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WORLD NEWS Monday 2 March 2020

Slovakia's populists win vote with

anti-corruption stance

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia
(AP) — Slovakia's center-
right populist opposition
claimed victory Sunday in
the country's parliamentary
election, ending the reign
of the long-dominant but
scandal-tainted leftist party
in a move that analysts said
showed a strong desire by
voters to end corruption.
According to final results re-
leased Sunday by the Sta- Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures during a visit
tistics Office, the Ordinary to the Connection, a homelessness centre, at St Martins in
People group captured the Fields, London, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020.
25% of Saturday's vote and Leader of the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities Associated press
53 seats in the 150-seat par- party Igor Matovic arrives for a TV debate day after the Slovakia's
liament. The senior ruling general election in Bratislava, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Britain’s health service
leftist Smer-Social Democ- Associated Press
racy party led by former tral Europe. The party won ians, didn't win any seats in not for sale in US free-
populist Prime Minister Rob- 28.3% in 2016 after cam- Parliament.
ert Fico came in second paigning on an anti-mi- Matovic is expected to trade talks
with 18.3% or 38 seats. grant ticket but it was dam- govern with the pro-busi-
The results steered the aged by political turmoil ness Freedom and Solidar- LONDON (AP) — Any free-trade deal with the Unit-
country to the right and following the 2018 slayings ity party, which captured ed States must protect Britain's cherished National
could eventually make a of an investigative journal- 6.2% support and 13 seats Health Service, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's govern-
local ally of France's far- ist and his fiancee. and the conservative For ment declared Sunday as it published an outline of
right National Rally party The killings of journalist Jan People established by for- its negotiating objectives for the transatlantic deal.
led by Marine Le Pen a part Kuciak and his fiancee, mer President Andrej Kiska The British government estimates its economy will
of Slovakia's governing co- Martina Kusnirova, trig- that finished with 5.8% of get a 3.4 billion-pound ($4.3 billion) boost and trade
alition. "We will try to form gered major street pro- the vote and 12 seats. between the close allies will increase by 15.3 billion
the best government Slo- tests and a political crisis Although the three parties pounds ($19.6 billion) if trade barriers between the
vakia's ever had," Ordinary that led to the collapse of would have a majority with United Kingdom and the United States are removed.
People chairman Igor Ma- Fico's three-party coalition 78 seats, Matovic said he Talks are scheduled to start later this month.
tovic told 2,000 cheering government. Kuciak had also wanted to rule with Le "We have the best negotiators in the business and
supporters in a sports hall been writing about alleged Pen's ally, We Are Family, a of course, we're going to drive a hard bargain to
in his hometown of Trnava, ties between the Italian populist right-wing group boost British industry," Johnson said. "Trading Scottish
northeast of the capital, mafia and people close that placed third in Satur- smoked salmon for Stetson hats, we will deliver lower
Bratislava. to Fico when he was killed day's vote with 8.2% sup- prices and more choice for our shoppers."
The pro-western Matovic, and also wrote about cor- port and 17 seats. Among objectives outlined Sunday were a clear
46, has made fighting cor- ruption scandals linked to Matovic is a skilled politi- statement saying that British negotiators would pro-
ruption and attacking Fico Fico's party. A new cabinet cian who knows how to tect the state-funded National Health Service.
the central tenet of his was made up of ministers make news. "The NHS is not for sale and the government is com-
campaign. He is likely to from the same three par- In January, he traveled to mitted to the guiding principles of the NHS — that it
become the country's next ties. "This was a clear vote an upscale neighborhood is universal and free at the point of use," the govern-
prime minister. against corruption prac- in Cannes, France, where ment statement said.
Officials measured the tem- tices of the ruling party, he placed a poster that Talks with the United States come as London is also
perature of every person against the links between read "the property of Slova- trying to negotiate the terms of a new trade relation-
coming into the hall due to politicians and semi-ma- kia" in front of a luxurious vil- ship with the European Union following its Brexit de-
fears about the new coro- fia in this country and the la that belongs to Jan Poci- parture from the bloc earlier this year.
navirus. Slovakia hasn't a quest for rule of law," said atek, Fico's former finance Johnson last year acknowledged that hammering
single confirmed case yet. Olga Gyarfasova, an ana- minister. Matovic accused out a mutually acceptable deal with President Don-
The ruling Smer party has lyst from Comenius Univer- Pociatek of corruption, say- ald Trump's administration would be tricky.
been in power for most of sity in Bratislava. ing he could never earn "I know that you guys are pretty tough negotiators,"
the past 14 years, winning In a further blow to Smer, its so much money to afford Johnson told U.S. Vice President Mike Pence when
big in every election since two current coalition part- the villa. Pociatek denied they met last year in London. "So we're going to work
2006 in Slovakia, a Europe- ners, the ultra-nationalist wrongdoing. A video of the very hard to make sure that that free trade deal is
an Union nation of almost Slovak National Party and event went viral on social one that works for all sides."q
5.5 million people in cen- a party of ethnic Hungar- media.q