national populism and slovak – hungarian relations in - MEK

kálmáN PetõcZ:National Populism and Electoral BehaviourThe course and results of the most recent presidential elections in Slovakiathat took place on March 21 and April 4, 2009, created an impression asif the country was torn asunder in terms of electoral behaviour, into abroader northern stripe and a narrower southern stripe that also included thecapital of Bratislava and the East Slovak metropolis of Košice. Thecoloured map depicting the division of constituencies claimed by the incumbentPresident Ivan Gašparoviè and his challenger Iveta Radièová, a civiccandidate endorsed by opposition parties, became one of the most frequentlypresented media messages related to the elections.Map 1Results of the second round of presidential elections in Slovakia in 2009 –candidates receiving the greatest number of valid ballots in particular electoraldistrictsSource: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic; www.statistics.skNational Populism and Slovak – Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006 – 2009. Forum Minority Research Institute Šamorín – Somorja, 200999