Pro-Russia ex-PM leads leftist party to win in Slovakia's parliamentary elections

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/01/ [login to see] /pro-russia-ex-premier-leads-party-to-win-slovakia-parliamentary-elections
A populist former prime minister and his leftist party have won early parliamentary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, according to complete results announced Sunday.

Former Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leftist Smer, or Direction, party had 22.9% of the votes, or 42 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, the Slovak Statistics Office said.

Public and exit polls predicted a tight race but in the end, Fico won relatively big after his campaign — considered aggressive and the most radical of his career — attracted voters who favored the far-right.