national populism and slovak – hungarian relations in - MEK

National Populism and Electoral Behaviourterns of electoral behaviour (please see, for instance, Krivý, 1996 or Krivý,2006) indicates conspicuous similarities. The territory inhabited by peoplewho are the most responsive to national populism (please see Map 8) almostperfectly overlaps with the territory of highest voter support for Mr. Meèiar’sHZDS in its heyday between 1992 and 1994.Also, the map justifies a conclusion that in terms of the relative influenceof national and social populism, Slovakia’s territory is divided along a southwest-northeastaxis. Interestingly enough, the same axis divides the countryalso in terms of complex indicators of socio-economic development. In 2005,the Sociological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Science (SAV) examinedsocio-economic and human resource potential of particular districts(Gajdoš, 2005). 28 Map 9 illustrates the study’s findings regarding the territorialstructure of particular types of districts (for the sake of transparency, originaleight types analyzed by the SAV study were merged into four types). Itis plain to see that the territorial structure of Slovakia’s districts according tosocio-economic development largely correlates with their territorial structureaccording to influence of national or social populism.Map 9Slovakia’s districts according to types of socio-economic and humanresource potentialSource: Slovak Academy of Science; map by author.Social & economic situationof districts (2005)most adversefeebledevelopedmost developedNational Populism and Slovak – Hungarian Relations in Slovakia 2006 – 2009. Forum Minority Research Institute Šamorín – Somorja, 2009125