Slovakia’s only approved referendum concerned EU membership

Slovakia has held several referendums, but only one proposal has been approved, a vote on joining the European Union, Slovak journalist Monika Hajko told mbl.is.

Hajko, a reporter for Slovak public broadcaster STVR, was among foreign media representatives attending a government press conference at Harpa. She said Slovaks, whose country has a population of five million, are interested in the outcome of Iceland’s referendum.

Slovakia’s referendum on EU membership was approved in 2003, and the country joined the bloc in 2004.

“I also think that, from the European Union’s point of view, it is always interesting when the possibility of a new country joining the alliance exists,” Hajko said.

Asked whether she believed the result could be bad for the European Union, Hajko said it could not inherently be considered negative because it reflected the will of the Icelandic people.