Editing Slovakia (section)

=== From Communism to Democracy (1989–1992) ===
{{Main|Czech and Slovak Federative Republic}}
{{See also|Slovak National Council's Declaration of Independence of the Slovak Nation|Constitution of Slovakia}}

[[File:Praha 19891122-419-02.jpg|thumb|The [[Velvet Revolution]] ended 41 years of authoritarian communist rule in [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]] in 1989.]]

The end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, during the peaceful [[Velvet Revolution]], was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two [[succession of states|successor states]]. [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic]] renamed as [[Czech and Slovak Federative Republic]], the word "socialist" was dropped in the names of the two republics within the federation, the Slovak Socialist Republic renamed as [[Slovak Socialist Republic|Slovak Republic]].

On 17&nbsp;July 1992, Slovakia, led by Prime Minister [[Vladimír Mečiar]], declared itself a sovereign state, meaning that its laws took precedence over those of the federal government. Throughout the autumn of 1992, Vladimír Mečiar and [[List of Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic|Czech Prime Minister]] [[Václav Klaus]] negotiated the details for disbanding the federation. In November, the federal parliament voted to dissolve the country officially on 31&nbsp;December 1992.