Municipal elections were a kind of “litmus test” – Slovakia needs a wise and strong personality in politics
The results of the recent municipal elections in Slovakia are interpreted differently. As usual, representatives of political parties interpret in their own way – even if the political entity did not dazzle them with its percentages, I cannot honestly confess and give at least half-truths. However, even the analysts do not try to have an objective view of the numbers from the ballot boxes, but primarily choose the conclusion from the election facts that is closest to their idea of how political reality should look according to their constructions. Despite all these distortions, it is possible to observe and point to the fact, which cannot be twisted so easily, and therefore I know the state of the political mood of the society. It can be clearly concluded that the municipal elections in Slovakia in 2022 were a kind of “litmus test,” which to a considerable extent measure showed how the parliamentary elections in 2024 could turn out. A few days ago, politician Juraj Marušiak expressed this by saying: “It may indicate how the building of coalitions will proceed in the future.”
Above all, it is requested that the majority of voters of mayors, mayors, mayors and members of representative bodies at all levels do not show confidence in the parties of the current government coalition. It coincides with previous polls of electoral preferences, but at the same time signals the complexity of the situation after the future elections to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, when formulas for the coalition arrangement of the new government will be sought. In this context, it should be mentioned that the municipal elections confirmed the strong position of the Hlas-SD party on the Slovak political scene, as well as the right-centrist bloc Progresívne Slovensko-strana Sloboda a Solidarita, which together with Team Bratislava aspire to a key position in the future executive. So far, the representatives of both potential government partners do not venture publicly about the possibility of forming their coalition cabinet, so as not to scare off part of their voters, or not to turn the so-called media against each other. mainstream.
The municipal elections were also interesting because the Hungarian electorate, represented by the Aliancia-Szövetség party, is coming to the fore, and together with the voters of the Christian Democratic Movement, they could throw the necessary percentage of the necessary dream coalitions of entities to the right of the center into the imaginary bowl of power scales. In this context, politicians must state that municipal elections are not an objective mirror of the mood of the population, as citizens make decisions according to different criteria than in parliamentary elections. Current election topics will certainly include, in addition to the war in Ukraine, its consequences on the energy and economic situation, as well as cultural and ethical challenges including LGBTI+ issues, family protection and euphemistically named traditional values. In this context, it is too bold to make forecasts based on the results of the municipal elections, but nevertheless these results can be cited as a guiding factor. In this case, they can be used as a simple explanation of why the parties of the current coalition can resist early parliamentary elections.
The former politician of the Public against Violence movement, Peter Zajac, described them as a group “that wanted to make big changes and did big damage.” That is why the re-elected mayors – in Žilina Erika Jurinová and in Trnava Jozef Viskupič – with a party background in the movement Ordinary and independent personalities they did not engage as politicians of the parent party, but as regional leaders striving for the welfare of their county. Observers thought that Jozef Viskupič dared to publicly criticize some of the actions of the chairman of OĽNO and minister Igor and the Žilina mayor preferred to communicate with Prime Minister Eduard Heger instead of his party boss. Both presidents of the self-governing regions are in close contact with social reality, and therefore tried to act in such a way that their public activities are autonomous and not influenced by Matovič.
The democratic public in Slovakia welcomed with satisfaction the news that the extreme right-wing parties were not successful in the municipal elections. Even the election results of the Smer-SD party were not what Robert Fico expressed in the past. In a way, his former party colleague Peter Pellegrini deserved it, whose Hlas-SD party attracted a significant part of Fico’s electorate. Pellegrini’s percentages in the municipal elections worried not only Fico, but also some politicians and voters with the idea that the future government should not depend on the support of Pellegrini’s party. Some even blame the new mayor of Banská Bystrica, Ondrej Lunter, who thanked the Hlas-SD party for its support in the elections and cited it as an example of cooperation that could also work at the national level. The reaction to Lunter’s candid statement suggests that forming the next coalition government will not be an easy process. I confirm that Slovakia needs a wise and strong personality in politics with the moral principles of a statesman!