The Slovak Populist SMER Party Forms a New Government with a Moderate-Left Party and an Ultranationalist Party

Former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will return to power after winning September parliamentary elections. (Wikimedia Commons)

The populist, pro-Russia Slovak Social Democracy Party (SMER-SSD) successfully formed a three-party coalition on October 11 after winning the September 30 parliamentary election by a small margin. 

SMER earned 22.9 percent of the vote, and the opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS), a liberal and pro-Ukrainian party, won 18 percent. Voter turnout was 68.42 percent, the highest in 20 years.

SMER is headed by three-time former Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose pro-Russian stance has unsettled EU and NATO members. Under the banner of protecting Slovakia’s interests, Fico opposes EU sanctions on Russia and disapproves of granting Ukraine NATO membership.

SMER struck a deal with the center-left HLAS (Voice) and nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) to form a coalition that gives them 79 out of 150 seats in the parliament. HLAS came in third, winning 15 percent of votes and 27 seats. SNS barely reached the five percent threshold to gain representation in Parliament and has ten members in the new parliament.

The coalition agreement signed on October 16 allows Fico’s party to appoint the prime minister along with six other ministers, including foreign affairs, justice, defense, and finance. HLAS will choose the interior, economy, and education ministers, while SNS will determine the culture and environment ministers.

HLAS is led by former Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, who succeeded Fico and later formed HLAS as an offshoot of Fico’s SMER. Pellegrini will become speaker of the National Council and serve as a potential check to Fico’s euroscepticism. As a pro-European party, HLAS is committed to ensuring Slovakia’s basic foreign policy is consistent with its membership in both NATO and the EU, bringing some relief to Western observers.

Until now, Bratislava has sent weapons, fighter jets, defense systems, and demining vehicles, showcasing strong political support for Ukraine. Though Fico’s campaign centered around preventing Ukraine from joining NATO and accusing the West of provoking Russia, the coalition will likely blunt any meaningful realignment of the Slovak government. 

"If the government tries to change [Slovakia’s foreign policy], HLAS will leave," said Pellergrini before signing the coalition agreement.

After the election, Fico emphasized that his priorities are boosting living standards and maintaining a foreign policy in line with Slovakia’s EU and NATO membership. 

"The most important task is to set fiscal consolidation of public finances in a way that we do not have to cancel or change anything on the achieved social standard and at the same time we will have resources to restart growth," said Fico on October 11.

The focus on revitalizing the economy and maintaining regional stability reflects Fico’s pragmatic approach to governance. However, some critics still worry that Fico’s return to the prime minister’s office might lead Slovakia toward the same slide into authoritarianism as Hungary.