“Namely because of the situation we’ve seen since 2016, when a party supposedly built on a neo-Nazi ideology entered parliament,” said Vilagi from Comenius University in Bratislava.

She was referring to the far-right Kotleba – People’s Party Our Slovakia (LSNS), which is polling in second or third place ahead of the country’s February 29 parliamentary election.

“This is a threat in any liberal democracy, especially since this party has gained more and more popularity in the past four years.”

Widely seen as neo-fascist, the LSNS of former schoolteacher Marian Kotleba has consistently placed second only to the ruling SMER-SD party in polls over the past two months, with voter support of 12-14 per cent.

In the latest poll by AKO polling agency, it dipped into third place (behind SMER-SD and the populist Ordinary People party) but still clocked up a significant 12 per cent. That puts it well on track to become a major force in parliament.

At the last election four years ago, Kotleba’s party won 14 seats in the 150-seat national assembly with eight per cent of votes.

“The consequences of these elections will forecast the future direction of the country,” said Vilagi, adding that political discussion has already shifted from topics like welfare, the economy, the environment and family policies to the very question of democracy’s survival.

“We’re talking about a direction towards an authoritarian regime or saving the character of democracy.”

We’re talking about a direction towards an authoritarian regime or saving the character of democracy.

Although LSNS has little chance of winning a majority, it could come to power on the back of more traditional if populist parties, analysts say.

SMER-SD led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico has already relied on LSNS votes to pass several pieces of legislation in recent years. During campaigning, Fico has pointedly attacked the liberal opposition while sparing the neo-fascist party.

Kotleba himself has the liberal opposition in his sights, mostly laying into the Progressive Slovakia/Together coalition and the liberal For the People party started recently by former President Andrej Kiska.

Despite promises not to go into coalition with LSNS, analysts fear SMER-SD politicians might go back on their word under certain circumstances.