Parliament Rejects Lower Voting Age Proposed by Opposition

Bratislava, 5 June (TASR) - Parliament on Thursday rejected bills sponsored by the opposition 'Slovakia' party and Progressive Slovakia, respectively, to lower the voting age. The 'Slovakia' party sought to grant voting rights to individuals as of the age of 16. Its proposal applied to all types of elections, including referendums. It argued that 16-year-olds are capable of fully understanding politics and public affairs, and it pointed out that voting from the age of 16 is also allowed in neighboring Austria. Progressive Slovakia, meanwhile, proposed lowering the voting age to 16 specifically to local government elections. It emphasised that most young people already have a clear idea of the kind of country that they want to live in. It defended limiting the age reduction to one type of election by noting that other countries have also adopted such a gradual approach, allowing 16-year-olds to vote only in certain types of elections. mf/df