Parliamentary Elections in Slovakia

Experts analyse the situation in Slovakia before the elections

The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the following migration waves, inflation and energy crises have certainly contributed significantly to the fall of Igor Matovič’s coalition formed after the 2020 parliamentary election. However, the main cause of instability and the eventual collapse of the government was a series of personal animosities between the leaders of the coalition parties. The vote of no confidence and the gradual exit of the coalition ministers finally culminated in the appointment of a caretaker government of experts in June this year. This should lead the country until the snap elections planned for September 30th.

Four opposition parties are promising a stable government after months of domestic turmoil. Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his left-wing nationalist party SMER-SSD enjoy the highest popularity, followed by “Progressive Slovakia”. The SMER-SSD renegades, organised in the HLAS-SD party, are currently in third place. One of the post-election scenarios could see the return of Robert Fico and his SMER-SSD party, associated with corrupt practices and Russia-friendly politics. What role do the war in Ukraine and current narratives play in the pre-election campaigns? Should we really expect a change in Slovakia’s foreign policy consisting an end to military support for Ukraine? Experts from Slovakia and Austria analyse the current situation ahead of the snap parliamentary elections.

Welcome Address

Gerhard Marchl
Head of the Department for European Politics, Karl-Renner-Institut

Briefing on the current situation in Slovakia

Daniel Martínek
Research Associate, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

Panel Discussion

Oľga Gyarfášová
Professor at the Comenius University in Bratislava

Grigorij Mesežnikov
President of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Bratislava

Daniel Martínek 
Research Associate, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

Moderation

Kinga Brudzińska
Research Associate, Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM)

Die Diskussion in englischer Sprache findet in Kooperation mit dem Institut für den Donauraum und Mitteleuropa (IDM) und der Politischen Akademie der ÖVP statt.

Hybrid panel discussion: On site or online (Zoom Webinar/YouTube livestream)

Registration

Please register on IDM.