BRATISLAVA, October 1./TASS/. The Direction - Social Democracy (SMER) Party led by ex-Prime Minister Robert Fico is leading in the Saturday’s parliamentary election in Slovakia after data from 98.13% of the polling stations has been processed, the country’s Statistical Office reports.

The party wins the support of 23.42% of the voters. The liberal movement Progressive Slovakia comes second with 16.75% of the votes. The Voice - Social Democracy party, led by Peter Pellegrini, is behind it with 15.07% of the voters. Slovak political analysts predict that the two social democratic parties will form a new government coalition.

Fico, who twice served as Slovak prime minister, says he intends to end military aid to Ukraine and believes that anti-Russian sanctions are hurting the European Union. In his view, Western arms deliveries to Kiev "will not change the course of the war." He urged the EU and the US to use their influence to pressure Ukraine and Russia to reach a compromise peace agreement.

At the same time, Fico emphasizes that he is acting in Slovak interests and is not a pro-Russian politician. The Social Democrats support Bratislava's membership in the EU and NATO, but on some issues they have different views from those officially declared in Brussels, media say. Slovak media also noted that the return of the SMER party to power could entail a significant change in Slovakia's politics, where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban would become Fico’s closest ally in the European Union.