Populist, pro-Russia ex-premier leads leftist party to win in Slovakia's parliamentary elections
A populist former prime minister and his leftist party have won parliamentary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, according to almost complete results BRATISLAVA, Slovakia -- A populist former prime minister and his leftist party won parliament ary elections in Slovakia, staging a political comeback after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American message, according to almost complete results. With results from 99.2% of some 6,000 polling stations counted by the Slovak Statistics Office early Sunday, former Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leftist Smer, or Direction, party led with 23.3% of the votes. The election Saturday was a test for the small eastern European country’s support for neighboring Ukraine in its war with Russia, and the win by Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO. Fico, 59, vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine in Russia’s war if his a