Journalists at the Smer headquarters in Bratislava (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
A populist former prime minister who campaigned on a pro-Russian and anti-American message looked to be heading for victory in early parliamentary elections in Slovakia, the Associated Press (AP) newswire commented on the preliminary election results.
Yesterday's parliamentary election in Slovakia was closely watched by the foreign press.
Foreign journalists flocked in particular to the headquarters of the Smer party, which ended up winning the most votes in the election. Robert Fico and his party's campaign were at the centre of the attention of foreign observers mainly due to concerns that a potential Fico-led government would mean a reversal in Slovakia's support for Ukraine.
"The election was a test for the small eastern European country’s support for neighboring Ukraine in its war with Russia, and a win by Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO," the AP wrote.
