Slovaks voted in a general election Saturday forecast to hand firebrand leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico a third term on the back of a staunchly anti-refugee platform.
His policies echo those of other hardliners in the EU's poorer ex-communist east, including Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski. All have shunned refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration and humanitarian crisis since World War II.
Arguing that jihadists posing as refugees could infiltrate the European Union, the populist Fico has insisted on "monitoring every Muslim" in predominantly Catholic Slovakia after November's attacks in Paris.
"We'll never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia, we won't create any Muslim communities here because they pose a serious security risk," Fico told thousands at a pre-election rally in Bratislava for his Smer-Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party.
Exit polls were set to be published around 2100 GMT when polling stations close. Full official results are expected Sunday, according to election officials.
- 'I feel safe' -
Fico "even changed his party's slogan to 'Protecting Slovakia', as in 'protecting Slovakia against migrants'," said Jan Baranek, an analyst with the Polis Slovakia think tank.
Billboards blasting the message blanketed the country before election day.
The strategy appears to have worked despite very few refugees arriving, as most prefer richer nations.
"I like how they (Smer-SD) lead this country. I find Fico trustworthy," a pensioner who identified herself only as Anna told AFP at a Bratislava polling station.
Fellow pensioner Stefan Kralko told AFP Fico has his vote "because I feel safe."
Fico and regional EU allies have vowed to help Bulgaria and Macedonia seal their borders with EU member Greece, should Athens fail to stem the tide of refugees from Turkey by mid-March.
As Slovakia gears up for the EU's rotating presidency in July, Fico starkly warned that "we have reached the point when... Greece is likely to be sacrificed for the sake of Schengen", referring to the 26-nation passport-free travel zone.
He also insists that Slovakia, a eurozone member since 2009, opposes further bailouts for troubled Greece, calling this "a red line for us".
Greece shot back Friday, accusing Fico of running "his election campaign with vitriol and human drama" and questioned his ability to lead the EU presidency.
Not all at home have been wooed by Fico's strident anti-refugee stance.
Public sector workers who feel left behind by Slovakia's economic success staged strikes demanding wage hikes ahead of the vote.
"Fico keeps talking about Muslim migrants and forgets about Slovak teachers and nurses," Alena Takacova, a 44-year-old Bratislava office worker, told AFP.
She will vote for "someone from the opposition".
Smer-SD holds 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, but analysts cite surveys predicting a cut to 65-70 amid concerns about bread-and-butter issues.
- Populist streak -
To clinch his third term, leftist Fico could relaunch a controversial coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) he first forged for 2006-10, or team up with moderate right-wing and centrist parties, say analysts.
Although Andrej Danko, the SNS's new leader, toned down its anti-EU, anti-Roma and xenophobic views, his deputy wants EU reforms to rein in "the exaggerated ambitions of (the) Brussels administration to rule, command and regulate free European nations."
"I chose the new SNS. Danko changed the party for better," Milos, a 41-year-old teacher who refused to disclose his surname, told AFP after voting in Bratislava.
Commentators also admit the possibility, albeit unlikely, that a gaggle of right-wing and centrist liberal parties could scrape together a coalition to dethrone Fico.
A 51-year-old ex-communist with a strong populist streak, Fico cut food taxes and hiked childcare allowances and the minimum wage to engineer a quick recovery after philanthropist Andrej Kiska beat him to the presidency in 2014.
Slovakia's debt is among the eurozone's lowest while growth in the export-oriented economy of 5.4 million people hit 3.5 percent in 2015 and is set to expand by up to 3.3 percent this year and next. Joblessness sank to a 10-year low of 10.4 percent in January.
Slovaks voted in a general election Saturday forecast to hand firebrand leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico a third term on the back of a staunchly anti-refugee platform.
His policies echo those of other hardliners in the EU’s poorer ex-communist east, including Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland’s Jaroslaw Kaczynski. All have shunned refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration and humanitarian crisis since World War II.
Arguing that jihadists posing as refugees could infiltrate the European Union, the populist Fico has insisted on “monitoring every Muslim” in predominantly Catholic Slovakia after November’s attacks in Paris.
“We’ll never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia, we won’t create any Muslim communities here because they pose a serious security risk,” Fico told thousands at a pre-election rally in Bratislava for his Smer-Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party.
Exit polls were set to be published around 2100 GMT when polling stations close. Full official results are expected Sunday, according to election officials.
– ‘I feel safe’ –
Fico “even changed his party’s slogan to ‘Protecting Slovakia’, as in ‘protecting Slovakia against migrants’,” said Jan Baranek, an analyst with the Polis Slovakia think tank.
Billboards blasting the message blanketed the country before election day.
The strategy appears to have worked despite very few refugees arriving, as most prefer richer nations.
“I like how they (Smer-SD) lead this country. I find Fico trustworthy,” a pensioner who identified herself only as Anna told AFP at a Bratislava polling station.
Fellow pensioner Stefan Kralko told AFP Fico has his vote “because I feel safe.”
Fico and regional EU allies have vowed to help Bulgaria and Macedonia seal their borders with EU member Greece, should Athens fail to stem the tide of refugees from Turkey by mid-March.
As Slovakia gears up for the EU’s rotating presidency in July, Fico starkly warned that “we have reached the point when… Greece is likely to be sacrificed for the sake of Schengen”, referring to the 26-nation passport-free travel zone.
He also insists that Slovakia, a eurozone member since 2009, opposes further bailouts for troubled Greece, calling this “a red line for us”.
Greece shot back Friday, accusing Fico of running “his election campaign with vitriol and human drama” and questioned his ability to lead the EU presidency.
Not all at home have been wooed by Fico’s strident anti-refugee stance.
Public sector workers who feel left behind by Slovakia’s economic success staged strikes demanding wage hikes ahead of the vote.
“Fico keeps talking about Muslim migrants and forgets about Slovak teachers and nurses,” Alena Takacova, a 44-year-old Bratislava office worker, told AFP.
She will vote for “someone from the opposition”.
Smer-SD holds 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, but analysts cite surveys predicting a cut to 65-70 amid concerns about bread-and-butter issues.
– Populist streak –
To clinch his third term, leftist Fico could relaunch a controversial coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) he first forged for 2006-10, or team up with moderate right-wing and centrist parties, say analysts.
Although Andrej Danko, the SNS’s new leader, toned down its anti-EU, anti-Roma and xenophobic views, his deputy wants EU reforms to rein in “the exaggerated ambitions of (the) Brussels administration to rule, command and regulate free European nations.”
“I chose the new SNS. Danko changed the party for better,” Milos, a 41-year-old teacher who refused to disclose his surname, told AFP after voting in Bratislava.
Commentators also admit the possibility, albeit unlikely, that a gaggle of right-wing and centrist liberal parties could scrape together a coalition to dethrone Fico.
A 51-year-old ex-communist with a strong populist streak, Fico cut food taxes and hiked childcare allowances and the minimum wage to engineer a quick recovery after philanthropist Andrej Kiska beat him to the presidency in 2014.
Slovakia’s debt is among the eurozone’s lowest while growth in the export-oriented economy of 5.4 million people hit 3.5 percent in 2015 and is set to expand by up to 3.3 percent this year and next. Joblessness sank to a 10-year low of 10.4 percent in January.
