Slovak Ruling Coalition Targets Opinion Polls After Historic Low Ratings

Slovakia's ruling coalition has launched an attack on public opinion polling after recording historically low support ratings. Andrej Danko, leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS), is pushing legislation that would create a control commission to oversee polling companies and impose fines of up to 100,000 euros for violations. Prime Minister Robert Fico has gone further, questioning the integrity of opinion polls entirely and suggesting they should be abolished completely. The Slovak National Party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition alongside Fico's Smer-SD party, has seen its public support drop to historic lows in recent surveys. The proposed measures represent an escalation in the government's criticism of independent polling, which has consistently shown declining support for the coalition that took power following elections in 2023. Critics view the initiative as an attempt to silence unfavorable coverage of the government's performance rather than address legitimate concerns about polling methodology.