Slovaks voted in local and regional elections on Saturday in a closely watched test of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s political strength ahead of next year’s parliamentary election. Voters are choosing mayors, municipal councils, regional assemblies and governors. Although the contests focus on local government, alliances between national parties could signal possible coalitions in 2027. An October Ipsos poll put the pro-European Progressive Slovakia on 18.6%, narrowly ahead of Fico’s Smer-SD on 18.4%, with the far-right Republika third on 10.8%. The difference between the leading parties was statistically insignificant. Republika, which advocates ending sanctions on Russia and has backed a referendum on leaving NATO, is supporting a joint regional candidate alongside Smer and its coalition partner Hlas in Košice. Fico’s strained relations with NATO allies over Ukraine have already drawn scrutiny. Political analyst Grigorij Mesežnikov argues that an alliance with the extreme right may be Fico’s route to staying in power.
