side campaigners, heavily outnumbered, encouraged a boycott of the referendum instead of asking people to vote no as they feared the undecided voted would push the total voter turnout over 50%. I think they played it very smart on this one.

There was a 4th question proposed for this referendum but it removed from the ballot by the constitutional court as it was declared unconstitutional. it was,

Do you agree that no other cohabitation of persons other than marriage should be granted particular protection, rights and duties that the legislative norms as of March 1, 2014 only grant to marriage and to spouses

Statistical Office of the Slova Republic

Peregrinus

I don't think this has failed "on a technicality". Where there is a minimum poll requirement, a failure to turn out is pretty much the same as a no vote. And a turnout of only 21% shows that the measures concerned attract strong support from a committed minority, but basically no support from the broad middle ground. I think the "no" campaign will be pretty pleased with this outcome.

jobbridge4life

It is a relief that it is has failed regardless of the particular manner in which it did so.

ronjo

I live in Bratislava and I know a lot of people who didnt vote who would have 100% voted NO.

They are all embarrassed that this was actually a vote at all.

Nokia6230i

The National Campaign by the Slovakian LGBT Community to encourage a boycott worked a treat here; there was only about 1/5th turnout.

8 out of the last 9 Referenda have failed due to the relatively high validity threshold for turnout.

I'm undecided as to whether imposing such a threshold is a good thing politically or not.

It might encourage people to be less disenfranchised with politics locally, nationally and internationally etc.

Mass campaigns such as the boycott might also become default behaviour mind which politically isn't a good thing.

That said I'm disappointed there was an overwhelming Yes Vote to proposals to restrict LGBT Rights even further.

The fact the boycott worked might send a signal to Slovakian Legislators that it's now time to go the other way & loosen the restrictions hopefully.

It's not that long ago (2010?) that a Pride Parade in Bratislava was attacked if memory serves.

Ten of Swords

Disappointing news from Slovakia,

Organizers of the gay pride festival have cancelled the event this year saying that the referendum in February has stirred up a bad mood in Slovak society.

It makes me worry that public opinion in countries where bigotry and intolerance have been beaten by a constitutional referendum can still cause intimidation to the LGBT community and force these kinds of decisions to be taken

Slovak Spectator

tomato1234

They should all come to Ireland.

SpaceTime

I think you'd call that a mass abstention which would sound like a lot of voters are unhappy with even being asked these questions.

It's worrying though just how viciously anti-LGBT some Eastern European countries are. This will most likely be something that could prevent any serious recognition of LGBT rights at EU level if those countries have power to veto.

On same sex marriage there's already a clear East vs West emerged. Northern Ireland now being the only part of the Western Side of Europe without SSM and with a party in government that's very heavily opposed.

Croatia recently banned SSM in a referendum. I hadn't realised it was such a homophobic place so, I'll no longer be considering it a safe place to go on holidays. I'm also not really prepared to spend money somewhere that has those kinds of attitudes.

Germany is an oddball in that regard as there's huge public support for SSM yet Merkel & Co won't put it on the agenda. I'm not entirely sure what's going on but she's coming across at best utterly spineless if she's that afraid of a conservative minority. At worst she's just opposed to same sex marriage which changes my view of her very considerably.

Aard

I'm not particularly clued in to the goings-on in Germany. But if it's anything like Denmark then there could be a relatively innocent explanation. Denmark had civil unions way before there was ever even talk of ssm (possibly the first in the world?). They were very late to the game in bringing in ssm (by northwestern European standards) simply because their civil unions were so strong, and that marriage in general had waned in popularity in Denmark. Could be a similar situation in Germany.