Meciar, Vladimir

▪ 1994

      A former amateur boxer, Vladimir Meciar charged aggressively out of his corner in early 1993 as prime minister of the newly created Slovak Republic. As the year progressed, however, Meciar was sent reeling from a series of blows, most delivered by a stagnant economy that undermined his previous popularity.

      Meciar was born on July 26, 1942. Educated at Comenius University in Bratislava, he served in various posts in the pro-Communist Union of Slovak Youth and apparently backed Alexander Dubcek during the "Prague Spring" of 1968. His opposition to the Communist hard-liners cost him his party membership in 1969, and he slipped into relative obscurity for the next two decades.

      He reemerged as a prominent member of Public Against Violence, an anti-Communist opposition group, and became interim minister of the interior following the 1989 "Velvet Revolution." In the June 1990 elections, Public Against Violence won a clear victory in Slovakia, and Meciar became Slovak prime minister.

      He was ousted from this post in April 1991, in part owing to accusations of having collaborated with the secret police during the Communist era. Instead of diminishing his power, however, Meciar's reversal boosted his popularity among Slovaks who viewed their former premier as a martyr. Out of office but riding a crest of popular acclaim, Meciar then formed the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). Seeing Slovak nationalism as his path to power, he pledged to stand up to Prague and its fast-paced program of free-market reforms. After the June 1992 regional parliamentary elections, the HZDS finished first and Meciar again became the Slovak prime minister.

      He immediately entered into negotiations with Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus over Slovakia's role in the federation. Klaus made clear that Slovakia had to choose between partnership in the rapid free-market reform movement or complete independence. Bound by his campaign pledge, Meciar chose the latter, and on Jan. 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia ended its 74-year existence and dissolved into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Meciar was now head of government in a sovereign country.

      In his first year as leader of the Slovak Republic, Meciar faced a host of difficulties. A large Magyar minority turned restive. Some observers saw autocratic tendencies in the HZDS regime. More seriously, the economy stumbled as Meciar's plan for a gentle transition from socialism to capitalism did little to reduce the nation's dependence on the weakening arms industry. By midyear, unemployment had reached 11.5% and was rising, foreign investment was dropping precipitously, and no federal subsidies were forthcoming from Prague as they had previously. The HZDS government adopted an austerity budget with reduced spending for social programs. Not surprisingly, Meciar's popularity plummeted.

      (JEROLD L. KELLMAN)

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▪ prime minister of Slovakia

born July 26, 1942, Zvolen, Czechoslovakia [now Slovakia]

      prime minister of Slovakia (1990–91, 1992–94, and 1994–98) who worked to establish it as a republic separate from the Czech Republic, its partner in the federation of Czechoslovakia, in 1993. His leadership was later associated with autocratic policies and failing economic conditions.

      In his youth, Mečiar competed as an amateur boxer. He was educated at Comenius University in Bratislava. He served in various posts in the pro-communist Union of Slovak Youth and apparently backed Alexander Dubček (Dubček, Alexander) during the Prague Spring of 1968. His opposition to Communist Party hard-liners cost him his party membership in 1969, and he slipped into relative obscurity for the next two decades.

      Mečiar reemerged as a prominent member of Public Against Violence, an anticommunist opposition group, and became interim minister of the interior following the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which toppled communist rule in Czechoslovakia. In the June 1990 elections, Public Against Violence won a clear victory in Slovakia, and Mečiar became Slovak prime minister. Mečiar was ousted from his post as prime minister in April 1991, partly because of accusations of having collaborated with the secret police during the communist era. Instead of diminishing his power, however, Mečiar's reversal boosted his popularity among Slovaks, who viewed their former premier as a martyr.

      Out of office but riding a crest of popular acclaim, Mečiar then formed the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (Hnutie Za Democratické Slovensko; HZDS). Seeing Slovak nationalism as his path to power, he pledged to stand up to Prague and its fast-paced program of free-market reforms. The HZDS finished first in the June 1992 regional parliamentary elections, and Mečiar again became the Slovak prime minister. He immediately entered into negotiations with the Czech prime minister, Václav Klaus, over Slovakia's role in the Czechoslovak federation. Bound by his campaign pledge to uphold Slovak autonomy, Mečiar agreed with Klaus that the federation should be dissolved, and on Jan. 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia split into two independent republics, Czech and Slovak, respectively. Mečiar was now head of government in a sovereign country.

      In his first year as leader of independent Slovakia, Mečiar faced a host of difficulties. A large Hungarian minority turned restive. Some observers saw autocratic tendencies in the HZDS regime. More seriously, the economy stumbled as Mečiar's plan for a gentle transition from socialism to capitalism did little to reduce the nation's dependence on the weakening arms industry. By midyear, unemployment had reached 11.5 percent and was rising, and foreign investment was dropping precipitously. The HZDS government adopted an austerity budget with reduced spending for social programs. Not surprisingly, Mečiar's popularity plummeted, and he was defeated in a parliamentary nonconfidence vote in March 1994. Nevertheless, he returned to power for his third term as prime minister after elections that fall.

      Mečiar's very name became associated with corruption and economic stagnation. Western countries viewed his leadership as undemocratic, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union were wary of dealing with Slovakia because of his influence. In the elections of 1998—as Slovakia endured a 22 percent unemployment rate—Mečiar was again voted out of office when Mikulas Dzurinda won a majority. In 2000 Mečiar was arrested for having ordered the 1995 kidnapping of the son of the president of Slovakia and after allegations that he had bribed cabinet members. This news came in the wake of his 1998 decision to give amnesty to the man who had previously been charged with the kidnapping. Dzurinda tried to abolish that amnesty shortly after taking office, but in 2008 the European Court of Human Rights declared Dzurinda's action illegal.

      Despite vowing in 1998 that he would never return to politics again, Mečiar ran unsuccessfully for office in 1999, 2002, and 2004. His connection to the 1995 kidnapping has never been proven.

Jerold Kellman

 

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