Liberals have a slender lead in Slovakia’s elections over a pro-Moscow party led by populist former PM Robert Fico, exit polls suggest.

The pro-Moscow party, Smer-SD, had been expected to win the vote, but polls suggest its popularity has fallen in recent days.

Smer has pledged an immediate end to military support for Ukraine.

Vote counting is continuing and the real results will not be known for several hours.

If the liberal group Progressive Slovakia is confirmed as the winner, it will lead coalition talks on forming the next government.

    • floofloof
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      1 year ago

      They’ve changed the headline:

      Slovakia elections: Populist party leads as most votes counted

      A populist pro-Moscow party led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico is ahead in Slovakia’s parliamentary elections, with most votes counted.

      The Smer-SSD party was leading despite exit polls suggesting victory by a liberal centrist party.

      • InvertedParallax@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Mr Fico was forced to step down as PM following the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak in 2018.

        Ffs

        Smer dismisses that vision as “liberal fascism”, campaigning on stability, order and social security instead. Mr Fico has also said that he is concerned about the rise in the number of migrants going to western Europe through Slovakia.

        Yeah, pay the rich boomers to vote for you, that’s a safe play.