Polling stations have opened in Slovakia for voting in early parliamentary elections, the Republic’s Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on Saturday.
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25 political associations are allowed to participate in elections in Slovakia: 24 parties and one coalition. To enter parliament, parties need to get at least 5% of the votes, coalitions – at least 7%.
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“Voting begins at 07.00 and will last until 22.00,” the republic’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.
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In Slovakia, where about 5.5 million people live, 5,996 polling stations are open. Citizens of the republic who are outside Slovakia could vote by mail. A record number of Slovak citizens took advantage of this opportunity – 58,779 people. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, 48,925 Slovaks voted by mail.
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According to most opinion polls, the favorite in the election is the Social Democratic Party Smer, led by 59-year-old Robert Fico, who has previously served as Prime Minister of Slovakia three times. He opposes continued military support for Ukraine.
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To form a government, the winning party must receive the support of at least 76 deputies out of 150. According to a survey conducted by the Focus agency, the Smer party, even having won the elections, can secure only 33 seats in parliament. Fico stated that he was ready to discuss the formation of a coalition with the Hlas party, which is headed by the former Prime Minister of Slovakia, 47-year-old Peter Pellegrini. The head of the Hlas party was previously a member of Smer, but left after the split and created his own Social Democratic Party in 2020. According to most polls, Hlas could come third in the election.
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But even the unification of Smer and Hlas most likely will not be enough to create a full-fledged coalition. According to local political scientists, following the election results, a stalemate may arise when none of the parties receives a majority in parliament, in which case it is possible that in a couple of months Slovakia may again face parliamentary elections.
