Slovak parliamentary election, 2020

Information on previous elections

+ Slovak presidential election, 2019
+ Slovak parliamentary election, 2016
+ Slovak presidential election, 2014
+ Slovak parliamentary election, 2012
+ Slovak Parliamentary Election, 2010

Related information
Political instability in Slovakia following assassination of journalist

The eighth parliamentary election since Slovakian independence in the 1990's, the 2020 election was presumed to be a referendum on the ruling party of 8 years, SMER-SD. Having long been embroiled in corruption scandals, SMER was dealt a blow by having been implicated in the recent assassination of a journalist who had been reporting on corruption.

This framing of the election, however, was upended by to the rise of a neo-fascist party, People’s Party Our Slovakia (LSNS). An anti-immigrant, anti-semitic, conservative nationalist party, LSNS has created strange bedfellows as a variety of parties have agreed to a cordon sanitare  to keep them from power, and from entering government. While corruption was still a salient political matter, it was overall eclipsed by the rise of the LSNS and their hateful rhetoric.

News

The Independent, 13/01/2020: Neo-Nazis on course to win second place in Slovakia election next month https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/neo-nazi-slovakia-election-results-kotlebovci-lsns-poll-a9281301.html

Romea.CZ, 20/01/2020: Slovakia: Romani people protest against Fascists in the east http://www.romea.cz/en/news/world/slovakia-romani-people-protest-against-fascists-in-the-east

The Slovak Spectator, 22/01/2020: Thousands of Slovaks abroad to vote in the 2020 elections https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22308426/.html

The Slovak Spectator, 29/01/2020: Election by mail: Some Slovaks received incomplete sets of ballots https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22313441/.html

IQ Magazine, 20/01/2020: Slovak pubs to host anti-fascist festival https://www.iq-mag.net/2020/01/slovak-pubs-to-host-anti-fascist-festival/#.XlkR1aiwmUk

The Slovak Spectator, 14/02/2020: 2020 election sees unprecedented mobilisation of Roma https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22325176/.html

The New York Times, 21/02/2020: Slovaks Remember Murdered Journalist Before Election That May Oust Ruling Party https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/02/21/world/europe/21reuters-slovakia-politics.html

Al Jazeera, 21/02/2020: Murder, mafia and Nazis loom over Slovak election https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/murder-mafia-nazis-loom-slovak-election-200221194130223.html

Eurotopics, 28/02/2020: Elections in Slovakia: another swing to the right? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/235974/

---

Commentary and Analysis

EU Observer, 28/01/2020: How Slovakia's far-right might pull off an election victory https://euobserver.com/political/147222

The Slovak Spectator, 12/02/2020: Slovak election to test Orbán’s clout among ethnic Hungarians https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22320670/.html

Balkan Insight, 18/02/2020: Slovak democracy seen at stake in make-or-break election https://balkaninsight.com/2020/02/18/slovak-democracy-seen-at-stake-in-make-or-break-election/

Balkan Insight, 24/02/2020: Don't underestimate Slovakia's neo-nazi threat https://balkaninsight.com/2020/02/24/dont-underestimate-slovakias-neo-nazi-threat/

Quartz, 25/02/2020: The rise of yet another neofascist party expands Europe’s populist reach https://qz.com/1804760/

Balkan Insight, 26/02/2020: Kotleba: Slovak extremist who made far right fashionable https://balkaninsight.com/2020/02/26/kotleba-slovak-extremist-who-made-far-right-fashionable/

The Slovak Spectator, 26/02/2020: Slovakia votes: What is at stake in the 2020 election (overview) https://spectator.sme.sk/c/22334834/.html

Eu Observer, 27/02/2020'Fragmented' Slovakia votes amid corruption woes https://euobserver.com/political/147564

Visegrad/Insight, 27/02/2020: Not Another Miracle https://visegradinsight.eu/not-another-miracle-slovak-elections/

Euronews, 28/02/2020: Will Slovakia's pro-European surge continue in Saturday's election? https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/28/will-slovakia-s-pro-european-surge-continue-in-saturday-s-election

The Star, 28/02/2020: Center-right opposition leads polls ahead of Slovakian vote https://www.thestar.com/news/world/europe/2020/02/28/center-right-opposition-leads-polls-ahead-of-slovakian-vote.html

Al Jazeera, 28/02/2020: Liberal democracy at stake in Slovakia's parliamentary vote https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/liberal-democracy-stake-slovakia-parliamentary-vote-200217073850183.html

Euronews, 28/02/2020: Slovakia at crossroads as vote pits populists against liberals https://www.euronews.com/2020/02/28/slovakia-at-crossroads-as-vote-pits-populists-against-liberals

The Conversation, 27/02/2020: Slovakia: election sees parties changing direction to keep the far right out of power https://theconversation.com/slovakia-election-sees-parties-changing-direction-to-keep-the-far-right-out-of-power-132541

---