Slovakia holds an early parliamentary election

 Slovakia, Sept.30: Slovakia holds an early parliamentary election on Saturday that pits populist former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who campaigned on a clear pro-Russia and anti-American message, against a liberal pro-West newcomer.

Fico and his leftist Smer, or Direction, party vowed to reverse Slovakia's military support for neighboring Ukraine in Russia's war, if his attempt to return to power is successful. Slovakia's vote is a key test that could put the country on a new course away from Kyiv and towards Moscow, threatening to break a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.

Fico's main challenger is the relatively new liberal pro-West Progressive Slovakia. The winner of the vote traditionally gets the first chance to create a government.

A total of 150 seats in the Parliament are up for grab in the vote.

The populist Ordinary People party won the 2020 election with an anti-corruption ticket, and party leader Igor Matovi struck a deal to govern with the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party, the conservative For People party, and another populist group, We Are Family.

The coalition collapsed in December after losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote, the latest step in a long-term political crisis caused by bickering among the coalition partners over a number of issues, including the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic and how to tackle soaring inflation driven by high energy prices amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The government lost a parliamentary majority after Freedom and Solidarity withdrew from it in September 2022 last year and requested the no-confidence vote.

The coalition was a staunch supporter of Ukraine, donating arms to the Ukrainian army while opening its border with neighboring Ukraine to refugees fleeing the war with Russia.

The country is currently headed by a caretaker government.

Fico, 59, opposes EU sanctions on Russia, questions whether Ukraine can force out the invading Russian troops and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO. (AP)