A Subordinate Issue? An Analysis of Parliamentary Discourse on Freedom of Speech in Slovakia

Parliamentary discourse in democratic states is both a form of implementation of freedom of speech and a way of increasing awareness of the quality and level of freedom of speech in democratic regimes. The Slovak Republic is a country with a distinct post-communist tradition of freedom of speech, where restrictions and censorship have stood opposed to demands by citizens for the real acknowledgment of this right. This case study analyses how the issue of freedom of speech has evolved in the parliamentary debates from 1992 to 2013. It utilizes content analysis to discover the contexts in which freedom of speech has appeared in parliamentary proceedings in the National Council of the Slovak Republic and what clues to lawmakers' understanding of freedom of speech may be derived from these contexts. It is concluded that despite the consolidation of democracy and membership in various international organizations that incorporate protections for fundamental rights and rising awareness on freedom of speech itself in the country, freedom of speech was of marginal importance for Slovak MPs, which indicates the absence of a need for reflection on both domestic and international issues. A consequence of this neglect is the widening influence of courts in determining the scope and extent of freedom of speech in Slovakia.