BRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s former prime minister Robert Fico and his left-nationalist Social Democrats have won the country’s parliamentary elections, contrary to initial exit polls, reported German news agency (dpa).
After counting almost 99 per cent of the electoral districts, the opposition party SMER-SSD party (”Direction – Slovak Social Democracy”) garnered 23.3 per cent of the votes, according to the preliminary results of the electoral commission in Bratislava early Sunday morning.
This gives Fico’s party an unassailable lead over the liberal party Progresivne Slovensko (PS), which has never been represented in parliament before. PS was in second place with 17 per cent. It had been leading in the initial exit polls.
Voter turnout was around 68 per cent.
However, it will not be easy for Fico’s SMER party to form a coalition with a sufficient majority to control parliament.
Former long-time premier Fico had announced before the election that he wanted to end arms deliveries to neighbouring Ukraine, which is unpopular with the electorate. – Bernama
