Anti-corruption party (OLaNO) has won a resounding victory in Slovakia’s parliamentary election on a wave of anti-corruption sentiment.
With nearly all results counted, the party has secured almost 25% of votes.
The popularity of the Ordinary People party soared in recent weeks, thanks to its anti-corruption agenda.
The election campaign was dominated by public anger over the 2018 murder of an investigative journalist, Jan Kuciak, and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova.
The result has unseated the centre-left Smer-SD party, which dominated Slovak politics for a decade and garnered just over 18%.
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini has admitted defeat.
Kuciak had been investigating high-level corruption when he was killed.
The shooting shocked the nation and toppled PM Robert Fico, but his Smer-SD party remained in office.
Opposition protest party Sme Rodina (We Are Family) gained 8.26%, followed closely by the far-right People’s Party Our Slovakia (LSNS).
Two other parties also secured the 5% of votes needed to enter parliament the liberal opposition Svoboda a Solidarita (SAS, Freedom and Solidarity) and the anti-graft liberal opposition Za Ludi party.
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The threshold for coalitions is higher, however, and the centre-left liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS-SPOLU) failed to reach the 7% required.
The general election comes after last year’s presidential vote, won by anti-corruption campaigner and lawyer Zuzana Caputova a political newcomer.
Anti-corruption party opposition Ordinary People party (OLaNO) has won a resounding victory in Slovakia’s parliamentary election on a wave of anti-corruption sentiment.
