Speaker of the Slovak National Council Richard Raši has held this position for four months, after previously serving two years as minister for investment, regional development, and informatization. He notes that leading the Parliament requires more diplomacy than leading a ministry. Diplomacy is also necessary within his party, HLAS-SD, where he serves as vice-chair.
A member of your party, Ján Ferenčák, recently called for self-reflection within HLAS, suggesting a return to the party’s founding mission. Do you also feel the party has strayed from its original roots?
We’re in politics for the people – to make Slovakia work. To ensure people feel that the state has their back when they work, raise children, or face injustice. Since our inception, we have practiced politics without building barriers or obstructing others. We avoid proxy issues that distract from the real, difficult problems our citizens face. We support people on social and family issues – we introduced full rights for parents to stay with their children in hospital. We support Slovak industry and businesses – they can now receive state support via the kurzarbeit scheme in connection with the introduction of US tariffs. We’re modernizing Slovak education, bringing local healthcare up to European standards, and for the first time in modern Slovak history, we’re building 21st-century hospitals – supplemented by smaller, more flexible integrated care centers so that no one has to travel for hours to receive healthcare. And we’re doing all this despite inheriting public finances in poor condition from previous governments. No shouting, just order. No ideological wars, but security and protection. I think that answers your question clearly, and also makes it clear who truly strayed from our founding values, likely in pursuit of media attention.
What is the relationship like now between HLAS and SMER, especially given some of SMER’s controversial statements that have made headlines not only in Slovakia?
We are partners in a governing coalition. As in any partnership, it’s not always perfect. We have our own program, which we are implementing. On many issues, we agree as social democratic parties, and this is reflected in the government’s policy statement. With SMER’s support, HLAS secured the full 13th pension payment, and we are jointly increasing teacher salaries. You’re probably referring to controversial foreign policy remarks. Let me reassure your readers: discussions about Slovak neutrality, or withdrawal from the EU or NATO, are off the table. For HLAS, that’s a line we won’t cross, and we will not be part of any coalition that seriously considers discarding the security umbrella provided by those organizations.
What is it like to lead the Parliament? Does it require a great deal of diplomacy? Is it possible to communicate with the opposition, or are you dealing with irreconcilable camps that don’t even talk? Could you grab a beer, as they say, with someone from the opposition?
There’s a noticeable difference between running a ministry and presiding over Parliament. It requires more diplomacy, but I think we’ve succeeded in maintaining a professional atmosphere. Personally, I reject labeling people as “us and them” or “good and bad.” First and foremost, we are all people, and we can express our disagreements in a civil discussion – without personal insults or, heaven forbid, physical altercations. I want to bring decency, dignity, and mutual respect back to Parliament. As for “grabbing a beer” – perhaps I’ll peel back the curtain a little here. It’s not unusual to see MPs who argue fiercely on television later shake hands and exchange a few words in the hallway or cafeteria. Basic civility is essential across the political spectrum. MPs also travel together on official business, and we try to ensure political balance in these delegations by including both coalition and opposition representatives. And as you surely know – traveling with someone often helps smooth over rough edges.
In Czechia, the summer will be politically charged due to the election campaign. What about Slovakia – will you be able to enjoy the holidays?
I’m keeping an eye on what’s happening in Czechia, and I wish you high voter turnout – it’s important that people use their rights and choose who will govern them. I also wish you journalists lots of energy for this hectic period. Yes, I’ll use the break for a bit of private rest. I’m planning a short vacation with my family. I neglect them during the year because of work and only see them on weekends – if even that – so I’m really looking forward to a few days of uninterrupted quality time together.
What’s on the agenda for the Slovak Parliament once the summer break is over?
A regular parliamentary session is scheduled for September. We’ll be tackling more important legislation, including the second reading of amendments to the transaction tax – we’re proposing its removal for sole traders and small businesses. It will also be the first session presided over not only by me but also by all four duly elected deputy speakers. After nine months, the opposition finally put forward a candidate for the post – Mr. Dubéci was elected, with the help of coalition votes, despite the childish behavior the opposition showed during my own election to the post of speaker. This is another example of the pragmatic approach I mentioned earlier.
CV BOX
Richard Raši (born April 2, 1971, in Košice) has been the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and vice-chair of the HLAS-SD party since the end of March 2025.
In 1995, he finished his studies in general medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Pavel Jozef Šafárik University in Košice and later also completed a first-degree surgery certification and a special exam in trauma surgery. He earned a Master of Public Health degree from the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava in 2004. In 2010, he finished his PhD studies at the Technical University of Košice.
Since 1995, he has worked at the Trauma Surgery Clinic at the L. Pasteur University Hospital in Košice, where he served as deputy director of preventive and therapeutic care from 2004. In March 2007, he was appointed director of the University Hospital Bratislava.
From 2007 to 2020, he was a member of the SMER-SD party but then moved to HLAS-SD. From 2010, he was the mayor of Košice for eight years and served as minister of health for two years starting in 2008. He also served twice as minister for investment, regional development, and informatization (2018–2020 and 2023–March 2025).
Raši is married and has three daughters.
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