Slovakia's parliamentary elections: New challenges ahead?

02 October 2023 - Online Elections Monitor

Speakers: Michal Vašečka, Program Director, Bratislava Policy Institute; Radovan Geist, Publisher, EURACTIV Slovakia; Xenia Makarova, Director, Stop Corruption Foundation

Moderator: Teona Lavrelashvili, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre

Slovakia held snap elections on 30 September, which led to a comeback of pro-Kremlin, populist former Prime Minister, Robert Fico. This outcome could be a challenge for the European Union and the West, potentially weakening their unified stance in the ongoing geopolitical tensions with Russia.

The elections came after a tumultuous period for Slovak politics, marked by a vote of no confidence and three different prime ministers in less than a year.

This online EPC Elections Monitor discussed the implications of Slovakia’s election results. How will they influence Slovakia's domestic and foreign politics? How has Russian disinformation impacted the Slovakian electoral campaign? To what extent should EU governments be concerned about anti-Western propaganda affecting the elections? What are the implications for Slovakia’s relationship with the Central Eastern Europe and the EU?