PRAGUE (AP) — A populist former prime minister and his leftist occasion have received early parliamentary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, in accordance with full outcomes introduced Sunday.
Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leftist Smer, or Course, occasion had 22.9% of the votes, or 42 seats within the 150-seat Parliament, the Slovak Statistics Workplace mentioned.
Public and exit polls predicted a decent race however in the long run, Fico received comparatively massive after his marketing campaign — thought-about aggressive and probably the most radical of his profession — attracted voters who favored the far-right.
With no occasion successful a majority of seats, a coalition authorities will have to be shaped. The president historically asks an election’s winner to attempt to type a authorities, so Fico is more likely to turn out to be prime minister once more. He served as prime minister in 2006-2010 and once more in 2012-2018.
Fico mentioned he was able to open talks with different events on forming a coalition authorities as quickly as President Zuzana Caputova asks him. Caputova mentioned she is going to do it on Monday.
“We’re right here, we’re prepared, we’ve realized one thing, we’re extra skilled,” he mentioned.
Saturday’s election was a take a look at for the small japanese European nation’s assist for neighboring Ukraine in its warfare with Russia, and the win by Fico may pressure a fragile unity within the European Union and NATO.
Fico, 59, has vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s navy assist for Ukraine in Russia’s warfare if his try to return to energy succeeds. “Individuals in Slovakia have greater issues than Ukraine,” he mentioned.
The nation of 5.5 million individuals created in 1993 following the breakup of Czechoslovakia has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia invaded final February, donating arms and opening the borders for refugees fleeing the warfare.
Slovakia has delivered to Ukraine its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, the S-300 air protection system, helicopters, armored autos and much-needed demining tools.
The present caretaker authorities is planning to ship Ukraine artillery ammunition and to coach Ukrainian service members in demining.
Successful approval for sending extra arms to Ukraine is getting harder in lots of nations. Within the U.S. Congress, a invoice to avert a authorities shutdown in Washington, D.C., excluded President Joe Biden’s request to offer extra safety help to the war-torn nation.
In different nations, together with Germany, France, and Spain, populist events skeptical of intervention in Ukraine additionally command vital assist. Many of those nations have nationwide or regional elections developing that might tip the stability of standard opinion away from Kyiv and towards Moscow.
A liberal, pro-West newcomer, the Progressive Slovakia occasion, took second place, with 18% of the votes, or 32 seats.
Its chief Michal Simecka, who’s deputy president of the European Parliament, mentioned his occasion revered the consequence. “However it’s unhealthy information for Slovakia,” he mentioned. “And it could be even worse if Robert Fico manages to create a authorities.”
He mentioned he’d like attempt to type a governing coalition if Fico fails.
The left-wing Hlas (Voice) occasion, led by Fico’s former deputy in Smer, Peter Pellegrini, got here in third with 14.7% (27 seats). Pellegrini parted methods with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer misplaced the earlier election in 2020, however their doable reunion would increase Fico’s possibilities to type a authorities.
Pellegrini changed Fico as prime minister after he was pressured to resign following main anti-government road protests ensuing from the 2018 killing of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee.
Pellegrini congratulated Fico on his victory however mentioned that two former prime ministers in a single authorities may not work nicely. “It’s not best however that doesn’t imply such a coalition can’t be created,” he mentioned.
One other potential coalition companion, the ultranationalist Slovak Nationwide Celebration, a transparent pro-Russian group, acquired 5.6% (10 seats).
These three events would have a parliamentary majority of 79 seats in the event that they joined forces in a coalition authorities.
Fico opposes EU sanctions on Russia, questions whether or not Ukraine can drive out the invading Russian troops and desires to dam Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO. He proposes that as an alternative of sending arms to Kyiv, the EU and the U.S. ought to use their affect to drive Russia and Ukraine to strike a compromise peace deal.
Fico’s critics fear that his return to energy may lead Slovakia to desert its course in different methods, following the trail of Hungary underneath Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and to a lesser extent of Poland underneath the Legislation and Justice occasion.
“It could possibly’t be dominated out that he shall be on the lookout for a companion who makes use of comparable rhetoric, and the companion shall be Viktor Orbán,” mentioned Radoslav Stefancik, an analyst from the College of Economics in Bratislava.
Orbán welcomed Fico’s victory.
“All the time good to work along with a patriot,” he posted on X, the previous Twitter.
Hungary has — uniquely amongst EU nations — maintained shut relations with Moscow and argued towards supplying arms to Ukraine or offering it with financial help.
Fico repeats Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unsupported declare that the Ukrainian authorities runs a Nazi state from which ethnic Russians within the nation’s east wanted safety. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and misplaced kinfolk within the Holocaust.
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Related Press author Justin Spike in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this report.