Freedom and Solidarity

Freedom and Solidarity (Slovak: Sloboda a Solidarita, SaS, also called Saska) is a liberal and libertarian political party in Slovakia. Established in 2009, SaS is led by its founder and economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system. It generally holds libertarian or anti-statist positions. After the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, the party lost several seats in the National Council but became part of the coalition government with Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, For the People and We Are Family.

SaS is a softly Eurosceptical party, demands reforms of the EU, but declares that membership in the European Union is key for the future of Slovakia. The party holds civil libertarian positions including support for drug liberalisation and same-sex marriage, and advocates economically liberal and fiscally conservative policies rooted in the ideas of the Austrian School. The party launched a campaign called Referendum 2009 to hold a referendum on reforming and cutting the cost of politics. The Freedom and Solidarity party makes heavy use of the Internet, such as fighting the 2010 parliamentary election through Facebook and Twitter, with the party having 68,000 fans on Facebook by the election.

SaS narrowly failed to cross the 5% threshold at the 2009 European Parliament election but came third, winning 22 seats, at the 2010 parliamentary election. It became part of the four-party centre-right coalition government, holding four cabinet positions, with Richard Sulík elected the Speaker of the National Council. In the 2012 parliamentary election, the party suffered a major setback and lost half its 22 seats, and held four positions in the government of Slovakia before the election. In the 2019 European Parliament election, the party returned two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The party is member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party). Sulík left the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group in the European Parliament to sit with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) on 2 October 2014.