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Post an EU jobThe European elections in Slovakia are being overshadowed by much-discussed presidential elections, which are delaying the beginning of the EU elections campaign - EurActiv Slovakia reports.
Slovakia will elect 13 MEPs to the European Parliament this year: one less than in 2004. The country recorded the lowest turnout of all EU countries in the 2004 elections, with only 16.9% of eligible voters going to the polls to elect the first Slovak MEPs.
Recent surveys offer a similarly pessimistic perspective for the upcoming elections. Presidential elections in April have delayed the start of EU campaigning, and by early April only a few parties had revealed their electoral manifestos or candidate lists.
Shadow of the presidential elections
Besides the European Parliament (EP) elections, presidential and regional elections have also been scheduled for this year. Some politicians suggested that at least two of these polls should take place at once to boost turnout. But this idea went no further than the drawing board.
Since the presidential election has two rounds, Slovaks will go to the polls four times during a very short period of time. Since the beginning of 2009, the attention of politicians, the media and the general public has been focused on the presidential elections. That has effectively prevented the start of campaigning for the European elections, and the only media coverage they have had so far was when the names of the candidates were announced.
The presidential run-off will be held on 4 April between opposition challenger Iveta Radičová and the incumbent Ivan Gašparovič. The presidential campaign turned on the offensive, after the first-round vote resulted in a relatively small gap between the two candidates (EurActiv 24/03/09). Moreover, the poll has effectively become a "referendum on the current government".
The most controversial moment of the campaign – with a possible impact on the EP elections too –centered around the Nationalist party (SNS), which played the so-called 'Hungarian card'. SNS pointed out that Radičová won the first round in southern regions, where there is a high proportion of Hungarian nationals. "It is not acceptable that rich Bratislava and the Hungarian minority is dictating to the majority," said the vice-chair of the SNS, Anna Belousovová, giving her backing to Gašparovič's candidacy.
Slovak nationalist heading to Brussels for first time
The SNS party may well enter the European Parliament for the first time after these elections. In 2004, the party was fragmented, split and did not have any representatives in Slovakia's national parliament. But today, as a member of the governing coalition and with public support of roughly 10%, it has a good chance of gaining two seats.
As for SMER, the Social Democratic party of Prime Minister Robert Fico, the coalition with the nationalists (SNS) almost cost the party membership of the Party of European Socialists (PES). PES suspended SMER's candidacy for full membership after the government was formed in 2006. But SMER was officially put back on track for full membership of the PES in February 2008.
The Nationalist party is presently seeking membership of the Union for Europe of Nations (UEN). In May 2008, UEN chair Cristiana Muscardini visited the SNS leadership in Bratislava. During a joint press conference with Muscardini, which was only open to selected media, Belousovova said the SNS was not isolated in Europe.
In June 2008, SNS leader Ján Slota announced that he may lead the party into the European elections. "If I were to be elected by chance, you would see how lively it would be there," he said, expressing his desire to "oxidise the muddy, rotten, milky waters [of the EP] by truth, and not by hypocrisy and lies". Later, the party agreed that he had to front the national election campaign in summer 2010.
Low turnout favours centre-right
Turnout in Slovakia hit an historic low for the EU during the country's first elections in 2004, with only 16.9% of voters going to the polls. According to surveys, this scenario may be repeated. Such low figures are believed to favour the centre-right opposition parties, with relatively stable electorates.
"The turnout will be so low that it will deform any strength or weakness of political parties," predicted Prime Minister Fico. His party, SMER, intends to organise a series of electoral events. "I think it will be up to politicians to play their role. Even though some claim that they want many people to come, in reality it only matters to SMER, because the more people come, the more votes we will get," MEP Vladimir Maňka (SMER) told EurActiv.sk.
The prospect of a turnout as low as 15% (according to Eurobarometer projections) would probably prompt parties to mobilise specific groups of voters, without tempting them to reach out beyond their traditional electorates. That could be especially true for the conservative Christian Democrats (KDH), as well as the party that represents the Hungarian minority in Slovakia (SMK) and the People's Party / Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), led by Vladimir Mečiar.
Candidates: Experienced politicians, no new faces
Parties have tended to opt for senior politicians with years of experience, mostly former ministers, to run for election. As only candidates whose name features in the first three places of the list have a realistic chance of election (with preferential votes or without), most parties are aiming to put top figures in these positions. These means that the current MEPs, almost all of whom are seeking re-election, have in many cases been downgraded on the lists.
The leading positions have instead been granted to Eduard Kukan (an MP and former foreign minister) for the centre-right SDKÚ, Boris Zala (an MP and chairman of the foreign affairs committee) for SMER, and Martin Fronc (an MP and former minister of education) for KDH.
The liberal democratic HZDS party, member of the governing coalition, decided to put all of its current three MEPs (Sergej Kozlík, Peter Baco and Irena Belohorská) at the top of its candidate list.
No high-profile Libertas candidates in Slovakia
Libertas leader Declan Ganley visited Bratislava in February 2008 in an attempt to recruit prominent figures to run in the European elections for Libertas. He met conservative politicians like Ján Čarnogurský, a former prime minister of Slovakia from the KDH party, Vladimir Palko, a former minister of justice from the KDS (conservative democrats who have split from KDH), Peter Osuský and Ondrej Dostál from the OKS (non-parliamentary conservative party) and Richard Sulík, the founder of a new liberal political party (Freedom and Solidarity).
These politicians, however, are almost all running in the European elections under their own banners. Thus far, Libertas has neither revealed any official candidates, nor whether it intends to run in the Slovak elections.
Ján Oravec, president of the Hayek Foundation and Ganley's host, said: "Slovakia is fertile ground for the Libertas message of democracy, accountability and transparency. We are great supporters of the European Union, but are disappointed in the anti-democratic way it's being run. Slovakians, particularly in these difficult economic times, want a better deal from Europe."
Party review:
SMER-SD (PES)
The strongest political party, Prime Minister Fico's SMER, hopes to gain at least three mandates, the same number as it holds in the current legislative period. Its most optimistic scenario is five MEPs. On 27 March, SMER finalised the list. In the end, the party leadership chose to nominate one of the party founders, the popular politician Monika Flašíková-Beňová, who openly criticised the party for forming a coalition with SNS and HZDS and lost her position as the party's president. The party is yet to reveal its manifesto for the elections.
SDKÚ-DS (EPP-ED)
The strongest opposition party officially chose its leader in February, with the next positions occupied according to the party's primary elections. It is the only party to hold primaries. The party wants to focus its campaign on economic issues and combating the crisis, but it is also yet to publish its manifesto. The party would consider three MEPs as a success: the same number as in 2004.
SNS (seeking UEN membership)
SNS may well be set to enter the EP for the first time. It has a chance of gaining one or even two seats, and is largely campaigning on national issues.
ĽS-HZDS (its non-attached MEPs are seeking membership of the European Democratic Party (EDP), a member of the ALDE group)
The HZDS of former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar was the first party to publish its manifesto for the European elections. It could gain up to two seats in the new Parliament.
SMK (EPP-ED)
The party represents Slovakia's Hungarian minority. It has a very stable electorate, and it is thus likely that it will repeat its 2004 results by winning two seats. MEP Edit Bauer heads the list as she did five years ago.
KDH (EPP-ED)
The only Slovak MEP to hold the chairmanship of an EP committee, Anna Záborská (Women's Rights), was moved into third position on the list, which puts her re-election at risk. The party is also in the process of changing its leader, and it is possible that Commissioner Ján Figel' will occupy the post after returning from Brussels. It appears that the candidates will each have his or her own manifesto for the election. The party highlights ethical aspects, in line with their Christian tradition, and the protection of national sovereignty within the EU.
OKS and KDS (non-attached)
This coalition of two conservative parties criticising the Lisbon Treaty will most probably not be elected.
SF (Free forum)
KDS-OKS
(KSS) Komunistická strana Slovenska (Communist party of Slovakia)
Strana zelených Slovenska (Green party of Slovakia)
Sloboda a solidarita (SaS) – Freedom and Solidarity
LIGA, občiansko liberálna strana (League, citizen´s – liberal party)
Misia 21 - Hnutie kresťanskej solidarity (Mission 21 – The Movement of Christian solidarity)
Strana demokratickej ľavice (Party of the democratic left)
Demokratica strana (Democratic party)
Rómska iniciatíva Slovenska (Roma iniciative of Slovakia)
Agrárna strana vidieka (Agrarian party of the country)
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