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

these areas after World War I or World war II as well as Slovaks who moved in from neighbouring Slovak enclaves. Both towns are located on the territory that has maintained a relatively high economic and social standard, although unemployment in the Komárno district is relatively high (in fact it is significantly higher than in Šamorín).

The other two towns - namely Tomal'a and Kráľovský Chlmec - are located on the territory plagued by poor economic development, high unemployment rate and relatively high shares of Roma on the local population; until recently, many of those Roma officially declared themselves as ethnic Hungarians.

Graph 3

Changes in voting patterns of Slovak voters from Šamorín/Somorja between 1994 and 2006

100%

75%

50%

25%

0%

1994 1998 2002 2006

Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic: author’s own calculations.

Note: The order of parties in columns of Graphs 3-7 corresponds to the list of parties featured in the graphs' legend. The 1994 figure for the SDKÚ is a sum of election results of the DÚ and the DS. The 1998 figure for the SDKÚ represents the election result of the SDK, an election party that comprised the coalition of DÚ - DS - KDH - SDSS - SZ. The figures for SDĽ/SMER represent the following: 1994 — Spoločná voľba [Common Choice], a left-wing election coalition of SDL - SDSS - SZS - HP; 1998 - SDĽ; 2002 - SMER; 2006 - SMER-Social Democracy. The 2002 figure for the SNS is a sum of election results of the SNS and the PSNS. The figures for SOP/ANO/SF should be interpreted as election results of the SOP in 1998, the ANO in 2002 and the SF in 2006.

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