Slovakia News: A populist pro-Moscow party led by former PM Robert Fico has won Slovakia’s parliamentary elections, with almost all votes counted.

The Smer-SSD party had a clear lead with almost 24 percent of the vote despite exit polls suggesting victory by a liberal centrist party. Smer has pledged an immediate end to military support for Ukraine.

Mr Fico was forced to step down as PM following the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak in 2018. He will be expected to start coalition talks on forming the next government.

The liberal Progressive Slovakia party, which exit polls suggested had won the election, polled about 17 percent. The pro-European Hlas party, which could decide who forms the next government, came third with 15 percent.

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Former Fico colleague and leftist Hlas leader Peter Pellegrini kept his options open on future coalitions.