If the general election had taken place at the beginning of March, Smer would have gained 40 percent of the votes, enough to qualify for 73 MPs and hence ended just short of an absolute majority, according to a poll carried out by the MVK agency on March 3-5 for private broadcaster TV Markíza that was released on Thursday, March 8.
Seven political parties polled above the 5-percent threshold required to qualify for seats in parliament, including all the members of the outgoing coalition. The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) received 12-percent support (equivalent to 22 seats in parliament), Most-Híd 7 percent (13 MPs), while the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) both got 6 percent (11 MPs each).
Both Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) and the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) received 5.5-percent support in the poll, enough to qualify for 10 MPs each in parliament.
Among the parties that would not have made it into parliament were the Slovak National Party (SNS) on 4.5 percent, 99 Percent – Civic Voice on 4 percent, and the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) on 1.5 percent.
According to the results, 39 percent of voters said they wanted to take part in the general election on March 10, with others not expecting to vote or not able to say. MVK estimated that the actual turnout may reach 44-50 percent. Around 20 percent of voters who said they intended to vote were still unsure for whom they would vote.
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.
