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Centre-right government takes power in Slovakia

Friday, March 20, 2020

Significance

The February 29 parliamentary elections resulted in the defeat of ruling left-nationalist Direction-Social Democracy (Smer-SD), which has led Slovakia’s government for 12 (3 4-year terms) of the 16 years that Slovakia has been a member of the EU. The incoming four-party centre-right government of Igor Matovic, while generally conservative on social issues, will be reformist and pro-EU on economic and foreign policy.

Impacts

  • While populist, the new Slovak government will diverge from its Central European neighbours in not promoting ‘illiberalism’.
  • There should be continuity in Slovakia’s foreign policy, with a professional diplomat as foreign minister.
  • The government supports EU membership, despite some parties demonstrating soft Euroscepticism.

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