In the past few weeks the campaign for parliament has happened in Slovakia.
Tomorrow the citizens will vote and what at one time seemed inevitable is now not so certain. What, as a foreigner, I have been fascinated at is the various campaign posters and Party slogans.
Take popular Smer, party of Prime Minister Fico. Overall, very little actual policy proposals or for that matter explanation as to why they should deserve a second term, however ‘we’ the public know that the Party and by extension Mr. Fico is “For the people, For Slovakia”. Mr. Fico’s personality in this campaign is the most interesting and the subject of a separate paper I wrote a while back.
The same applies to the major opposition parties, little on substance, big on catchy phrases and slogans, one that is very similar to Smer’s. However, as all the parties claim to be “for the peope”, i find the whole phrase war, so to speak, highly suspect.
The new party that has made the most ‘news’ is SaS partly for it’s outreach to younger voters via Facebook and other social media outlets as well as it’s own highly original slogans and poster pics. Personally, have to laugh at the ingenious use of cartoon sperm and the phrase “For the next generation”.
The traditional parties of post-89, HZDS and SNS have struggled for a good slogan and relevance, abeit personally seeing the various and at times provocative SNS ads were more amusing than shocking.
What all of this means for a rather apathic nation, is not entirely clear, but as people vote on Saturday, it should make for rather amusing theater.
