by Clifford F. Thies

The Center-right bloc scored a surprising victory in the parliamentary election just concluded in Slovakia.

The four parties of the center-right, one of which is a newly-formed flat-tax party popular among the young people of the country, secured a majority in the parliament. The current prime minister, leader of the Social Democrats, all but conceded the election, saying he is ready to lead the opposition in parliament. Iveta Radicova, leader of the Christian Democrats of Slovakia, who looks likely to be the next prime minister of her country, described the victory as a "morning miracle."

In Slovakia, the center-right bloc is the more inclusive (with respect to Hungarians and Roma people). For example, Ms Radicova says that the laws must go that criminalize use of the Hungarian language in certain instances and forbid dual citizenship.

Contributing to this surprising victory was the failure of the Peoples Party to meet the threshold for representation in the parliament. Accordingly, even though the popular vote was close between the ruling, center left/far-right coalition and the opposition center-right, the center-right won a clear majority of the seats in parliament.

Outgoing ruling, center-left/far-right coalition (69 seats)
Social Democrats 35% (62)
Slovak Nationalists 5% (7)
Peoples Party 4% (0)

Center-right bloc (77)
Slovak Christian Democrats 15% (26)
Freedom Party 12% (22)
Slovak-Hungarian Bridge Party 8% (15)
Hungarian Christian Democrats 8% (14)

Note the Freedom Party (SaS), supportive of the flat tax is identified by The Economist as "the free market party."