Freedom and Solidarity

Freedom and Solidarity (Slovak: Sloboda a Solidarita, SaS), also called Saska, is a centre-right political party in Slovakia. Established in 2009, SaS was founded by economist Richard Sulík, who designed Slovakia's flat tax system. It generally holds anti-state and neoliberal positions. After the 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, the party lost several seats in the National Council but became part of the coalition government (the Matovič's Cabinet) with Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, For the People, and We Are Family. It is led by businessman Branislav Gröhling.

SaS is a soft Eurosceptic party, and demands reforms of the European Union (EU) but declares that membership in the EU is key for the future of Slovakia. However since Branislav Gröhling takeover the party became more pro-european.The party holds civil libertarian positions including support for drug liberalisation, same-sex marriage, and LGBT rights, and advocates economically liberal 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. SaS makes heavy use of the Internet, such during the 2010 Slovak 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 in Slovakia but came third, winning 22 seats, at the 2010 Slovak parliamentary election. It became part of the four-party centre-right coalition government, holding four cabinet positions, with Sulík elected the Speaker of the National Council. In the 2012 Slovak 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 in Slovakia, 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 group (ALDE group) in the European Parliament to sit with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR group) on 2 October 2014.