BRATISLAVA – Voters in Slovakia forged ballots Saturday in an early parliamentary election that pits a populist former prime minister who campaigned on a pro-Russia and anti-American message against a liberal, pro-West newcomer.
Depending on which ones prevails, the election may opposite the small japanese European nation’s support for neighboring Ukraine within the struggle with Russia, threatening to damage a fragile unity within the European Union and NATO.
Former Prime Minister Robert Fico, 59, and his leftist Smer, or Direction, birthday party have vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s army make stronger for Ukraine in Russia’s war, if his try to go back to energy is a hit.
Smer’s primary challenger is Progressive Slovakia, a liberal birthday party shaped in 2017 and led through Michal Simecka, 39, a member of the European Parliament.
Referring to his rival, Fico stated Saturday he wanted his nation would now not be run through “amateurs” with out enjoy in politics.
Fico, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and once more from 2012 to 2018, opposes EU sanctions on Russia, questions whether or not Ukraine can pressure out the invading Russian troops and needs to dam Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.
He proposes that as an alternative of sending hands to Kyiv, the EU and the U.S. will have to use their affect to pressure Russia and Ukraine to strike a compromise peace deal. He has repeated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unsupported declare that the Ukrainian executive runs a Nazi state.
Fico additionally campaigned against immigration and LGBTQ+ rights and threatened to push aside investigators from the National Criminal Agency and the particular prosecutor who care for corruption and different severe crimes.
Progressive Slovakia sees the rustic’s long run as firmly tied to its present club within the EU and NATO.
The birthday party vowed to proceed Slovakia’s make stronger for Ukraine. It additionally favors LGBTQ+ rights, a rarity a few of the primary events in a nation this is a stronghold of conservative Roman Catholicism.
“Every single vote matters,” the birthday party’s head, Michal Simecka, stated on Saturday.
Popular amongst younger other folks, the birthday party gained the 2019 European Parliament election in Slovakia in coalition with the Together birthday party, gaining greater than 20% of the vote. But it narrowly didn’t win seats within the nationwide parliament in 2020.
No birthday party is predicted to win a majority of seats Saturday, that means a coalition executive will want to be shaped. The birthday party that secures probably the most votes in most cases will get the primary likelihood to position in combination a executive.
Polls point out that seven or 8 different political teams and events may surpass a 5% threshold wanted for illustration within the 150-seat National Council.
Among them is the left-wing Hlas (Voice), led through Fico’s former deputy in Smer, Peter Pellegrini. They parted techniques after Smer misplaced the former election in 2020 however their imaginable reunion would spice up Fico’s probabilities to rule.
“It’s important for me that the new coalition would be formed by such parties that can agree on the priorities for Slovakia and ensure stability and calm,” Pellegrini stated after balloting in Bratislava.
The others come with the Republic, a far-right team led through former participants of the overtly neo-Nazi People’s Party Our Slovakia whose participants use Nazi salutes and need Slovakia out of the EU and NATO.