June 10 (Reuters) - Slovaks choose a new parliament on
Saturday in the country's first election since joining the euro
zone in January 2009. Here are important facts about some of the
country's main party leaders.
ROBERT FICO, SMER
Fico, 45, Slovakia's most popular politician and a tireless political campaigner, became prime minister in July 2006, succeeding pro-market reformist Mikulas Dzurinda.
The lead of Fico's leftist SMER party over centre-right rivals has narrowed markedly, the latest polls show, paving the way for right-wing opposition parties to win a majority and form the next cabinet.
Fico has pursued a stronger role for the state in the economy, halted privatisation projects, boosted the power of the unions and increased protection for workers.
He has had a hostile, litigious relationship with the media, refusing interviews. Fico's cabinet in 2008 amended the law to force media to printed unedited responses from any person or institution they have reported on, even if the published information is true, drawing international criticism.
Thanks to years of stellar economic growth, Fico's cabinet was able to afford a more generous welfare and social agenda than his predecessors.
Fico is a trained lawyer who was Slovakia's representative to the European Court of Human Rights for six years.
He is married with one son, and spends some of his free time playing soccer.
IVETA RADICOVA, SKDU-DS
Radicova, 53, is a professor of sociology and was a presidential candidate in the 2009 election, which she lost to incumbent Ivan Gasparovic.
She was labour and social affairs minister in 2005-2006 in the second centre-right government of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. Radicova joined Dzurinda's SDKU party in 2006 and became a vice-chairman.
She became the party's top election candidate in February, after Dzurinda decided to step down following Fico's accusations of SDKU being involved in a money-laundering scheme. Dzurinda and his faction declined any wrongdoing.
Radicova is widowed with a daughter.
- For an interview with Radicova pls see
RICHARD SULIK, SaS
Sulik, 42, a new Slovak political star, is a successful businessman who was an adviser to ex-finance minister Ivan Miklos. He is the 'godfather' of the 19 percent flat tax system in Slovakia.
Sulika graduated in 2003 from the University of Economics in Bratislava with a thesis entitled 'Tax reform in the Slovak Republic'.
Sulik's economically liberal Sloboda a Solidarita, or Freedom and Solidarity party, soared to the second spot in the latest opinion poll, behind Fico's Smer
(Reporting by Martin Santa; Editing by Mark Heinrich) r Keywords: SLOVAKIA ELECTION/LEADERS (martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com; +421 2 5341 8402; Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
ROBERT FICO, SMER
Fico, 45, Slovakia's most popular politician and a tireless political campaigner, became prime minister in July 2006, succeeding pro-market reformist Mikulas Dzurinda.
The lead of Fico's leftist SMER party over centre-right rivals has narrowed markedly, the latest polls show, paving the way for right-wing opposition parties to win a majority and form the next cabinet.
Fico has pursued a stronger role for the state in the economy, halted privatisation projects, boosted the power of the unions and increased protection for workers.
He has had a hostile, litigious relationship with the media, refusing interviews. Fico's cabinet in 2008 amended the law to force media to printed unedited responses from any person or institution they have reported on, even if the published information is true, drawing international criticism.
Thanks to years of stellar economic growth, Fico's cabinet was able to afford a more generous welfare and social agenda than his predecessors.
Fico is a trained lawyer who was Slovakia's representative to the European Court of Human Rights for six years.
He is married with one son, and spends some of his free time playing soccer.
IVETA RADICOVA, SKDU-DS
Radicova, 53, is a professor of sociology and was a presidential candidate in the 2009 election, which she lost to incumbent Ivan Gasparovic.
She was labour and social affairs minister in 2005-2006 in the second centre-right government of Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda. Radicova joined Dzurinda's SDKU party in 2006 and became a vice-chairman.
She became the party's top election candidate in February, after Dzurinda decided to step down following Fico's accusations of SDKU being involved in a money-laundering scheme. Dzurinda and his faction declined any wrongdoing.
Radicova is widowed with a daughter.
- For an interview with Radicova pls see
RICHARD SULIK, SaS
Sulik, 42, a new Slovak political star, is a successful businessman who was an adviser to ex-finance minister Ivan Miklos. He is the 'godfather' of the 19 percent flat tax system in Slovakia.
Sulika graduated in 2003 from the University of Economics in Bratislava with a thesis entitled 'Tax reform in the Slovak Republic'.
Sulik's economically liberal Sloboda a Solidarita, or Freedom and Solidarity party, soared to the second spot in the latest opinion poll, behind Fico's Smer
(Reporting by Martin Santa; Editing by Mark Heinrich) r Keywords: SLOVAKIA ELECTION/LEADERS (martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com; +421 2 5341 8402; Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.