[17] Since 1990 SNS has won seats in every Slovak parliament but three (in 2002, 2012 and 2020) and was part of the coalition government formed after the 2006 election with Robert Fico's Direction – Social Democracy (Smer-SD).
Since 2005, there is also a United Slovak National Party (Zjednotená slovenská národná strana, ZSNS), also formed of former SNS members.
[19] In 2008 a €120 million tender for establishing the rules and guidelines and logos for distribution of funds from the European Union, was won by a consortium of firms with close ties to SNS leader Ján Slota.
The tender notice had been posted for only five days on a bulletin board in the ministry run by the SNS party behind a locked door, which resulted in a single bid.
[23] It opposed an increase in the minimum wage that was proposed by its coalition partners, citing its impact on the state budget.
[25] She also abolished Radio and Television of Slovakia, the country's national public broadcaster, also citing "political activism".
[37] From 2009 to 2014, the SNS was part of Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in the European Parliament, which was dominated by the UK Independence Party (UKIP), and from 2011 to 2015 with the affiliated Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy, which did not include UKIP but included other EFDD members such as United Poland and the Finns Party.
[43] Nevertheless, in 2022, Danko praised the possibility of a Le Pen victory in the 2022 French presidential election as positive for Visegrád Group countries.
[45] However, disagreements over the Beneš decrees caused a brief rift between the parties, with the SNS supporting the exclusion of the FPÖ from the EFD in 2011.
[45] Danko has advocated for a close partnership with Hungary under Fidesz rule and Poland under the Law and Justice party.
[57] The Slovak Spectator reports that most of the media attention Slota receives is because of statements that cross "the line not just of political but also human decency.
The party under the leadership of Ján Slota had been sometimes described as ultra-nationalist,[62][63][64][65][66][67] Hungarophobic,[68] right-wing extremist,[62][69][70][71] and far-right,[21] due to its statements[72] about Hungarians and Romani which have been characterised as racist.
"[50] The former party's leader Ján Slota, referred to by Earthtimes as "a xenophobic politician who has stirred anti-Hungarian sentiments",[81] said the best policy for dealing with the Romani was "a long whip in a small yard.
"[85] Slota called the fascist leader Jozef Tiso "one of the greatest sons of the Slovak nation"[62] and on 17 February 2000, 40 of the 41 city council members in Žilina, where Slota was mayor at the time, voted to dedicate a plaque honouring Jozef Tiso,[62] who was convicted and executed for the breaking up the Czechoslovak state and for collaboration with Nazi Germany.
Later in a move that was described as absurd by a Slovak journalist, SNS demanded the seat of deputy prime minister responsible for human rights and national minorities.
[91] The allegations are sometimes connected to various statements of party members or that SNS was behind "the continuing campaign to rehabilitate Jozef Tiso, head of the wartime fascist regime, which was responsible for the deportation of the country's Jews to the death camps" might also be a contributing factor.
SNS sued for financial damages, alleging the statement caused it loss of votes, image, and reputation.
[96] The Slovak Supreme Court ultimately decided that SNS is not entitled for the financial compensation, because the party did not sufficiently document the alleged damage.