Preliminary results reveal that a political party led by a pro-Kremlin figure has exceeded expectations in pro-Russian victorious Slovakia’s election, emerging as the top contender. This outcome is anticipated to present a potential challenge to the cohesion of NATO and EU stances on Ukraine.
As per preliminary results disclosed by Slovakia’s Statistical Office at 6 a.m. local time, Robert Fico’s populist SMER party secured 23.3% of the vote. In contrast, Progressive Slovakia (PS), a liberal party with pro-Ukrainian inclinations, secured 17% of the votes.
Robert Fico, a former two-time prime minister, now has the opportunity to potentially reclaim the position. However, he must first engage in negotiations with coalition partners since his party did not secure a significant enough portion of the vote to win outright. The moderate-left Hlas party, which formed as an offshoot of SMER following internal disputes and is led by a former SMER member, secured the third position with 15% of the vote. Hlas could play a crucial role in forming the government.
With seven political parties crossing the 5% threshold required to enter the parliament, coalition discussions likely to involve multiple participants and may prove to protract and intricate.
Although not a landslide victory, SMER’s performance has surpassed expectations. Earlier opinion polls published this week had indicated a tight race between SMER and PS.
Fico has made a commitment to immediately cease Slovak military assistance to Ukraine and has vowed to block Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, a stance that contradicts Slovakia’s historically strong support for Ukraine. pro-Russian victorious Slovakia’s election
Peter Pellegrini, the leader of Hlas, expressed satisfaction with the election results, stating, “The results so far show that Hlas will be a crucial party without which it will be impossible to establish any form of stable and functional coalition government.” He acknowledged the significant responsibility and task of ensuring that, if a coalition offer arises, they will make the right decision to be part of a government capable of guiding Slovakia out of the challenges and crises that previous leadership had led the country into.
Hlas has maintained a somewhat ambiguous stance on Ukraine during the election campaign. Pellegrini has previously indicated that Slovakia may have exhausted its resources to provide further assistance to Kyiv. However, he also emphasized the importance of continuing the production of ammunition destined for Ukraine.