The latest survey conducted by the IPSOS agency, released on Wednesday, showed that the liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko was gaining ground on the Slovak opposition party SMER-SSD, led by former prime minister Robert Fico.

Support for SMER-SDD was 20.6% compared to 19.8% for Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia – PS) in the poll, which was conducted for the news website www.dennikn.sk between September 22 and September 25. From a survey conducted between September 15 and September 19, PS increased by 2.6 percentage points, while SMER-SSD increased by 0.3 percentage points.

The poll showed eight parties would win seats in the parliament. However, none would secure a majority and would need to rely on partners to rule. How coalition building could develop was far from certain.

Slovaks head to the polls earlier than planned after a centre-right coalition government collapsed last year and a caretaker government took over in May.

Illegal migration and Slovakia’s support for Ukraine have been among top issues for parties campaigning, with Fico looking to return his SMER-SSD party to power with pledges to defend national interests and end military support for Kyiv.

That would be a shift in policy that Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka has warned could push the country into isolation. He has promised to maintain support for Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion, in line with EU and NATO partners.