Slovakia's Fico set for victory in EU's anti-refugee east

Slovaks voted in a general election Saturday that seems set to hand firebrand leftist Premier Robert Fico a third term on the back of a staunchly anti-refugee platform.

Arguing that jihadists posing as refugees could infiltrate the European Union, the populist leader has insisted on "monitoring every Muslim" in predominantly Catholic Slovakia after November's attacks in Paris.

His anti-refugee policies echo the stance of other leaders in the EU's poorer ex-communist east like Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski who refuse to accept refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

"We'll never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia, we won't create any Muslim communities here because they pose a serious security risk," Fico told thousands at a pre-election rally in Bratislava for his Smer-Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party.

- 'I feel safe' -

Jan Baranek, an analyst with the Polis Slovakia think tank, said Fico "even changed his party's slogan to 'Protecting Slovakia', as in 'protecting Slovakia against migrants'".
The strategy appears to have worked despite very few refugees arriving as most prefer richer nations.

"I voted for Smer-SD. I like the way they lead this country. I find Fico trustworthy," a pensioner who identified herself only as Anna told AFP at a Bratislava polling station.

Fellow pensioner Stefan Kralko told AFP Fico has his vote "because I feel safe."

"The future of our children is at stake... the situation in Europe is worsening," added a Fico supporter in her fifties, who asked not to be identified.

Fico and regional EU allies have vowed to help Bulgaria and Macedonia seal their borders with EU member Greece should Athens fail to stem the tide of refugees from Turkey by mid-March.

As Slovakia gears up for the EU's rotating presidency in July, Fico starkly warned that "we have reached the point when... Greece is likely to be sacrificed for the sake of Schengen", referring to the 26-nation passport-free travel zone.

He also insists that Slovakia, a eurozone member since 2009, opposes further bailouts for troubled Greece, calling this "a red line for us".

But not all have been wooed by Fico's strident anti-refugee rhetoric.
Public sector workers who feel left behind by Slovakia's economic success staged strikes demanding wage hikes ahead of the vote.

"Fico keeps talking about Muslim migrants and forgets about Slovak teachers and nurses," Alena Takacova, a 44-year-old Bratislava office worker, told AFP.

She will vote for "someone from the opposition".

Smer-SD holds 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, but analysts cite surveys predicting a cut to 65-70 amid concerns about bread and butter issues.

- Populist streak -

Fico told reporters he expects a record number of parties to enter parliament after casting his ballot Saturday in Bratislava, adding "it's in the voters' hands".

Twenty-three parties are angling to cross the five percent threshold to enter parliament. Analysts predict up to seven could succeed.

To clinch his third term, the 51-year-old leftist could relaunch a controversial coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) he first forged for 2006-10, or team up with moderate right-wing and centrist parties.
Commentators also admit the possibility, albeit unlikely, that a gaggle of right-wing and centrist liberal parties could scrape together a coalition to dethrone Fico.

An ex-communist known for his strong populist streak, Fico cut food taxes, boosted childcare allowances and hiked the minimum wage to engineer a quick recovery after philanthropist Andrej Kiska beat him to the presidency in 2014.

But his generous spending has not bloated public debt. Slovakia's debt-to-GDP ratio is close to 53 percent, among the lowest in the 19-member eurozone.

Economic growth in the nation of 5.4 million people hit a robust 3.5 percent in 2015.

It is set to hover around 3.2-3.3 percent this year and next while unemployment sank to a 10-year low of 10.4 percent in January.
Source :AFP