Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "This is where I live, so things will work properly here (if I am elected)", "Circle number 22", and a vandal has added "white revolution.sk", the website of the Right and Justice party. Many individual SaS candidates have their own billboards which they presumably have paid for themselves; placed 22nd on the party list Juraj Droba will likely not enter parliament based on the party vote and will need votes for him personally to have a realistic chance.

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "We are raising (a new generation who will win) the world championships (of ice hockey)!", "New law about sponsoring (for ice hockey training programs)", "Let's vote SNS, number 4". This is yet another attempt by SNS to diversify its nationalist and populist messages by appealing to Slovakia's sense of pride in sporting achievement. The 'baby' wearing the gold medal is Marek Uram, a hockey player and political candidate for SNS; it will be interesting to see if this sort of ploy can reach the right sort of voters (those who probably wouldn't otherwise vote) and bring SNS some support for reasons other than the usual anti-Hungarian, anti-Roma sentiments.

Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "An agreement with Slovakia", "Are you going to join too?". This is one of just a handful of SDL billboards in the 2012 campaign, they seem to have a much smaller advertising budget this time around than they did for the 2010 campaign. The 'agreement' with Slovakia they are referring to is part of the party platform, intended to establish themselves as a left-wing alternative to SMER. During the 2010 campaign there were suggestions that the party was being used as a decoy to draw left-wing votes away from SMER, with funding and support provided by backers of SDKU and other right-wing parties.

Change from Below (ZZ) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Let's turn the state right-side up", "We are the right solution", "Change from below, democratic union". Ján Budaj takes a more light-hearted approach with this billboard, rather like the SaS ads for the 2012 campaign. The choice of party name "Change from Below" suggests a movement led by common citizens, in much the same way that 99% and Ordinary People do. Ján Budaj may have name recognition with many voters, but the party has effectively no chance of entering parliament after the 2012 election.

Most-Híd - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Cooperation without prejudice", and a vandal has added the words "Enough, get out". This is another Most-Híd billboard offering a message of reconciliation between Slovaks and Hungarians which is written only in Slovak. They seem to have decided that including Hungarian on billboards frightens away some potential Slovak voters, so Hungarian is only used on advertising in towns and regions with larger Hungarian populations.

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "How much longer are we going to support (and pay) for the Roma (Gypsies)?", "We're changing this!", "Let's vote for SNS, number 4". This is one of several anti-Roma billboards the SNS have run in the 2012 campaign. The picture was chosen to show Slovak voters that although Roma are poor, they all seem to have enough money for satellite dishes, and the pole in the background may indicate illegal connections to the electricity grid. Roma NGO organisations have protested against the racist hate speech included on these billboards, but SNS has not agreed to remove them, unlike in the 2010 campaign. One billboard accuses Ordinary People leader Igor Matovič of wanting to include Roma candidates in his party list; Slota was quoted as saying in response to this that "If the public vote for 150 Roma to be in parliament, then we will have a Roma parliament... now is that racist?" At least he still feels he must explain and defend his racist attacks, unlike Hungary's Jobbik who make no apologies for their hateful opinions...

Direction-Social Democracy (SMER) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "People deserve certainty", "Let's vote for SMER, number 11". SMER's 2012 campaign is designed make them look like the natural ruling party for Slovakia, in contrast to the fractious and discredited right-wing parties. All their ads for the 2012 campaign are identical except for the picture of the candidate, which keeps the message people receive simple and clear - people deserve certainty, which the current government couldn't provide. Why SMER voters seem to disregard Fico's links to Penta in the Gorilla case as insufficient to warrant changing their minds about voting for him appears to be a kind of mass public brainwashing...

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "16% flat tax", "Let's be the best in the EU!", "Let's vote for SNS, number 4". A vandal has helpfully added the words "You thief" across the image of Slota. SNS seems to have decided that if they want to make it into parliament again this time they can't only focus their campaign on bashing Hungarians and the Roma (which is their usual plan), they actually need to have other party issues. The economy is an area SNS doesn't usually get involved in, but since it is a top priority with voters SNS needs to show that they are in touch with the needs of today's citizens. 'So could you explain your tax plan to us in more detail, Mr. Slota?' 'Well, umm.....".

Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Responsible decisions", "For more jobs in Slovakia". Given the black cloud that currently hangs over SDKU during the 2012 campaign, slogans like this will do little to reassure voters about the party's values. Billboards featuring Žitňanská will have a better chance of attracting votes than those with Mikloš and Dzurinda at the moment, since she appears to represent a new direction for the future of the party...

Ordinary People Party (OL) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Together, let's prevent politicians from robbing Slovakia", "Ordinary people and independent personalities". The use of gorilla images has been popular with many of the new parties such as 99% and OL, such as this example with a gorilla face hiding in the background. Matovič has suggested that all politicians in parliament should take lie-detector tests to see if they have ever taken a bribe, though this didn't go down so well with many of the candidates in his own party...

Slovak Citizen's Party (SOSKA) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "All of these (people above) want change", "Peter Marček, party leader". For a party that voters know almost nothing about, SOSKA need to do a little more to present their platform and ideas than simply saying they want 'change'. This is yet another fringe party with no hope of entering parliament, yet someone is willing to fund the advertising budget for their campaign...

Right and Justice Party - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Right and Justice", "A new party of honourable people". The 'new' part is correct, the second statement is a little harder to prove...

The Green Party - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "I love number 9 (the number on the ballot paper)", "We are protecting the health of the natural environment", "The Green Party - it belongs in government". I think the first step towards winning some votes for the party is not wearing that 70's-style suit jacket anymore Mr. Král...

Change from Below (ZZ) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Let's remove the Mafia from politics", "Change from Below, Democratic Union". Ján Budaj is the sort of person who has the moral authority to make statements about cleaning up politics, given his status as a famous former anti-communist activist. However, it seems unlikely that his party will have much impact at the polls since the current election environment has many small new parties that are all offering essentially the same message of fighting corruption.

99% Party - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "If politicians can manage to approve billions (of Euros) for the Euro bailout fund, they should know how to increase the minimum wage too", "I'm also part of the 99%", "99% wants a change for the better". 99% has made increasing the minimum wage a major part of their campaign platform, in keeping with their pledge to promote the needs and concerns of common citizens. Such populist proposals are fine, but the party seems to have little else to say about what they would do in government.

Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "For a future generation!", "The future is Freedom and Solidarity", "Let's vote for number six", and a vandal has added the words "My bitch". This is part of an attention-grabbing series of SaS billboards featuring the candidates with children and young people who are related to them. The main message here appears to be "Look at how big my ears are"...

Right and Justice Party - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "Let's vote for number 7", "Right and Justice". This is the only billboard thus far from the 2012 campaign that has made me laugh - Right and Justice ride into town with the cavalry to defeat the gorillas. It's such a poorly photoshopped image that it's painfully obvious that the candidates are not actually sitting on the horses, and the horses are superimposed on the green fields in the background. I'm not sure who in the party said "Let's all be on horseback in the advertising photos!", but I doubt this phoney-looking scene is what they originally had in mind...

Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads (in Slovak and Hungarian): "Teaching (schoolchildren) in the mother tongue!", "This issue needs a solution". SMK continue to face a difficult battle in the 2012 campaign with Most-Híd, and it looks unlikely that they will enter parliament for the second election in a row. This message represents Hungarian concerns that future state language laws under a SMER government may further restrict education options for minorities. This billboard was just a few metres away from an SNS billboard demanding the exact opposite, that Slovak should be the only state language everywhere in the country.

99% Party - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "One of our priorities is: Raising the minimum wage", "We are common citizens from all of Slovakia", "We are also (part of the) 99%", "99% wants a change for the better". Billboards promoting 99% are everywhere ahead of the 2012 election, but few people have any idea exactly who is running the party or who most of the top candidates are. Rumours abound about who is paying for their advertising which includes many TV ad spots. The current post-Gorilla political environment has led to many new populist left-oriented parties attracting support, though 99% is less likely to make it into parliament than Ordinary People (OS).

Slovak National Party (SNS) - Bratislava, 2012

The text reads: "For 140 years we have protected Slovak territory!", "(Viktor) Orbán's boat is sinking". This is one of my favourite SNS billboards of the 2012 campaign because of the cartoon Orbán next to the cartoonish Slota. The Hungarian economy is indeed on shaky ground at the moment and Orbán has led Hungary on a heavy-handed path of consolidation of power resulting in frosty relations with Brussels, but I'm not sure I can agree that Orbán's political boat is sinking. Fidesz are low in the opinion polls, but no other party (especially on the left) has appeared which could realistically challenge them, so the support Fidesz is losing is going into the undecided column or to the extremist Jobbik camp. If Jobbik succeeds in becoming a major political force in Hungary this would be far more dangerous for Slovakia than any moves made by Orbán.