Parliamentary election in Slovakia is underway as voters choose between former leftist prime minister Robert Fico, who plans to cease military assistance to Ukraine, and pro-Western liberals. The latest opinion polls indicate a close race between the two parties, with the winner expected to lead the formation of a new government to replace the caretaker administration that has been in charge since May. A victory for Fico would align Slovakia with Hungary as European Union countries that challenge the bloc’s consensus on supporting Ukraine, which opposes Russia’s invasion. Additionally, it would strengthen a group of eastern ex-Communist states with governments openly hostile to liberalism, like Poland’s nationalist PiS party, which also faces an upcoming election but remains supportive of Ukraine.
A government led by Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia, PS) would maintain Slovakia’s strong support for Ukraine, positioning the country in the pro-integration and liberal camp within the EU. This would involve advocating for issues such as majority voting to increase flexibility, implementing green policies, and promoting LGBT rights. Neither Fico’s SMER-SSD (Direction-Slovak Social Democracy) nor PS, led by European Parliament Vice-Chairman Michal Simecka, is likely to secure a majority. Consequently, the composition of the future government is expected to depend on the results of several smaller parties ranging from libertarians to far-right extremists.
The moderate-left Hlas (Voice) party, led by former SMER-SSD member and former prime minister Peter Pellegrini, is projected to come in third place and could play a pivotal role in determining the outcome. While Pellegrini has kept his options open, he recently stated that his party leans more towards Fico. Dissatisfaction with a fragmented center-right coalition government, whose collapse last year triggered the early election, has fueled support for Fico. Public sentiment in Slovakia, historically warmer towards Russia, has also been influenced by pro-Russian narratives and disinformation circulating on social networks.
In his campaign, Fico has vowed to end military supplies to Ukraine and pursue peace talks. This stance aligns him closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban but is rejected by Ukraine and its allies, who argue that it would only embolden Russia. Fico has also criticized sanctions on Russia and defended the use of national veto powers within the EU. However, some foreign diplomats and analysts believe that Fico’s past pragmatism could temper his foreign policy shift.
Analyzers and diplomats emphasize that Slovakia, which currently faces the euro zone’s largest budget deficit at almost 7% of GDP, greatly relies on the EU’s modernization and recovery funds. As a result, any government would carefully consider the implications of conflicting with Brussels on issues such as the rule of law.
Voting began at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will conclude at 10:00 p.m. Exit polls will be released after the polls close, and official results are expected within several hours. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, additional reporting by David W. Cerny in Bratislava; Editing by Peter Graff)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
