Slovakia's leftist Smer party promised a radical break with
economic reforms Sunday after winning Saturday parliamentary
election.
Smer, led by populist Robert Fico, faces an uphill struggle to
form a coalition government after failing to win an outright
majority in Saturday's parliamentary election, the first since the
nation joined the European Union in 2004.
Full provisional results showed Smer won 29 percent of the votes
and Dzurinda's party secured 18 percent. Long coalition talks are
likely and reformist Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda might yet hang
on to power if Fico fails to find any partners. The talks are
likely to decide the future of reforms which included introduction
of a flat tax rate, won plaudits abroad and transformed the nation
of 5.4 million people into one of Europe's fastest growing
economies.
They could also determine whether Slovakia adopts the euro
single currency in 2009 as planned.
Vowing to rein in reforms he says have left many people behind,
Fico told supporters: "Fast economic growth will no longer be for
the benefit of a narrow group of people."
Fico then led party faithful in a rendition of the national anthem,
one of few signs of celebration.
He signalled he will try to woo center-right parties that have
traditionally been allied to Dzurinda rather than make advances to
fringe groups such as a nationalist party which came third with
11.7 percent of the votes.
"We want a center or center-left government that will establish
solidarity and reduce the differences that have grown between
economic groups because of eight years of Dzurinda's reforms," he
said during a televised debate.
Fico vowed to respect Slovakia's target of adopting the euro in
2009 but left the door open to a revision of the date.
"We confirm January 1, 2009, as the euro date but in case it's
not favorable for the country, we could think about revising it,"
he said.
President Ivan Gasparovic is likely to first ask Fico to form a
government and, if he fails, then turn to Dzurinda.
Dzurinda, eastern Europe's longest serving leader after eight
years at the helm, refused to accept defeat.
The combined vote for Dzurinda's Democratic and Christian Union
and his two most obvious allies was just over 38 percent, and he
would need one more partner to gain a majority in the 150-seat
parliament if Fico fails in his bid.
Dzurinda urged the two parties the Ethnic Hungarian Party and
the Christian Democrats to stick together, keep Slovakia on the
reform path and resist Fico's approaches.
"We have quite a strong position together and I hope our
co-operation will be effective and productive," he said.
(China Daily June 19, 2006)
