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← 1968
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29 April 1972
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1976 →
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101 seats needed for a majority
51 seats needed for a majority
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Federal elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 29 April 1972 to elect the members of the Federal Assembly. All 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and all 100 seats in the Senate were up for election, with MPs elected by party list proportional representation and senators elected by first-past-the-post voting.
The Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), which had governed as a minority government consisting of the ČSSD, led by prime minister Alexander Dubček, the Czech National Social Party (ČSNS) and the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) since 1968, won 116 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and won the popular vote with 50.69%. The ČSSD celebrated their best result ever with 85 seats and 43.45% percent of the vote. The Republican Party, on the other hand, turned in its worst performance since 1935 with 18.31% percent of the vote and 44 seats. The election allowed Dubček to remain as prime minister.
Background[]
Electoral system[]
According to the Constitution of Czechoslovakia and the Federal Election Act (Act No. 247/1954 Coll.), elections to both chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Czechoslovakia are held on the basis of general, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Elections are open to any Czechoslovak citizen over the age of 18 who is legally competent and whose freedom is not restricted for the sake of public health protection.
The 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected for a four-year term by open-list proportional representation from 25 multi-member constituencies (each usually electing between 5 and 25 members). Seats in the Chamber of Deputies are apportioned to the regional constituencies based on the results of the most recent census. For parties to receive any representation in the Chamber of Deputies, they must either win at least one seat in a constituency directly, or clear the 4 percent federal electoral threshold. Two-member coalitions must clear an electoral threshold of 8%, while the threshold for three- and more-member coalitions is 12%. The rationale for the thresholds is to discourage parties from splintering, and thereby prevent parliament from fragmenting into numerous small parties, which would complicate coalition formation in the first instance, and would undermine their stability once they are formed. Seats are allocated using the D'Hondt method at the federal level, to ensure overall proportionality between a party's national vote share and its share of parliamentary seats. Voters can give preference votes to up to four candidates on a list. Candidates who receive preferential votes from more than 5% of voters are moved to the top of their list; in cases where more than one candidate receives over 5% of the preferential votes, they are ranked in order of votes received. Should a party or coalition have 101 or more deputies in the Chamber of Deputies, it has an absolute majority and can thus govern autonomously, without the need for parlimentary support from other parties. Any citizen aged 21 or over can stand as a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies. Seats were allocated using the D'Hondt method.
The 100 members of the Senate are elected for a four-year term from 100 single-member districts under first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting. The senate constituencies are divided between the four lands on the basis of nationality, meaning fifty seats are allocated to the Czech lands (27 in Bohemia, 15 i Moravia and 8 in Silesia) and fifty seats are allocated to Slovakia. The senate constituencies have roughly the same number of voters. All Czechoslovak nationals 40 years of age and older may be elected senators. To be included on a ballot, a senate candidate had to present 2,000 signatures of support from their constituents. If the mandate of any Senator is cancelled during his/her term of office for any reason, the president shall announce by-elections in his/her election district. In by-elections each new senator is elected only for the rest of the term of office of the original senator. No by-election shall take place if the senator’s mandate is cancelled in the last year of his/her term of office.
Date assignment process[]
The Constitution of Czechoslovakia and the Federal Election Act provides that both chambers of the Federal Assembly must be convened by the President no later than 30 days after the most recent election. The standard duration of the legislative period of the Federal Assembly is four years, by the end of which it must be renewed through an election. Federal Election Act provides that federal elections must be held from 8:00 to 22:00 on Saturdays.
The exact date of the election is chosen by the President, who is obliged to call it at least 90 days before the expiration of the electoral term, thereby starting the official election campaign. The federal elections do not necessarily take place at fixed intervals as the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate can be prematurely dissolved by the president, under conditions set by the Constitution. If the Federal Assembly is dissolved, the elections to it shall be held within sixty days of the dissolution, though the Federal Assembly may not be dissolved less than three months before the end of its electoral term. The Chamber of Deputies is most commonly dissolved following two votes of no confidence in the cabinet.
Because the last election took place on 4 May 1968, the latest date on which the next legislative election could have been held would be 29 April 1972. On 26 January 1972, president Ludvík Svoboda announced 29 April 1972 as election day.
Parties and candidates[]
The table below lists the parliamentary groups of the 6th Federal Assembly.
| Party | Leader | Main ideology | Position | 1968 result | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Deputies | Senate | |||||||||
| Votes (%) | Seats | Votes (%) | Seats | |||||||
| ČSSD | Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party Československá strana sociálně demokratická Československá strana sociálno demokratická |
Alexander Dubček | Social democracy | Centre-left | 0.00% | 74 / 200
|
0.00% | 24 / 100
| ||
| RS | Republican Party Republikánská strana Republikánska strana |
Martin Hrabík | Conservatism Liberal conservatism Agrarianism |
Centre-right to right-wing | 0.00% | 56 / 200
|
0.00% | 31 / 100
| ||
| ČSL ČSĽ |
Czechoslovak People's Party Československá strana lidová Československá strana ľudová |
Pavol Čarnogurský | Conservatism Christian democracy |
Centre to centre-right | 0.00% | 18 / 200
|
0.00% | 15 / 100
| ||
| SDS | Free Democratic Party Svobodná demokratická strana Slobodná demokratická strana |
František Přeučil | Liberalism Direct democracy |
Centre-right to right-wing | 0.00% | 9 / 200
|
0.00% | 5 / 100
| ||
| KSČ | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia Komunistická strana Československa |
Josef Smrkovský | Eurocommunism Marxism–Leninism |
Left-wing to far-left | 0.00% | 14 / 200
|
0.00% | 6 / 100
| ||
| ČSNS | Czechoslovak National Social Party Československá strana národně sociální Československá strana národne sociálnu |
Mojmír Povolný | Socialist nationalism Democratic socialism |
Centre-left to left-wing | 0.00% | 10 / 200
|
0.00% | 4 / 100
| ||
| SDL SDĽ |
Party of the Democratic Left Strana demokratické levice Strana demokratickej ľavice |
Josef Špaček | Democratic socialism | Left-wing | 0.00% | 4 / 200
|
0.00% | 1 / 100
| ||
| SWV SVS |
Sudeten German Electoral Association Sudetendeutsche Wahlverband Sudetoněmecké volební společenství |
Josef Stingl | German minority interests | Centre | 0.00% | 5 / 200
|
0.00% | 3 / 100
| ||
| MKDM MKDH |
Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Magyar Kereszténydemokrata Mozgalom Maďarské kresťanskodemokratické hnutie |
László Dobos | Hungarian minority interests | Centre | 0.00% | 5 / 200
|
0.00% | 3 / 100
| ||
| SNS | Slovak National Party Slovenská národná strana |
Gejza Medrický | Slovak nationalism National conservatism Autonomism |
Right-wing to far-right | 0.00% | 5 / 200
|
0.00% | 1 / 100
| ||
| KAN | Club of Committed Non-Party Members Klub angažovaných nestraníků Klub angažovaných nestraníkov |
Ludvík Rybáček | Liberalism Syncretic politics |
Centre to centre-right | 0.00% | 0 / 200
|
0.00% | 5 / 100
| ||
| Independents | 0.00% | 3 / 100
| ||||||||
Ballot access requirements[]
In order to contest the election nationwide, a party (or list) must have the support of three deputies or collect 4,500 valid signatures from eligible voters ahead of the elections.
Parties may contest the election in individual states only, if they so chose. To do so, they must submit a minimum number of voter signatures that varies by state as follows:
- 500 – Silesia
- 1,000 – Moravia
- 1,500 – Slovakia
- 2,000 – Bohemia
Each political party, movement and coalition not represented in the Federal Assembly had 30 days from the announcement of the election to collect signatures and deliver them to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The state and federal election commissions then validated the signatures and announced the list of parties that qualified.
Contesting parties[]
In addition to the parties already represented in the National Council, three parties collected enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.
| List | Name | Ideology | Position | Leader | 1968 result | Ballot access | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber | Senate |  Bohemia |
 Moravia |
 Silesia |
 Slovakia | ||||||
| 1 | Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) | Social democracy | Centre-left | Alexander Dubček | 0.00% (74 seats) | 0.00% (24 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2 | Czechoslovak People's Party (ČSL) | Christian democracy | Centre-right | Pavol Čarnogurský | 0.00% (18 seats) | 0.00% (13 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 3 | Czechoslovak National Social Party (ČSNS) | Socialist nationalism | Centre-left | Mojmír Povolný | 0.00% (10 seats) | 0.00% (4 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 4 | Republican Party (RS) | Conservatism | Centre-right | Martin Hrabík | 0.00% (56 seats) | 0.00% (31 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 5 | Sudeten German Electoral Association (SWV/SVS) | German minority interests | Centre | Josef Stingl | 0.00% (5 seats) | 0.00% (3 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | |
| 6 | Party of the Democratic Left (SDL) | Democratic socialism | Left-wing | Josef Špaček | 0.00% (4 seats) | 0.00% (1 seat) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 7 | Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) | Eurocommunism | Left-wing | Josef Smrkovský | 0.00% (14 seats) | 0.00% (5 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 8 | Free Democratic Party (SDS) | Liberalism | Right-wing | František Přeučil | 0.00% (9 seats) | 0.00% (5 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 9 | Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement (MKDM/MKDH) | Hungarian minority interests | Centre | László Dobos | 0.00% (5 seats) | 0.00% (3 seats) | — | — | — | Yes | |
| 10 | Club of Committed Non-Party Members (KAN) | Liberalism | Centre | Ludvík Rybáček | 0.00% (0 seats) | 0.00% (5 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 11 | Liberal-Social Party (LSS) | Social liberalism | Centre-right | Pavel Blaho | 0.00% (0 seats) | 0.00% (0 seats) | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | |
| 12 | Movement for Autonomous Democracy–Party for Moravia and Silesia (HSD–SMS) | Regionalism | Centre | Boleslav Bárta | 0.00% (0 seats) | 0.00% (0 seats) | — | Yes | Yes | — | |
| 13 | Slovak National Party (SNS) | Nationalism | Far-right | Gejza Medrický | 0.00% (5 seats) | 0.00% (1 seat) | — | — | — | Yes | |
| 14 | Polish Electoral Committee in Czechoslovakia (PKW) | Polish minority interests | Centre | Franciszek Florkiewicz | Did not stand | — | — | Yes | — | ||
Campaign[]
Slogans[]
Debates[]
| 1972 Czechoslovak federal election debates | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Organiser | P Present NI Non-invitee A Absent invitee | |||||||||
| ČSSD | RS | ČSL | SDS | ČSNS | KSČ | MKDM/MKDH | SWV/SVS | SNS | |||
| 8 April | ČST | P Dubček |
P Hrabík |
P Čarnogurský |
P Přeučil |
P Povolný |
P Smrkovský |
NI | NI | NI | |
| 15 April | ČST | P Dubček |
P Hrabík |
NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | NI | |
| 22 April | ČST | P Dubček |
P Hrabík |
P Čarnogurský |
P Přeučil |
P Povolný |
P Smrkovský |
P Dobos |
P Stingl |
A Medrický | |
Results[]
Chamber of Deputies[]
Overall results[]
Results by state[]
Senate[]
Overall results[]
Results by state[]
Aftermath[]
Government formation[]
See also[]
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