The Russo-Ukrainian War in the Campaign Preceding the Parliamentary Elections in the Slovak Republic (September 30, 2023)

Abstract

The campaign preceding the snap elections to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, held on September 30, 2023, constituted a significant moment for analysing the positions of Slovak political parties towards the Russo-Ukrainian War. It should be emphasised that these were early elections, which brought to an end the tenure of the caretaker government of Ľudovít Ódor, in office in Slovakia since May 15, 2023. In many respects, the parliamentary elections amounted to a plebiscite on whether the Slovak Republic would continue its integration with the European mainstream or instead evolve towards a Hungarian-style model, with the war in Ukraine serving as the principal dividing line. For the purposes of this study, the hypothesis was advanced that an electoral victory for the SMER party entailed the risk of a shift in Slovakia’s position on assistance to Ukraine and a move towards illiberal democracy. The article examines the Slovak Republic’s position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine during the governments of Eduard Heger and Ľudovít Ódor, public opinion on this issue, and the course of the election campaign. The study employs a comparative method to analyse and compare the programmes of Slovak political parties.