Two new political parties are benefiting from voters’ apparent aversion to established parties whose members feature in the so-called Gorilla file. The results of an opinion poll conducted by the Focus polling agency for Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) between February 1 and February 7 on sample of 1,053 respondents showed that Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) would defeat nearly all of its right-wing rivals. However, the poll took place before a large group of the party’s candidates left it last week following a row about whether candidates should submit to lie-detector tests, the TASR newswire reported.
OĽaNO, led by Igor Matovič, recorded support of 8.9 percent, which would represent 16 seats in parliament. The party was followed by 99 Percent – Civic Voice on 6.9 percent, equivalent to 13 seats in parliament.
Political scientist Michal Horský predicted that the latest result by 99 Percent means that it could emerge as a fully-fledged force in the election. If it records a similar result in the actual election, on March 10, it could tip the balance between a coalition headed by the leftist Smer party and a potential centre-right coalition, he told TASR. However, based on its programme and ideology, 99 Percent ought to lean towards Smer, Horský said.
Martin Slosiarik from the Focus polling agency said he believes that 99 Percent has been gathering votes from across the political spectrum, but mostly from young voters, many of whom have not voted for any party before. However, it remains questionable whether this group of potential voters will actually go to the polls in large numbers, he said, as quoted by TASR.
The party with by far the largest support in the poll was Smer, with 37.3 percent (69 seats), followed by the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on 10.3 percent (19 seats). The current members of the centre-right coalition would also make it into parliament – the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) received 6.1-percent support, Most-Híd 6 percent and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) 5.9 percent. All of them would receive 11 seats in parliament.
The most significant drop in preferences was registered by the SDKÚ party, which has been the largest party on the right for several years. Its worsening situation will be discussed by the party’s national council over the coming weekend, the Sme daily reported.
“We are convinced that none of the voters of SDKÚ want a one-colour government of Smer which would be controlled in parliament by Mrs Dušatková [the electoral leader of 99 Percent] and other neoplasms on the political scene,” said SDKÚ spokesperson Michal Lukáč, as quoted by Sme.
Sources: TASR, Sme
For more information about this story please see: 30 Ordinary People quit race
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
