1961 Czechoslovak federal election (WFAC)

Federal elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 9 and 10 June 1961. All 300 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and all 150 seats in the Chamber of Nations were up for election, with MPs elected by party-list proportional representation and all Senators elected by first-past-the-post voting. The Republican Party and the centre-right opposition, led by Miloslav Rechcígl, ousted the incumbent centre-left government of Václav Majer.

Following the exposure of Foreign Minister as an agent of the, the Soviet secret service, Majer lost a no-confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on 5 May 1961. The measure passed with 152 votes to 145. As a result, early elections were announced.

Background
In the previous election, held in 1958, Václav Majer and the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party emerged as the largest party with 34.38% of the votes and 108 seats. The Social Democrats and the centre-left opposition had with a total of 154 seats, with a majority of three seats. With the support of the two minority parties – the Sudeten German People's Party and the Party of the Hungarian Community – they had a majority of 18 seats. Following the election, Majer formed his fourth cabinet on 9 June 1958, which was a comprising the Social Democrats and the Czechoslovak National Social Party, with the Communists and the minority parties providing parliamentary support.

Political developments
Prime Minister Václav Majer's skillful management of the country since 1958 and his personal popularity had paid the Social Democrats dividends. Opinion polls during most of the term showed the Social Democrats and the Government leading over the opposition.

The General Pensions Act of 1960 (Act No. 23/1960) had introduced old age pensions for all residents as a right and with no retirement condition at the age of 65. In the field of housing, several pieces of legislation were introduced. The Regional and Town Planning Act (Act No. 147/1958) regulated the planning of house building, while the Implementation for Rent Act (Act No. 83/1959) fixed rents and rent increases. In order to provide large quantities of affordable housing the Affordable Housing Act of 1958 (Act No. 228/1958) established a housebuilding programme of so-called panel houses (Czech: panelový dům, Slovak: panelový dom), or Panelák. The Paneláks were high-rise, multi-unit, pre-fabricated, concrete apartment buildings with a homogeneous, uniform appearance, that lowered construction costs. Between 1959 and 1961 the programme had finished 120,000 apartments, with an average annual construction of 2,000 panel houses.

Under Majer the Czechoslovak economy enjoyed a continuous growth, in what was later called the Czechoslovak economic miracle (Czech: Československý hospodářský zázrak). The economy recorded an average GDP growth rate of 5.1% per year between 1951 and 1963, with rates of growth coming in third only behind the German and Italian rates. Living standards also rose steadily, with the purchasing power of wages increasing by 68% from 1950 to 1960.

Meanwhile, party chairman Jozef Lettrich and deputy leader Miloslav Rechcígl were in the middle of a reorganisation and rejuvenation process of the party organization of the Republican Party to attract additional electorate. In 1959 Rechcígl replaced Lettrich as leader of the Republicans. Although the polls suggested he was not as popular as Majer, the party had narrowed the Social Democratic lead during 1960 withing four percentage points.

Fierlinger Affair
On 4 April 1961 the Fierlinger Affair broke when Czechoslovak police arrested Foreign Minister. Fierlinger had been a spy for the, the Soviet secret service, and had been under surveillance by the FBIS (Federální bezpečnostní informační služba, Federal Security Information Service) for a year. While Majer was not implicated in the affair, he underestimated the explosiveness of the affair.

The non-socialist opposition now demanded that also the Minister of the Interior, be dismissed, which prime minister Majer refused. Majer forced to appear before the parliament and answer for his cabinet's actions. The opposition, who now had lost confidence in the prime minister, stated their support for a motion of no confidence pushed by the Republican Party. For understandable reasons, all of the Communist and most ČSSD and ČSNS representatives were not inclined to support the vote, meaning the opposition only had 148 votes and thus were three votes short of passing the motion. However, on 17 April 1961 four ČSSD deputies, who belonged to the right-wing of the Social Democrats and were ardent anti-communists, chose to side with the opposition and to support the motion, thereby indicating a parliamentary majority for the motion of no confidence. As a result, Majer lost the no-confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on 18 April 1961. The measure passed with 152 votes to 145.

Electoral system
The 300 members of the Chamber of Deputies were elected from 14 multi-member constituencies (each usually electing between five and 25 members) using open list proportional representation, in which they could give preferential votes for up to four candidates on their chosen list. Seats were allocated using the d'Hondt method, with an electoral threshold a 4% threshold for single parties and 8% threshold for coalitions (requirements waived for national minorities). The members of the Chamber of Nations were elected using first-past-the-post voting in 150 single-member districts; 75 in each republic. To be included on a ballot, a senate candidate had to present 2000 signatures of support from their constituents. Should a party have 151 or more deputies in the Chamber of Deputies, it has an absolute majority and can thus govern autonomously, without the need for support from other parties. The constitution can be amended with a super majority of two-thirds, or 301 deputies.

The Czechoslovak constitution states that elections to the Federal Assembly must be held every four years. Polling days in Czechoslovakia are Friday and Saturday, and voters could submit their ballots on either day. The exact date of the election was to be chosen by the President, who is obliged to call it at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the electoral term and ending on the day of its expiration. If the Chamber of Deputies were dissolved, elections should be held within 60 days of its dissolution. On 21 April 1961, President Štefan Osuský dissolved the Federal Assembly and announced 9 and 10 June 1961 as election days.

Parties
The parties that had been elected to the Federal Assembly in the previous elections and still were represented had the right to participate in the federal elections - that is, they were automatically eligible for the election.

New parties wishing to participate in the election should send their application to the Minister of the Interior by 12:00 p.m. fifteen days before the election. Together with the application papers, the party had to submit a number of signatures corresponding at least to 1/300th of all valid votes cast at the last federal elections. In that election, 7,825,014 valid votes were cast, and a new party should therefore collect at least 26,080 signatures to become eligible for the election. Altogether 14 parties have managed to get on the ballot in at least one state and could therefore (theoretically) earn proportional representation in the Federal Assembly.

Campaign
While federal elections were scheduled to be held in May 1962, the collapse of Majer's government and the early election meant that the Social Democrats had not really had time to prepare their campaign. The Social Democrats ran its campaign with the slogan "You know ČSSD government works". Their manifesto offered voters an increase in pensions and the municipalisation of rented housing. Majer had led the government since May 1958. His premiership was popular and had solid advantages such as a steadily growing economy with a very low unemployment, with most Czechoslovaks felt clearly more prosperous and more secure than in 1957.

The Republican Party and the opposition, however, had united by a prime minister-candidate, Miloslav Rechcígl, whose mild manner and compromise-seeking style were reminiscent of that of Antonín Švehla. To promote the Republican manifesto, Prosperity for Tomorrow, Rechcígl decided to appeal to the voters both in person and by capitalising on the new medium of television that was transforming the public's perception of politics. In 1961, Czech and Slovak households altogether already possessed over one million television sets.

Chamber of Deputies
'''Summary of the 9–10 June 1961 Chamber of Deputies of Czechoslovakia election results ! colspan="9" align="center" | !style="text-align:left" colspan="4" width=395px | Parties ! Votes ! % ! ± ! Seats ! ± ! 8,162,684 ! colspan="2" align="left"| 100.0% !style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"|300
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
 * style="background-color:#F0001C"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD)
 * 2,323,596
 * 28.26%
 * 5.41%
 * 87
 * 18
 * style="background-color:#008542"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Republican Party (RS)
 * 2,263,308
 * 27.52%
 * 5.21%
 * 85
 * 16
 * rowspan="2" style="background-color:#36454F"|
 * rowspan="2" style="text-align:left" | ČSL/SĽS
 * style="background-color:#ffe03e"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Czechoslovak People's Party (ČSL)
 * 815,960
 * 9.92%
 * 1.09%
 * 30
 * 3
 * style="background-color:#5566CC"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Slovak People's Party (SĽS)
 * 566,880
 * 6.89%
 * 0.72%
 * 21
 * 2
 * style="background-color:#BF0202"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ)
 * 597,224
 * 7.26%
 * 1.05%
 * 22
 * 3
 * style="background-color:#F4C2C2"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Czechoslovak National Social Party (ČSNS)
 * 556,864
 * 6.77%
 * 0.62%
 * 20
 * 2
 * style="background-color:#003399"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Liberal Democratic Party (LDS)
 * 416,035
 * 5.06%
 * 0.28%
 * 15
 * 2
 * style="background-color:black"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Sudeten German People's Party (SDVP)
 * 356,614
 * 4.34%
 * 0.07%
 * 13
 * 0
 * style="background-color:green"|
 * colspan="3" style="text-align:left"| Hungarian National Party (MNP)
 * 205,748
 * 2.50%
 * 0.06%
 * 7
 * 0
 * colspan="4" style="text-align:left"|Other parties
 * 60,455
 * 0.74%
 * 0.06%
 * 0
 * 0
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="9"|
 * style="background-color:gray"|
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="3"| Blank or invalid votes
 * 60,573
 * 0.73%
 * colspan="3"|
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="9"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 90.22% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="9"|
 * style="background-color:gray"|
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="3"| Blank or invalid votes
 * 60,573
 * 0.73%
 * colspan="3"|
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="9"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 90.22% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 90.22% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 90.22% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="9"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Turnout in the Czech Federative Republic – electorate: 6,582,200
 * 5,947,018
 * colspan="4"| 90.35%
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="4"| Turnout in the Slovak Federative Republic – electorate: 2,532,813
 * 2,276,239
 * colspan="4"| 89.87%
 * }
 * colspan="4"| 89.87%
 * }

Chamber of Nations
'''Summary of the 9–10 June 1961 Chamber of Nations election results ! colspan="8" align="center" | !style="text-align:left" colspan="2" | Parties !style="text-align:left" | Votes !style="text-align:left" | % of votes !style="text-align:left" | Seats ! ± !colspan="8" align="center"| Czechia ! 5,463,884 ! align="left" | 100.00% ! colspan="2" align="left" | 75 !colspan="8" align="center"| 🇸🇰 Slovakia ! 2,038,914 ! align="left" | 100.00% ! colspan="2" align="left" | 75 ! width="150px" | ! width="40px" align="left" | 100.0% ! width="30px" colspan="2" align="left" | 150
 * - style="background-color:#E9E9E9"
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * style="background-color:#008542" width="1px"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Republican Party (Republikánská strana) (RS)
 * 1,629,923
 * 30.12%
 * 23
 * 1
 * style="background-color:#F0001C" width="1px"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (Československá strana sociálně demokratická) (ČSSD)
 * 1,565,527
 * 28.93%
 * 21
 * 2
 * style="background-color:#ffe03e"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Czechoslovak People's Party (Československá strana lidová) (ČSL)
 * 725,132
 * 13.40%
 * 10
 * 0
 * style="background-color:#BF0202"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Komunistická strana Československa) (KSČ)
 * 492,440
 * 9.10%
 * 7
 * 0
 * style="background-color:#F4C2C2"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Czechoslovak National Social Party (Československá strana národně sociální) (ČSNS)
 * 426,962
 * 7.89%
 * 6
 * 0
 * style="background-color:#003399"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Liberal Democratic Party (Liberální demokratická strana) (LDS)
 * 314,404
 * 5.81%
 * 5
 * 1
 * style="background-color:black"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Sudeten German People's Party (Sudetendeutsche Volkspartei) (SDVP)
 * 257,043
 * 4.75%
 * 3
 * 0
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="2"|Invalid or blank votes
 * 52,453
 * 0.96%
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Czech Federative Republic (Turnout: 83.01% – electorate: 6,582,200)
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="2"|Invalid or blank votes
 * 52,453
 * 0.96%
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Czech Federative Republic (Turnout: 83.01% – electorate: 6,582,200)
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Czech Federative Republic (Turnout: 83.01% – electorate: 6,582,200)
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * style="background-color:#008542"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Republican Party (Republikánská strana) (RS)
 * 589,231
 * 29.20%
 * 24
 * 1
 * style="background-color:#5566CC"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Slovak People's Party (Slovenská ľudová strana) (SĽS)
 * 510,734
 * 25.31%
 * 19
 * 3
 * style="background-color:#F0001C"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (Československá strana sociálně demokratická) (ČSSD)
 * 501,653
 * 24.86%
 * 18
 * 5
 * style="background-color:#BF0202"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Komunistická strana Československa) (KSČ)
 * 177,173
 * 8.78%
 * 7
 * 0
 * style="background-color:#003399"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Liberal Democratic Party (Liberální demokratická strana) (LDS)
 * 94,035
 * 4.66%
 * 4
 * 1
 * style="background-color:green"|
 * style="text-align:left"| Hungarian National Party (Magyar Nemzeti Párt–Maďarská národní strana) (MNP)
 * 82,331
 * 4.08%
 * 3
 * 0
 * style="background-color:#F4C2C2"|
 * style="text-align:left" | Czechoslovak National Social Party (Československá strana národně sociální) (ČSNS)
 * 62,757
 * 3.11%
 * 0
 * 0
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="2"|Invalid or blank votes
 * 21,001
 * 1.03%
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Slovak Federative Republic (Turnout: 80.50% – electorate: 2,532,813)
 * style="text-align:left" colspan="2"|Invalid or blank votes
 * 21,001
 * 1.03%
 * N/A
 * N/A
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Slovak Federative Republic (Turnout: 80.50% – electorate: 2,532,813)
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total in the Slovak Federative Republic (Turnout: 80.50% – electorate: 2,532,813)
 * - style="background-color:#AAAAAA"
 * colspan="8"|
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 0.00% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * style="text-align:left; " colspan="2"| Total&emsp;(Turnout: 0.00% – electorate: 9,115,013)
 * }

Government formation
Prime Minister Václav Majer, after having led Czechoslovakia for over a total of eight years, conceded defeat. President Osuský then tasked Republican chairman Miloslav Rechcígl with the formation of a new government. Majer's cabinet would remain in office as a caretaker government until 8 July, when Rechcígl's cabinet would be sworn in. Rechcígl would head a coalition government comprising the Republican Party, the Czechoslovak People's Party and the Slovak People's Party, with the Liberal Democrats providing parliamentary support.