‘It’s Up to Us’: Slovak Voters Wake Up to EU Elections

But it speaks also to the growth in popularity of right-wing populists, and an emerging battle for young voters.

'New trend'

Slovakia appeared to strike a powerful blow against the populist surge in Europe with the election in March of progressive political newcomer Zuzana Caputova as president.

With the election over, billboards bearing the faces of the presidential candidates quickly gave way to slogans such as 'Strong Slovakia in Europe', 'Less Brussels, More Common Sense' and, in the case of the far-right People's Party Our Slovakia, 'For Cooperation with Russia, Against the Sanctions!'

The fight for votes, however, appears to be moving away from traditional campaign tools and onto the streets and the Internet.

"I feel that there is a new trend, coming from various parties, to get closer to the voter," said Karolina Farska, a student activist and one of the organisers of nationwide protests following the murder of Kuciak.

Candles burn in memory of murdered Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, in front of the Slovak government building in Bratislava. Photo: EPA-EFE/MATEJ KALINA

Farska is part of an initiative called For Decent Slovakia, working to translate what she says is a yearning for change in Slovakia into votes in elections.

The movement campaigned to get out the vote in favour of what it calls 'democratic' candidates in municipal elections in November 2018, the March presidential election and now the European elections on May 25.

And it is not alone.

2018 'was crazy'

"At first, my motivation was the low turnout," said one of the anonymous administrators of a satirical Facebook page called Zomri, which boasts 190,000...