Page 12 - CE Outlook Regions 2023

opposition, consisting of the Farmers and Greens Union and the Social
Democrats, is weak and without a strong leader.

In a November poll, 14.2% of respondents said they favoured TS-LKD.
Some 11.8% would have voted for the Social Democrats, up from 11.3%
in September. The opposition Democratic Union For Lithuania was next
in line with 7.4%, up from 6.5% in September. Further down the list was
the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union with 6.9% (6.5%
in September).

This marked a recovery for the TS-LKD-Liberal government, which was
at a low in the autumn. Only 29.2% of those polled in October had a
positive or rather positive opinion, up from 23.9% in September, while
62.3% had a negative or rather negative opinion, down from 68.8% in
September.

Acute economic issues, like high inflation and geopolitical tensions will
affect government support in 2023. The results of the local government
council elections in the first week of March 2023 are also to be watched,
as a poor performance by TS-LKD would harm the government and
dampen the party’s prospects in the parliamentary election in 2024.

However, a change in the government composition before the election is
unlikely, as the minor coalition partners, Laisve (Freedom) Party and
Liberalu sajudis (the Lithuanian liberal movement) would be damaged
by their exit from the government.

1.6 Politics - Slovakia

Slovakia has been going through a protracted political crisis during
much of 2022, which impeded the implementation of effective measures
to combat the energy crisis, and which led to the 2023 budget being
approved only shortly before the end of the calendar year.

Deep animosity between Igor Matovic, leader of the OLaNO party,
winner of the 2020 elections, and Richard Sulik, leader of the neoliberal
SaS, came to a head in September when SaS left the ruling coalition,
depriving Prime Minister Eduard Heger’s cabinet of a majority in the
parliament.

Opposition leader and controversial ex-premier Robert Fico has been
undermining the cabinet by exploiting the rising costs of living, fatigue
over the cost of helping Ukrainian refugees, and calling for an end to
support for Ukraine. As he has moved into more extremist political
positions, he has maintained close ties with the Russian and Belarusian
diplomatic corps in the country.

12 CE Outlook 2023 www.intellinews.com