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Ruling Party in Slovakia Loses Majority in Elections Slovakia’s Governing Party Loses Majority as Far Right Makes Gains
(about 7 hours later)
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia’s ruling party, running on an anti-migrant platform, has lost its majority in parliamentary elections that also saw the success of far-right extremists, according to results announced on Sunday. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia’s governing party has lost its majority in parliamentary elections and far-right extremists have made striking gains, according to results announced on Sunday.
The outcome could affect the shape of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Slovakia assumes in July, as well as color ongoing talks on the Continentwide migrant crisis and the future of free movement under the Schengen Agreement. The results could affect the tenor of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which Slovakia assumes in July, and could also color continuing talks on the Continentwide migrant crisis and the future of free movement under the Schengen Agreement.
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer-Social Democracy party, which has governed since 2012, prevailed with 28.3 percent of Saturday’s vote, according to the national Statistical Office, but it will be forced to seek support among several other parties in order to form a new government. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s leftist Smer-Social Democracy party, which has governed since 2012, finished first with 28.3 percent of the vote on Saturday, according to the national Statistical Office, but to form a new government it will be forced to seek support among several other parties.
“The results that are showing are very complicated, but they show that the political system is very alive,” Mr. Fico told the daily SME on Sunday morning. “The results that are showing are very complicated, but they show that the political system is very alive,” Mr. Fico told the daily newspaper SME on Sunday morning.
Smer-Social Democracy is projected to hold 49 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, while the second-place party, Freedom and Solidarity, got 12 percent of the vote, or 21 seats. The Ordinary People party picked up 11 percent of the vote, while the ultraconservative Slovak National Party, a potential partner for Mr. Fico, received nearly 9 percent, according to unofficial results. Smer-Social Democracy is projected to hold 49 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, compared with the 83 seats it won in the last election, in 2012, when it had 44.4 percent of the vote. The second-place party, Freedom and Solidarity, earned 12 percent of the vote, or 21 seats. The Ordinary People party picked up 11 percent of the vote, while the ultraconservative Slovak National Party, a potential partner for Mr. Fico, received nearly 9 percent, according to official results.
The biggest surprise, however, was the success of the extreme-right People’s Party-Our Slovakia, led by a regional governor, Marian Kotleba, who in the past has had ties to neo-Nazism. It picked up 8 percent of the vote, or 14 seats, and could prove to be an obstacle in Mr. Fico’s efforts to form a coalition. Mr. Fico’s party ran on an anti-migrant platform, but the biggest surprise in the election results was the success of the extreme-right People’s Party-Our Slovakia, whose leader, Marian Kotleba, has said, “Even one immigrant is one too many.” Mr. Kotleba, a regional governor, has past ties to neo-Nazism. His party picked up 8 percent of the vote, or 14 seats, and could pose an obstacle in Mr. Fico’s efforts to form a coalition.
Mr. Kotleba has spoken favorably of the Slovak state during World War II and of its leader, Jozef Tiso, who was responsible for sending tens of thousands of Jews to concentration camps. He has referred to NATO as a “criminal organization” and has railed against the United States, the European Union and immigrants. Mr. Kotleba has spoken favorably of the Slovak state during World War II and of its leader, Jozef Tiso, who was responsible for sending tens of thousands of Jews to concentration camps. Mr. Kotleba has referred to NATO as a “criminal organization” and has railed against the United States, the European Union and immigrants.
His success on Saturday baffled politicians and analysts. He is not expected to be offered a role in forming a new government, or to seek one. “We don’t want to join any of the sides at all costs,” Mr. Kotleba said Sunday in a discussion at TV Markiza. “We have our clear values, our pillars — national, Christian and social pillars — and I think that both sides would mean a debacle for these values.”
“Slovakia is going to have a fascist in the Parliament for the first time, which forces other parties to act very responsibly,” said Igor Matovic, the leader of Ordinary People. The head of the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danko, said that the “politics of Marian Kotleba belong to the last century.” Still, the elections make it unlikely that Slovakia will soften its opposition to being obligated to accept migrants under a European Union quota system. “We will continue to be the troublemaker in this, but we’re not alone,” said Grigorij Meseznikov, the president of the Institute for Public Affairs here.
Mr. Kotleba's success on Saturday baffled politicians and analysts.
“Slovakia is going to have a fascist in the Parliament for the first time, which forces other parties to act very responsibly,” said Igor Matovic, the leader of Ordinary People.
The head of the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danko, said that the “politics of Marian Kotleba belong to the last century.”
Marian Lesko, a political analyst, said the election results showed that Slovaks were growing tired of the old political order, with ties to corruption and scandals, and had decided to vote against “the system.”Marian Lesko, a political analyst, said the election results showed that Slovaks were growing tired of the old political order, with ties to corruption and scandals, and had decided to vote against “the system.”
“It’s something that happened in the Czech Republic in the last elections — the political dinosaurs are leaving,’’ Mr. Lesko said on TV Markíza. “New faces are coming into politics. We will have to get used to them.” “It’s something that happened in the Czech Republic in the last elections — the political dinosaurs are leaving,” Mr. Lesko said on TV Markiza. “New faces are coming into politics. We will have to get used to them.”