Slovakia on Saturday opened its polling stations in EU-wide elections, under the shadow of last month’s shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico.
It marked the halfway point of the four days of elections across the bloc to choose the next European Parliament.
Most of the EU’s 27 countries – including powerhouses Germany and France – will hold their votes on Sunday.
But Italy, the EU’s third-biggest economy, will start voting later Saturday, with its results likely to have a big impact on how the parliament is configured and on the future course of the bloc.
In Slovakia, the May 15 assassination attempt on Fico by a 71-year-old poet rocked the nation of 5.4 million and spread shockwaves across the EU.
A visibly thinner Fico had issued a pre-poll video describing his attacker as “an activist of the Slovak opposition” which he accused of “aggressive and hateful politics”.
“It was only a matter of time before a tragedy would occur,” the four-time PM said in the 14-minute video.
His party, which highlighted the attack in its campaign events, opposes EU arms deliveries to Ukraine and rails against alleged “warmongers” in Brussels.
Violence has occurred elsewhere in the bloc.
Late Friday, a man hit Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a Copenhagen square.
She was not seriously hurt, according to witnesses. Police arrested the assailant, whose motive was not immediately known. Denmark also votes on Sunday.
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the “despicable act” against Frederiksen.
But it was the shooting of Fico that was the most dramatic incident in the bloc ahead of the polls.
In its wake, support for Fico’s left-wing populist Smer-SD party has skyrocketed and soared past its main liberal rival to the top of voter-intention surveys.
Historically however, Slovakia registers low turnout in EU elections. In the last one, in 2019, just 22 percent of voters cast ballots.
Meloni, queenmaker?
Later Saturday attention will shift to Italy’s vote. Far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is hoping a strong showing from her party will strengthen her hand as a key EU powerbroker.
Meloni has already been courted by centre-right von der Leyen – and by French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who wants to create an EU supergroup of far-right parties.
Meloni has not said what she will do, but has insisted her goal is to relegate EU left-wing parties to the opposition benches.
Domestically, a commanding performance could help further tighten Meloni’s dominance over Italy’s notoriously turbulent political scene.
The prime minister has been omnipresent in national media in the run up to the elections, notably portraying herself as a bulwark against illegal immigration.
Increasing backlash against migrants has driven far-right fortunes across the EU, and was one of the key reasons Meloni was propelled to power in 2022.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
