Євроскептицизм, суверенізм і популізм у сучасній словацькій політиці

Abstract

The article examines euroscepticism, sovereignism and populism as an interrelated set of political phenomena that shape contemporary Slovak politics. The aim of the study is to identify how the euro-integration cleavage and the sovereignist–eurosceptic discourse influence the activation of populism in Slovakia in the context of the 2023 parliamentary elections and the russian-ukrainian war. The relevance of the research stems from the deepening socio-cultural and geopolitical cleavages in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), while its novelty lies in conceptualising Slovak euroscepticism, sovereignism and populism as an integrated analytical framework that enables a comprehensive assessment of their impact on the dynamics of political processes in Slovakia. Methodologically, the article relies on political-sociological, comparative and discourse analysis, combined with public opinion survey data and party programme documents. The study demonstrates the cyclical nature of Slovak Euroscepticism and its dependence on crisis contexts. It shows that contemporary societal attitudes in Slovakia are characterised by ambivalence towards the EU and NATO, as well as heightened susceptibility to populist narratives, which substantially shape the political orientations of voters. The analysis establishes that the russian-ukrainian war has reconfigured the political agenda in Slovakia and intensified societal divisions, creating favourable conditions for the growing support of populist actors. During the 2023 elections, the parties Smer-SD, SNS and Republika employed a combination of eurosceptic, sovereignist and socio-protectionist narratives that facilitated the populist mobilisation of the electorate. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential application of its findings to the analysis of party system dynamics in CEE countries, modelling political behaviour, and designing strategies to counteract the radicalisation of populism. The Slovak case illustrates vulnerability to crisis-driven dynamics and disinformation, thereby highlighting the relevance of further comparative research on Eurosceptic-sovereignist rhetoric and populist trends within the Visegrad Group. Keywords: Slovakia, populism, euroscepticism, sovereignty, political parties, parliamentary elections, russian-ukrainian war