A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023
Elections in Slovakia

J 2025

A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023 Elections in Slovakia

HAUGHTON, Tim; David CUTTS a Marek RYBÁŘ

Základní údaje

Originální název

A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023 Elections in Slovakia

Autoři

HAUGHTON, Tim; David CUTTS a Marek RYBÁŘ

Vydání

EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES, UNITED STATES, SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2025, 0888-3254

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

50601 Political science

Stát vydavatele

Spojené státy

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

article - open access

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 1.000 v roce 2024

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Organizační jednotka

Fakulta sociálních studií

Klíčová slova anglicky

Slovakia; Fico; electoral comebacks; democratic backsliding; campaigning

Štítky

EV_FSS25, online first

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 30. 12. 2025 18:26, Mgr. Blanka Farkašová

Anotace

V originále

Politicians whose political careers appear finished rarely make successful comebacks. Slovakia’s Robert Fico was propelled back to power when his party, Smer-SD, won the 2023 parliamentary elections and was able to form a coalition government. An election victory for Fico, however, seemed unthinkable in 2018 when he resigned as prime minister amid large-scale protests, and even more unlikely in 2020 when his party lost power, suffered a subsequent split, and slipped to single digits in the polls. Organizational and ideational resources provided a platform for recovery for Smer-SD and other parties to bounce back. Moreover, the chaotic nature of the government formed in 2020 and stark challenges posed by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine created conditions propitious for a comeback. Data from a specially commissioned survey conducted in the days after the election show campaign messaging around strong and effective leadership combined with policy pitches towards key demographic groups found a receptive audience. Although Smer-SD won a plurality of the vote, its ability to return to power was dependent on forging a coalition highlighting not just the pivotal nature of one of Smer-SD’s eventual partners in government, but also the mechanics of the electoral system that ensured Smer-SD’s other coalition partner crossed the electoral threshold. The 2023 elections demonstrate not just how divisive politicians like Fico can return to power, but also given the subsequent democratic erosion in Slovakia, they provide lessons for the study of democratic backsliding and resilience.

Citovat

HAUGHTON, Tim; David CUTTS a Marek RYBÁŘ. A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023 Elections in Slovakia. EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES. UNITED STATES: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2025, s. 1-30. ISSN 0888-3254. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1177/08883254251324191.

@article{2486727,
   author = {Haughton, Tim and Cutts, David and Rybář, Marek},
   article_location = {UNITED STATES},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.1177/08883254251324191},
   keywords = {Slovakia; Fico; electoral comebacks; democratic backsliding; campaigning},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0888-3254},
   journal = {EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES},
   title = {A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023 Elections in Slovakia},
   url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08883254251324191},
   year = {2025}
}

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AU  - Haughton, Tim - Cutts, David - Rybář, Marek
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JF  - EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES
SP  - 1-30
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PB  - SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
SN  - 08883254
KW  - Slovakia
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KW  - democratic backsliding
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UR  - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08883254251324191
N2  - Politicians whose political careers appear finished rarely make successful comebacks. Slovakia’s Robert Fico was propelled back to power when his party, Smer-SD, won the 2023 parliamentary elections and was able to form a coalition government. An election victory for Fico, however, seemed unthinkable in 2018 when he resigned as prime minister amid large-scale protests, and even more unlikely in 2020 when his party lost power, suffered a subsequent split, and slipped to single digits in the polls. Organizational and ideational resources provided a platform for recovery for Smer-SD and other parties to bounce back. Moreover, the chaotic nature of the government formed in 2020 and stark challenges posed by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine created conditions propitious for a comeback. Data from a specially commissioned survey conducted in the days after the election show campaign messaging around strong and effective leadership combined with policy pitches towards key demographic groups found a receptive audience. Although Smer-SD won a plurality of the vote, its ability to return to power was dependent on forging a coalition highlighting not just the pivotal nature of one of Smer-SD’s eventual partners in government, but also the mechanics of the electoral system that ensured Smer-SD’s other coalition partner crossed the electoral threshold. The 2023 elections demonstrate not just how divisive politicians like Fico can return to power, but also given the subsequent democratic erosion in Slovakia, they provide lessons for the study of democratic backsliding and resilience.
ER  -

HAUGHTON, Tim; David CUTTS a Marek RYBÁŘ. A Narrow Path to Victory : Robert Fico, Smer-SD, and the 2023 Elections in Slovakia. \textit{EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES}. UNITED STATES: SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2025, s.~1-30. ISSN~0888-3254. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1177/08883254251324191.

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