Slovakia proposes new voting rules for municipal regulations

The Slovak government has approved a legislative proposal to change how municipalities approve generally binding regulations (VZN). Under the new rules, passing such regulations will require the consent of an absolute majority of all council members, rather than just a majority of those present at a meeting.

Currently, regulations are passed by a two-thirds majority of the members attending a session. The proposed change aims to prevent significant local rules from being passed by a small number of representatives during sessions with low attendance. The Ministry of Interior justifies this tightening of conditions by noting that these regulations directly impact the rights and obligations of residents and businesses, and therefore should have the broadest possible support within the elected body.