Thank you for following our Slovakia election live blog.
It’s been a dramatic night, from exit polls first indicating that Progressive Slovakia would win to Smer ultimately garnering the most votes when results came in.
But now, the shape of Slovakia’s future government will depend on complex negotiations and the decision-making of smaller parties.
Meanwhile, governments across the continent are sure to keep a close eye on Bratislava’s foreign policy choices – especially when it comes to Ukraine.
Stay tuned for future coverage.
Summary of the night: Smer on course to win Slovakia's election
Populist former prime minister Robert Fico’s Smer party is on course to win Slovakia’s election, garnering more support than its rival Progressive Slovakia in a dramatic knife-edge vote.
With over 98% of districts reporting, Smer is set to take 23.37% of the vote. Michal Šimečka’s Progressive Slovakia came second with 16.86%, followed closely by Peter Pellegrini’s Hlas with 15.03%.
The election’s outcome is likely to further fuel fears about Slovakia’s future foreign policy orientation. Fico has vowed to stop military aid to Ukraine, criticised sanctions targeting Russia and campaigned against LGBTQ+ rights. His rhetoric has raised concerns that Bratislava could join Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as a more Russia-friendly voice within the EU and NATO.
Exit polls initially indicated that Progressive Slovakia pulled ahead to first place, raising expectations in the country’s liberal camp. But as votes were counted throughout the night, those hopes were dashed.
Still, the shape of Slovakia’s next government remains unclear and much will depend on complex coalition-building with smaller parties, including Hlas and Igor Matovič’s OĽaNO.
Experts and politicians have described the country’s election campaign as highly polarised and marked by a deluge of online misinformation.
Results show that Progressive Slovakia did particularly well in Bratislava. But that was not enough to win a plurality nationally.
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