The election in Slovakia

  

Picture of Robert Fico and Vladimir Putin from 2016. Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP  

 

The election in Slovakia  

Analysis: "Fico's move is much ado about nothing"  

 

With Robert Fico's populist Smer party in power, Slovakia will likely take a new and controversial foreign policy direction, writes The Guardian's Lili Bayer.  

 

Among other things, Fico has promised to stop aid to Ukraine, ran a campaign against LGBTQ rights and even blamed the Kremlin's war on "Nazis and fascists in Ukraine".  

 

"With a government led by Fico, Slovakia would join Hungary in challenging the EU's consensus on aid to Ukraine," writes Bayer. 

 

 However, Politico's Matthew Karnitschnig isn't too worried. He thinks it is "much ado about nothing".  

 

Given how dependent the country is on the EU for economic support and NATO for security, the "ingrained resentment" that characterizes Slovak politics will not play a major role in the end, he writes.  

"Fico has promised his voters an economic turnaround and more social spending. Getting there will not be possible without the EU's help.”  

 

 

Robert Fico on his way to his party's headquarters Darko Bandic / AP  

 

The promise before the election: "Not a single bullet to Ukraine"  

 

The war in Ukraine is believed to be one of the issues that made pro-Russia Robert Fico and his populist Smer party winners in the Slovak election. The issue set the tone in the election campaign, where Fico promised, among other things, that NATO country Slovakia will not send "a single bullet" to neighboring Ukraine. This is reported by TT. 

 

In terms of GDP, Slovakia has been one of the countries in Europe that sent the most aid to Ukraine. A radical change in foreign policy is now expected.  

 

Robert Fico has, among other things, called for improved relations with Russia.  

 

Robert Fico Petr David Josek / AP 

Russia-friendly Robert Fico wins the election - messy negotiations to be expected 

 

The Russia-friendly populist Robert Fico declares himself the winner in the Slovak parliamentary election, reports Reuters. When 99 percent of the votes are counted, his Smer party gets 23 percent, while the liberal Progressive Slovakia gets 17 percent.  

 

But Fico needs to cooperate with other parties to form a government. And with seven parties reaching over the parliament's 5 percent threshold, coalition negotiations are likely to be protracted and messy, writes CNN.  

 

The election has been seen as something of a fateful choice for Slovakia and the country's attitude towards, among other things, the EU, Ukraine, Russia and LGBT issues. Robert Fico has, among other things, blamed the West for the war in Ukraine and signaled that he wants to withdraw support.