The popularity of most Slovak politicians has experienced steep falls over the past year, although opposition leader and former premier Robert Fico is still top of the rankings, according to a Public Affairs Institute (IVO) survey released on Wednesday, April 20.
The poll, which canvassed views from a sample of 1,025 respondents between March 1-8, found that Smer party leader Fico had the confidence of 23 percent of those asked. He experienced a slump in popularity, however, as the figure stood at 31 percent a year ago.
Prime Minister Iveta Radičová (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ)) gained an extra 3 percent over the same period and is now trusted by 17 percent of those surveyed. Smer vice-chairman and former interior minister Robert Kaliňák swapped places with Radičová, falling to third place on 9 percent, down from 16 percent a year ago.
Next came President Ivan Gašparovič (8 percent), Most-Híd leader Béla Bugár (7 percent), Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš (SDKÚ; 6 percent), and Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Ján Slota (4 percent).
Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulík (Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)), independent MP Igor Matovič, Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) chairman Ján Figeľ, SDKÚ chairman and Foreign Affairs Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda (SDKÚ) and Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic (KDH) were each trusted by 3 percent of the sample. As many as 37 percent of respondents said that not a single politician enjoys their trust, up from last year's 24 percent, the TASR newswire wrote.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
