THE NEW Majority (NOVA) set up last year by former interior minister Daniel Lipšic unexpectedly emerged as the second most popular party in a recent poll. It received 8.9-percent support in a survey carried out in January 2013 by the MVK polling agency, the TASR newswire reported. It had previously polled at around 3 to 5 percent in most of the polls held since its establishment in autumn last year.
The ruling Smer party remained on top, with the support of 41.1 percent of respondents; followed by NOVA and Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) with 8.6 percent. Other parties which polled above the 5-percent level need to win seats in parliament in a general election were: the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 6.5 percent; Most-Híd with 6.2 percent; Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) with 5.6 percent; and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) with 5.5 percent.
The poll results prove that new projects are in big demand on the Slovak political scene, sociologist Pavel Haulík of MVK told TASR, adding he sees this as stemming from “the failed expectations of traditional, or well-established political parties”.
Some political scientists and sociologists cast doubt on the results of the poll, saying they did not believe right-wing voters would have radically changed their preferences so quickly.
