Slovak SMER party’s lead shrinks as rival PS jumps before Sept 30 election -IPSOS poll.

The latest survey conducted by the IPSOS agency, released on Wednesday, showed that the liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko was gaining ground on the Slovak opposition party SMER-SSD, led by former prime minister Robert Fico.

Support for SMER-SDD was 20.6% compared to 19.8% for Progressive Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia, PS) in the poll, which was conducted for the news website www.dennikn.sk between September 22 and September 25. From a survey conducted between September 15 and September 19, PS increased by 2.6 percentage points, while SMER-SSD increased by 0.3.

According to the survey, eight parties would gain seats in the legislature. None, though, would win a majority and would have to depend on allies to take power. It was unclear how coalition formation might proceed.

After a center-right coalition government disintegrated last year and a caretaker administration assumed power in May, Slovakians went to the elections earlier than expected.

The main campaigning concerns for parties have been illegal immigration and Slovakia’s support for Ukraine. Fico promised to protect national interests and stop military aid to Kyiv in order to reelect his SMER-SSD party.

A change in strategy like that, according to Michal Simecka, head of Progressive Slovakia, might cause the nation to become isolated. By allies in the EU and NATO, he has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion.