Lajcak could soon leave emissar's post for dialogue

A party led by a pro-Kremlin figure won elections in Slovakia on Sunday, show the preliminary results of the vote.

According to preliminary results released by Slovakia's Statistics Office at 9am local time, the populist SMER party of politician Robert Fico won 22.9% of the vote.

Fico is a close ally of Miroslav Lajcak, the European Union's emissary for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

While Fico is expected to be appointed Slovakia's new prime minister, it is likely that a role in the new government will be offered to Lajcak, reports The Economist.

The Economist reports that Fico can appoint Lajcak to his old post as foreign minister of Slovakia, removing him from the post of the EU special emissary for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

After the latest meeting in the dialogue on September 14th, Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused the European mediator of dialogue for normalising reports with Serbia, that it is “available” against Kosovo.

Kurti said that in the latest round of dialogue, he had a clear position of mediator against Kosovo in general, against the [directing the normalisation of reports] in particular”, referring to EU special envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

Lajcak has served as Slovakia's top diplomat in 2009-2010 and for eight years from 2012 to 2020.