Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) - Dolný Kubín, 2010

The text reads: "After the 12th of June we want a Slovakia which works for everyone", "and for young families too". Concern for the needs of young families was one of the common themes of the campaign, with several different parties targeting their advertising to focus on this issue.

Unaffiliated advertising (anti-SMER) - Bardejov, 2010

The text reads: "He (Robert Fico) gave power to Slota and Mečiar, he will do it again!", "Stop the SMER-SNS-HZDS coalition", "Change is in your hands. Come and vote!". This sticker is not affiliated with SDKU, although the designer has used their colours and layout. The message cleverly parodies the SMER billboards which accused the SDKU of past mistakes and claimed that they would do it again in a new SDKU-KDH-SMK coalition.

Unia-Party for Slovakia - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "More for our city", "Heart for Bratislava". Unia ran a greater variety of different billboards during the campaign than any other party, despite their fringe status. Is Záhradník wearing red lipstick in this picture? He appears to be trying to present himself as a potential heart-throb...

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text originally read: "So that tomorrow we don't have to wonder", but vandals have altered it so that it reads: "So that tomorrow they are wondering", "Don't vote (for the SNS)". This was done the day before the 2010 election, so I assume the altered caption is intended to mean that the SNS will be wondering about their future as a party after the election. SNS and HZDS billboards were popular targets for vandalism and 're-messaging' during the campaign.

Unaffiliated billboard (anti-SMER) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "I have enough (money). Have you (had enough of me)?". This funny portrayal of SMER leader Robert Fico was drawn by Shooty, cartoonist for the newspaper SME. He personally paid for several of these billboards to be displayed, and then he started an online donation fund to get others to help pay for more of them to support the cause to defeat Fico at the polls. The frown on Fico's face isn't too far off his normal expression (he almost never smiles), while Shooty has also redrawn the SMER logo (in the bottom right corner) so that it looks like a pile of smelly crap. The slogan is intended to remind voters that Fico is quite well off financially for someone who claims to speak for the common citizen (and perhaps that he added to his income through corrupt deals during his time in office).

Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Slovakia needs your voice!". Borrowing the American Uncle Sam character is an unusual move in Slovak politics, since it connects SaS to American values, both political and economic. There is a certain comic irony in this image that makes me think it was ineffective and a poor choice for conveying their message. The 'Superman Sulík' SaS billboard was also ironic, but didn't come laden with direct overtones of U.S. influence.

Unia-Party for Slovakia - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Free internet for everyone". This ad contradicts an earlier Unia billboard where they criticised SaS for offering free internet, claiming they were out of touch with the real needs of voters (since many couldn't afford computers).

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "So that our neighbours (Hungarians) don't become our enemies". This is another classic SNS billboard which plays on their usual xenophobic themes. I like the way the Hungarian man pictured (with his stereotypically large moustache) gradually becomes more radicalised moving from left to right, in the final image looking like he is ready to attack (or become a bandit). The irony of the message of course is that the surest way to inflame ethnic hatred between Slovaks and Hungarians is to vote for the SNS and give them seats in parliament where they can further spread their message of xenophobia. As a call to arms for skinhead nationalists though, the message is probably effective...

Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) - Bratislava, 2010

The message reads: "The right way, not the wrong direction", "On Saturday June 12th vote for number 13 - KDH". This is a clever slogan, since it makes it clear that voting for SMER (which means 'direction') is the wrong choice and that voters should choose 'the right way', echoing KDH's main slogan 'We are the way...".

Direction-Social Democracy (SMER) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "They sold out Slovakia, they will do it again!", "Stop the SDKU-KDH-SMK coalition!", "Vote for SMER - Social democracy". The Dzurinda government which ruled until 2006 created a business-friendly environment with a flat tax rate which rapidly accelerated Slovakia's economy. The effects of these pro-business policies finally began to be widely felt just as Robert Fico took power in 2006, and he quickly took the credit for having created the vibrant economy himself. As a populist party, SMER will always portray themselves as the defender of the common voter, while the pro-business policies of the SDKU (which many rural voters believe only benefit Bratislava) made an easy target.

Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "If you want Fico to keep his promises, vote for the Communists", "Heart in the right place". It seems a bit strange for a political party to announce on a billboard that they know they aren't going to win the election (of course, Robert Fico and SMER didn't win the election in the end either), but the Communists seem to think that a statement like this might attract some elderly voters who would otherwise have voted for SMER.

Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "What can politicians do for you if Slovakia no longer exists?". The floods of May and June 2010 in eastern Slovakia were a major event which occurred during the 2010 campaign period. The Green Party candidates running on the SDĽ list attempted to use the floods to draw more attention to the Green party platform, though it had little impact. The floods were a better issue to present than their earlier billboards warning about allergies though...

Direction-Social Democracy (SMER) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "They robbed the disabled, they will do it again!", "Stop the SDKU-KDH-SMK coalition!", "Vote for SMER - Social democracy". In this ad SMER are accusing the previous Dzurinda government of cutting funding for programs for the disabled (which is true, though many programs received less funding due to necessary budget cuts). This is quite a low blow 'kick at the crutches' statement, a sign of just how desperate SMER was in the last week of the 2010 campaign as it became clearer that they would likely lose the election to the right-wing parties in a coalition.

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2010

The original text read: "Mobilise the electorate!", "We aren't giving Slovakia away!". Vandals have changed the text to read: "Voters are mentally defective" (who vote for the SNS). The moustaches add a nice touch as well...

Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads (in Hungarian): "Loyalty to the community". SMK's leader Pál Csáky (pictured in the centre of the first row) stressed how important it was for Hungarian voters to stay unified after Béla Bugár left the party and formed the rival Most-Híd party. SMK would later fail to enter parliament after taking just 4.3% of the vote in 2010, a result which had a lot to do with the party leaders - Bugár's personal popularity ratings in the polls were well above those of Csáky's.

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Plavecký Štvrtok, I have the solution", "We are voting for SNS, we are circling number 23". Plavecký Štvrtok is a village to the north of Bratislava near Malacky which has the largest Roma settlement in western Slovakia. Quite bluntly, the SNS are suggesting that the solution to the 'Roma problem' in the village is to bring in bulldozers and demolish the Roma settlement. It is rather shocking for Western observers to see such blatantly racist media attacks made in public with little response or public outcry, but that is the way of things in much of central and eastern Europe where the Roma are considered less than human by even well-educated citizens.

Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Those who vote for Fico are also voting for Slota and Mečiar", "On Saturday June 12th vote for number 13, KDH". While SMER was running ads accusing the SDKU of wanting to form a coalition with the Hungarian party SMK, this ad from KDH appeared which reminded voters of the other possible coalition, a continuation of the SMER-led government which included SNS and HZDS. Although it is an attack ad, I think this is quite an effective message and could have been used to greater effect if KDH had started using it earlier in the campaign.

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "So that tomorrow we don't have to wonder" (if we will lose our Slovak sovereignty to the Hungarians). The Slovak flag is presented in the Hungarian colours to symbolise the slow, creeping takeover of Slovakia by Hungarian interests, a development which the SNS wants all ethnic Slovaks to remain fearful of. Attacks on the Hungarian and Roma minorities formed the basis for nearly all of the SNS ads that appeared in the 2010 campaign.

Unia-Party for Slovakia - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Young people are voting for change, young people are voting for Unia!". Like SaS, Unia pushed hard to position themselves as the party for young educated voters. Unia were less successful since they came across as a group of arrogant and wealthy business leaders who couldn't connect with the common voter. The 'superhuman' look is again used for the pictures of both candidates.

Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) - Bratislava, 2010

The text reads: "Change is within reach!", "Come and vote on June 12, 2010", "We can do it!". In the last few days of the 2010 campaign SDKU worked hard to get people motivated to come to the polling stations, since they would be harmed by a low turnout more than parties like SMER. They also wanted to present the idea that it was possible for them and their right-wing coalition partners to defeat SMER (opinion polls at the time suggested this) and that every vote against SMER really could make a difference.