BUDAPEST/PRAGUE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Robert Fico's election win in Slovakia after he had campaigned to end military aid to Ukraine shows creeping discontent in Central Europe over the war with Russia, but analysts do not expect a major policy turn-around by Bratislava or Warsaw.
Fico's victory in Saturday's election prompted concerns that his new government would see NATO-member Slovakia joining Hungary in challenging the European Union's consensus on support for Ukraine.
However, analysts do not see a big policy switch regarding Ukraine in Slovakia and Poland.
MODERATING EFFECTIn Slovakia, Fico's SMER-SSD party won the election with 23% of the vote.
"The bigger challenges are not Slovakia, or Hungary but the U.S. election cycle and the impact that has on support for Ukraine."
Persons:
Robert Fico's, Fico, Viktor Orban, Roger Hilton, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Samuel Abraham, Robert Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Radovan Stoklasa, Pellegrini, Abraham, legitimise, Orban, Mujtaba Rahman, Rahman, Krisztina, Jan Lopatka, Angus MacSwan
Organizations:
NATO, SNS, Republika, REUTERS, EU, Russia, Ukraine, Reuters, Eurasia, Thomson
Locations:
BUDAPEST, PRAGUE, Slovakia, Ukraine, Central Europe, Russia, Bratislava, Warsaw, Hungary, Russian Poland, Saturday's, Poland, GLOBSEC, SMER, Brussels, Budapest, Kyiv, Europe, Prague