Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRATISLAVA247
2009-06-08 15:21:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: LITTLE INTEREST,
how-toVZCZCXRO3298 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHSL #0247/01 1591521 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 081521Z JUN 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2533 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000247
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE, EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EU LO
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: LITTLE INTEREST,
FEW SURPRISES
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000247
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE, EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EU LO
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: LITTLE INTEREST,
FEW SURPRISES
1. Nineteen percent of Slovaki voters Slovak voters turned
out this weekend to elect Euro-Parliamentarians, besting
their last-in-the-EU turnout of 17 percent five years ago,
but showing little interest in the process. While PM Fico's
Smer party did predictably well, gaining 5 seats, each of the
major opposition parties won two seats. And, for the first
time, the Slovak National Party (SNS) will send a deputy to
the EP.
2. The only minor surprises were: that a newly-formed party
of liberal/libertarian technocrats, the Freedom and
Solidarity Party (SAS) came very close to gaining a seat;
that Smer's victory was not as impressive (31 percent) as had
been forecast; and that the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK)
-- despite its imminent split and the usual pre-election
anti-Hungarian rhetoric -- managed to hang on to two seats.
Given how low voter turnout was, we don't believe the results
provide much of a preview for the 2010 elections. That said,
it's clear that a more united and effective opposition could
give Smer a run for its money, or conversely, that a
SMER-SDKU coalition may becoming more likely.
RESULTS
--------------
3. With 19 percent of the Slovak electorate voting, Smer won
32.1 percent for 5 seats; SDKU won 16.9 (the party came
within 200 votes of a third seat; SMK and the Christian
Democratic Movement (KDH) each earned two seats with 11.3 and
10.8 respectively. Notorius ex-Premier Meciar's HZDS won 8.9
percent and Jan Slota's corruption-ridden SNS won 5.5, with
each scoring a seat. Finally, SAS, the new party founded by
the intellect behind Slovakia's successful tax reforms,
Richard Sulik, managed to get 4.7 percent of the vote. None
of the other extra-parliamentary parties came close to the 5
percent threshold.
4. In several cases, the voters up-ended the party preference
lists. Martin Fronc, who led the KDH slate, did not get
enough votes for a seat. He resigned on June 8 from several
leadership positions within the party, including Chairman of
Foreign Relations, because of his performance in the polls.
In another, albeit less dramatic upset, Boris Zala (SMER),
the current chairman of the Parliament Foreign Affairs
Committee was leapfrogged by current MEP Monika
Flasikova-Benova. The head of SNS's list also failed to gain
a seat, but was replaced by an SNS candidate further down the
list.
5. Despite having received several complaints, the Central
Election Commission stated that the elections ran smoothly,
with no violations of law having been noted. Meanwhile, the
media reported allegations of widespread vote-buying in the
infamous Roma settlement Lunik 9, outside of Kosice. There,
80 percent of the votes went to Smer candidates.
Reactions
--------------
6. Each of the parties has characterized the weekend vote as
victory. It was a small one for SMK, SNS and SAS. Given
SDKU's razor-thin miss for a third seat, they performed
relatively well. And, while numerically Smer was the big
winner, the percentage of votes they received is
significantly less than what polls suggested they would
garner in regular parliamentary elections. SNS leader Slota
made inadvertently humorous comments about the party's
one-seat (first ever in the EP) gain: "Positive topics, such
as the results of the work of our ministries...were
deliberately ignored by the media." In fact, SNS-led
ministries receive more press attention, particularly of
late, than any other, because they are riddled with
corruption.
7. Monika Flasikova-Benova, the top vote-getter for Smer,
was not as enthusiastic about SNS's, nor for that matter
HZDS's election results. Both SNS and HZDS have "failed in
crucial issues," she said, and thus Smer must consider
rationally with whom it will create a coalition in 2010.
According to Flasikova, the election results open the way for
creation of a coalition between Smer and SDKU. SMK Deputy
Chair Jozef Berenyi told us on June 6 that his Smer
colleagues were dumbfounded by SMK's self-destructive
break-up. SMK had been the front-runner in the minds of many
to team up with Smer in 2010. Berenyi told us, that in his
mind, and SDKU-Smer coalition seemed quite possible. Comment:
Given recent statements along the same lines by the Prime
Minister and his top advisor, Culture Minister Madaric, we
agree.
BRATISLAVA 00000247 002 OF 002
EDDINS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/CE, EUR/ERA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EU LO
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: LITTLE INTEREST,
FEW SURPRISES
1. Nineteen percent of Slovaki voters Slovak voters turned
out this weekend to elect Euro-Parliamentarians, besting
their last-in-the-EU turnout of 17 percent five years ago,
but showing little interest in the process. While PM Fico's
Smer party did predictably well, gaining 5 seats, each of the
major opposition parties won two seats. And, for the first
time, the Slovak National Party (SNS) will send a deputy to
the EP.
2. The only minor surprises were: that a newly-formed party
of liberal/libertarian technocrats, the Freedom and
Solidarity Party (SAS) came very close to gaining a seat;
that Smer's victory was not as impressive (31 percent) as had
been forecast; and that the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK)
-- despite its imminent split and the usual pre-election
anti-Hungarian rhetoric -- managed to hang on to two seats.
Given how low voter turnout was, we don't believe the results
provide much of a preview for the 2010 elections. That said,
it's clear that a more united and effective opposition could
give Smer a run for its money, or conversely, that a
SMER-SDKU coalition may becoming more likely.
RESULTS
--------------
3. With 19 percent of the Slovak electorate voting, Smer won
32.1 percent for 5 seats; SDKU won 16.9 (the party came
within 200 votes of a third seat; SMK and the Christian
Democratic Movement (KDH) each earned two seats with 11.3 and
10.8 respectively. Notorius ex-Premier Meciar's HZDS won 8.9
percent and Jan Slota's corruption-ridden SNS won 5.5, with
each scoring a seat. Finally, SAS, the new party founded by
the intellect behind Slovakia's successful tax reforms,
Richard Sulik, managed to get 4.7 percent of the vote. None
of the other extra-parliamentary parties came close to the 5
percent threshold.
4. In several cases, the voters up-ended the party preference
lists. Martin Fronc, who led the KDH slate, did not get
enough votes for a seat. He resigned on June 8 from several
leadership positions within the party, including Chairman of
Foreign Relations, because of his performance in the polls.
In another, albeit less dramatic upset, Boris Zala (SMER),
the current chairman of the Parliament Foreign Affairs
Committee was leapfrogged by current MEP Monika
Flasikova-Benova. The head of SNS's list also failed to gain
a seat, but was replaced by an SNS candidate further down the
list.
5. Despite having received several complaints, the Central
Election Commission stated that the elections ran smoothly,
with no violations of law having been noted. Meanwhile, the
media reported allegations of widespread vote-buying in the
infamous Roma settlement Lunik 9, outside of Kosice. There,
80 percent of the votes went to Smer candidates.
Reactions
--------------
6. Each of the parties has characterized the weekend vote as
victory. It was a small one for SMK, SNS and SAS. Given
SDKU's razor-thin miss for a third seat, they performed
relatively well. And, while numerically Smer was the big
winner, the percentage of votes they received is
significantly less than what polls suggested they would
garner in regular parliamentary elections. SNS leader Slota
made inadvertently humorous comments about the party's
one-seat (first ever in the EP) gain: "Positive topics, such
as the results of the work of our ministries...were
deliberately ignored by the media." In fact, SNS-led
ministries receive more press attention, particularly of
late, than any other, because they are riddled with
corruption.
7. Monika Flasikova-Benova, the top vote-getter for Smer,
was not as enthusiastic about SNS's, nor for that matter
HZDS's election results. Both SNS and HZDS have "failed in
crucial issues," she said, and thus Smer must consider
rationally with whom it will create a coalition in 2010.
According to Flasikova, the election results open the way for
creation of a coalition between Smer and SDKU. SMK Deputy
Chair Jozef Berenyi told us on June 6 that his Smer
colleagues were dumbfounded by SMK's self-destructive
break-up. SMK had been the front-runner in the minds of many
to team up with Smer in 2010. Berenyi told us, that in his
mind, and SDKU-Smer coalition seemed quite possible. Comment:
Given recent statements along the same lines by the Prime
Minister and his top advisor, Culture Minister Madaric, we
agree.
BRATISLAVA 00000247 002 OF 002
EDDINS