Former PM Robert Fico and his SMER party won Saturday’s election in Slovakia with 23.4 percent of the vote. He delivered as expected despite exit polls late Saturday night favouring Progressive Slovakia. Undoubtedly, the 2023 Slovak elections marked a significant turning point in the country’s political landscape. A government is yet to be formed, which might take a while, considering the number of political actors and the years of political chaos.
Historically, the SMER party has dominated Slovak politics. Yet, after the many scandals that caused Fico’s 2018 resignation, many wrote off both him and his party. Despite a severe electoral blow In 2020, they’ve made a remarkable comeback. How did this resurgence occur? Let’s deep dive into the strategies employed by Fico and SMER.