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Politics

Slovakia opposition wins election

March 1, 2020

Outgoing Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini has conceded defeat. The populist OLANO party, with 25% of votes, will seek to form a government with other conservative parties.

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A nun casts her ballot during the Slovakian parliamentary elections in Trnava, Slovakia
Image: picture-alliance/AA/O. Marques

The center-right Ordinary People party emerged victorious in Solvakia's general election on Saturday, with voters responding to the party's pledge to push anti-corruption reform following the death of murdered journalist Jan Kuciak.

According to final results released Sunday by the Statistics Office, the Ordinary People group secured 25% of Saturday's vote and 53 seats in the 150-seat parliament. The governing center-left Smer-Social Democracy party, led by former populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, won 18.3%, or 38 seats. 

The discourse during these elections was dominated by the 2018 double murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova. Kuciak has reported on high-level corruption within the government.

The murder led to nationwide street protests, forcing Fico to resign. However, the Smer coalition remained in power, under the leadership of Peter Pellegrini.

 A woman kneels by a memorial on the first anniversary of the murder of the investigative reporter Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova in Bratislava, Slovakia
A memorial for murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee on the first anniversary of their death in 2019Image: Reuters/David W. Cerny

Read more: In memory of Ján Kuciak: The immortal search for truth

An investigation into the double murder revealed communications between a businessman, politicians and other officials. The businessman is currently on trial, and has denied the charges. 

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lc,tg/jlw (AP, Reuters)