Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico, a leftist, emerged victorious in the parliamentary election after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine. However, he will need to form alliances to establish the next government, according to nearly complete results. Fico’s SMER-SSD party secured the highest vote share at 23.37%, followed by the liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) at 16.86%, and the HLAS (Voice) party at 15.03%. The HLAS party may play a crucial role in forming the government. Fico’s party holds nationalist and socially conservative views, opposing social liberalism imposed from Brussels. Conversely, the PS supports green policies, LGBT rights, deeper European integration, and human rights.
The first-placed party, expected to receive a mandate from President Zuzana Caputova, will lead talks on forming a parliamentary majority and potentially a government. Fico could align with the HLAS party and the nationalist Slovak National Party to build a coalition. PS advocates for maintaining Slovakia’s support for Ukraine and adopting a liberal stance within the EU on issues like majority voting, green policies, and LGBT rights. PS leader Michal Simecka expressed hope of forming the next government, depending on the support of smaller allies.
Any potential coalition involving PS would likely require the participation of HLAS and other right-wing or socially conservative parties, which could dilute its socially progressive and EU-integration agenda. The incoming government will inherit a significant budget deficit, projected to be the highest in the eurozone.
Fico capitalized on dissatisfaction with the center-right coalition, whose government collapsed triggering the early elections. His campaign emphasized concerns about the influx of migrants passing through Slovakia to Western Europe. Fico’s views align with the pro-Russia sentiments held by many Slovaks, which have gained traction on social media since the Ukraine conflict began. He has pledged to cease military supplies to Ukraine and pursue peace talks, a position similar to Hungary’s Viktor Orban but opposed by Ukraine and its allies who argue it would only embolden Russia.
The far-right Republika party, a possible ally for Fico, failed to secure any seats and was deemed unacceptable by others. Fico previously stepped down in 2018 amid mass protests against corruption following the murder of an investigative journalist. His party colleague Peter Pellegrini assumed leadership until 2020 when center-right parties promising to combat corruption won the election. However, their government collapsed due to internal disagreements, leading to the early elections. Analysts and diplomats speculate that Fico may moderate his rhetoric if he returns to power, as he has done in the past.
