Slovakian regional, mayoral elections back the status quo

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — The results of regional and local elections in Slovakia released Sunday showed that voters didn’t use the ballot to punish the coalition government of Prime Minister Eduard Heger for high inflation driven by soaring energy prices.

The heads of six of the country’s eight regions were re-elected to their posts, while one of the two new leaders is the son of the previous leader, running as an independent, according to the results released on Sunday by the Slovak Statistics Office.

In the remaining region, a candidate supported jointly by the ruling coalition and opposition parties won in a result that still suggested the voters preferred stability over a change.

The far right, which headed a regional government in 2013-17, won only one seat in each of two regional assemblies.

In a separate local election, only one of the eight biggest cities will have a new mayor — after the previous one didn’t seek re-election. Overall, independent candidates won the most mayoral posts across Slovakia

President Zuzana Caputova welcomed the results.

“People have chosen experienced, democratic candidates and in most cases rejected extremism and populism,” Caputova said.