Petőcz Kálmán (szerk.): National Populism and Slovak - Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006-2009 (Somorja, 2009)
Kálmán Petőcz: National Populism and Electoral Behaviour
National Populism and Electoral Behaviour port among Slovak voters from Novohrad and Gemer regions, i.e. in Lučenec, Fiľakovo, Rimavská Sobota and Tomaľa where they combined for almost 60% of the popular vote in 2006. This level of voter support in these towns remained largely unchanged also in the 2009 presidential elections. As far as other towns in southern Slovakia are concerned, overall voter support for the nationalist bloc declined since the 2006 elections. In both elections, the success rate of national-populist parties in all examined towns of southern Slovakia - that is, except those in Novohrad and Gemer regions- was lower than the national average. The difference increased further in the 2009 presidential elections, which indicates that voter support for national-populist parties shows a declining trend in these towns. The average voter support for the national-socialist bloc is higher in Novohrad and Gemer regions than in the valley of Bodrog and Uh Rivers (i.e. the area around Kráľovský Chlmec and Veľké Kapušany) where people’s socio-economic situation is comparably bad. A plausible explanation is that electoral behaviour of voters from Novohrad and Gemer regions is affected by two phenomena: first, a significant share of local Roma (including ‘Hungarian’ Roma) apparently shifted to the national-populist camp; second, Slovak voters whose voting patterns are strongly affected by their attitudes to national issues are more amply represented here. Similar conclusions are corroborated by analyzing the internal structure of votes within the national-populist bloc. The mutual ratio of votes cast for SMER-SD and the LS-HZDS - SNS bloc is gradually tipped in favour of the former from west to east. Voter support for the SNS is very low in easternmost parts of the country. Overall voter support for the SMER-SD- LS-HZDS - SNS bloc is slightly lower in the west than in the east; however, the relative share of votes cast for the LS-HZDS - SNS bloc is higher in the west than in the east. Particularly interesting is the relatively strong voter support for the LS-HZDS in areas on Žitný ostrov that are almost homogeneously populated by ethnic Hungarians. In Dunajská Streda and Veľký Meder, voter support for Mečiar’s party in 2006 doubled its national election results and matched that for SMER-SD. It is fair to venture a hypothesis that part of local Slovaks who are relatively isolated in the Hungarian-dominated language environment (subconsciously) vote for politicians they believe are able to protect their national interests; at the same time, they do not place their hopes in the vulgar and primitive style of SNS Chairman Ján Slota but rather in the authoritarian style of Vladimír Mečiar or Robert Fico. If we compare election results posted by individual blocs in urban and rural areas of southern Slovakia, we may detect the same phenomenon as 149
