EUPopLink Country report - Slovakia

Abstract

This article explores the intersection of populism and Euroscepticism within the Slovak political landscape, demonstrating how European issues have evolved from a largely depoliticised post-accession consensus to a pivotal domain of domestic political competition. The article focuses on the differing positions of key populist actors such as Smer–SD, the Slovak National Party (SNS), Movement Republika (Hnutie Republika) and the Slovakia Movement (formerly OĽaNO), situating them within wider changes in Slovak party politics. We argue that Euroscepticism in Slovakia is predominantly soft and generally does not translate into demands for EU withdrawal. Nevertheless, Euroscepticism has become increasingly centred on national sovereignty and the portrayal of Brussels as an external actor that constrains Slovak interests. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that Slovak parties do not hold fixed and coherent positions on European integration. Instead, their attitudes towards the EU are adapted strategically in response to changing domestic competition and broader political crises. The growing overlap between populism and Euroscepticism has therefore reshaped party competition, strengthened pro-European counter-mobilisation and established the opposition between ‘Slovak interests’ and ‘Brussels’ as a defining feature of contemporary political discourse.