The Slovak opposition SMER-SSD party, led by three-time prime minister Robert Fico, held a narrowing lead over its nearest challenger, the liberal Progresivne Slovensko, before a Sept. 30 election, a Focus agency poll showed on Tuesday.
The Focus poll, conducted for TV Markiza among 1,017 participants between Sept. 22 and Sept 26, put support for SMER-SSD at 18.0% to 16.6% for the non-parliamentary Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia).
Slovakia is holding an early election after a centre-right government coalition collapsed last year and a caretaker government was installed in May.
Fico's party and others have pushed issues such as illegal migration and Slovakia's support for neighbouring Ukraine, polarising Slovak society in the run-up to the vote.
Fico quit as prime minister in 2018 in the wake of mass protests that were prompted by the killing of a journalist who had been investigating public graft long perceived as widespread in politics.
Looking to return to power, Fico has pledged to end military support for Ukraine and oppose any sanctions on Russia that could hurt Slovakia.
That would mark a sharp reversal in Slovak policies, which Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka has warned against and promised to maintain support for Ukraine.
The poll, which gave eight parties a chance of winning seats, showed no contender gaining an outright majority. Coalition-building hinges on the performance of a handful of small parties.
SMER-S HLAS Progresivne SaS OLANO-led Republika KDH SME RODINA SNS DEMOKRATI
SD Slovensko coalition
Sept 26, 18.0 13.7 16.6 5.8 8.2 7.7 6.5 4.1 6.4 4.0
2023
Sept 17, 18.9 14.6 16.5 5.1 6.3 8 6.2 4.9 6.4 3.7
2023
Aug 2023 20 14.2 15 6.1 6.4 8.8 6.1 5.1 5.3 3.1
July 18.1 16 14.3 5.2 6.2 8.7 5.6 5.6 5.1 3.8
2023
June 19 16.3 13.5 5 6 9 6 6.1 5.5 3.6
2023
May 2023 18 17.4 12.5 5.3 5.3 9.7 5.5 6.6 4.7 3.2
April 17.7 17 13.1 5.2 5.6 9.8 6 6.1 4 3.6
2023
March 17.6 17.1 12.1 5.1 4.3 9.6 5.8 7.7 3.4 5
2023
Feb 2023 14.6 20.8 11 5.3 6.4 8.5 6.9 7.7 3.6
NOTE: threshold for parties to win seats is 5% and 7% for coalitions
Party descriptions:
* SMER-SSD- Direction-Slovak Social Democracy (leftist party of three-time prime minister Robert Fico)
* HLAS- Voice (leftist party of former prime minister Peter Pellegrini who split from SMER)
* Progresivne Slovensko- Progressive Slovakia (liberal party)
* SaS-Sloboda a Solidarita- Freedom and Solidary (liberal former ruling party)
* OLANO- Ordinary People and Independent Personalities-OLANO (centrist, anti-graft former ruling party)
* Republika- Republic (far-right party)
* KDH- Christian Democrat Movement (Christian conservative party)
* SME RODINA- We Are Family (centrist former ruling party)
* SNS- Slovak National Party (nationalist party)
* DEMOKRATI- Democrats (centrist, pro-European party led by former prime minister Eduard Heger)
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Alex Richardson)