Maryana Pryianchuk, Razumkov Centre intern in July–October 2025
This article examines the factors that contributed to the victory of the left-wing populist party SMER-SD at the 2023 parliamentary elections in Slovakia. Elements of SMER's electoral strategy and communication are analyzed, such as the party's opposition to internal and external elites, along with the mechanisms and foundations of such opposition, including the division of society in relation to the EU and the West, the influence of alternative media, the demand for order, stability and a strong leader.
The SMER campaign is examined, as a subjective, i.e. party-controlled factor, along with objective factors such as the role of important social issues and protest voting, features of the party's electorate, its location relative to the main social divisions, and the effects of politically significant events.
See the full text in the PDF format in Ukrainian here.
