1 September 1992: Slovakia Adopts Its Constitution
On 1 September 1992, the Slovak National Council adopted the Constitution of the Slovak Republic. This date is now remembered in Slovakia as Constitution Day.
To understand the importance of this moment, it is useful to look briefly at the history of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was established in 1918, following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the First World War. The new state brought together Czechs and Slovaks in one republic. Its first constitution was adopted in 1920.
Czechoslovakia ceased to exist after the country was occupied and dismantled by Nazi Germany and its allies in 1938–1939. The Czechoslovak state was restored after the Second World War in 1945, although it soon came under communist rule. In 1969, Czechoslovakia became a federation consisting of the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak Socialist Republic.
The communist regime fell during the Velvet Revolution of 1989, opening the way for political change and a discussion about the future of the federation.
Work on a Slovak constitution began in 1990. A group of lawyers and constitutional experts started preparing a draft, led by Professor Karol Plank. The work continued over the following two years.
On 1 September 1992, the Slovak National Council adopted the Constitution of the Slovak Republic. It was signed two days later, on 3 September, in the Knights’ Hall of Bratislava Castle. It came into effect on 1 October 1992, although some of its provisions became effective only with the establishment of the independent Slovak Republic on 1 January 1993.
The adoption of the Constitution was an important step toward the creation of an independent Slovakia. At the time, Czechoslovakia still existed as a federation, but it was clear that the two sides were moving toward separate states.
The Constitution was not written entirely from scratch. The drafters drew partly on the constitutional traditions of Czechoslovakia, including the Constitution of 1920, while also taking inspiration from constitutional models in Western European countries.
On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. At midnight, on 1 January 1993, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic became two independent states.
Photo: Bratislava castle ©communications-unlimited.nl
