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.

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.

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...

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

The text reads: "What can politicians do for you if Slovakia no longer exists?". This is a rather sharply worded reminder of the major floods which occurred in eastern Slovakia in May and June 2008 during the election campaign. All the parties made an effort to publicly show their care and concern for what was happening in the east - I remember attending a SMER rally where it was announced that the evening's entertainment with several comedians had been cancelled to show respect for those who were suffering in Spiš region.

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

The text reads: "New SDĽ, a real certainty", "we aren't going to quit". SDĽ was a new party founded (in 2005) with the same name as an old Slovak political party from the 1990's which later merged with SMER. SDĽ had an incredible number of billboards in the 2010 campaign for such a small party, it's questionable where they got the financial backing for their advertising, especially considering their election result of 2.5%. At the time, rumours circulated that they were financed by supporters of SDKU who hoped that SDĽ could draw some votes away from their main rival, SMER.

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

The text reads: "By the time I am old enough to vote, it will already be too late", "Five years from now half the population will suffer from allergies" "Green party on the SDĽ candidate list". The Green Party is not a major factor in Slovak politics (yet), and in the 2010 elections they had a number of candidates which ran on the SDĽ party list. Their concern about allergies as the main environmental problem in Slovakia seems quite odd, since most European Green parties focus on bigger issues like closing nuclear reactors or curbing air and water pollution. Perhaps they decided that allergies were something that the average voter could relate to more easily than deforestation or carbon footprints.

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

The text reads: "We are lowering food prices", "We aren't going to quit". SDĽ made several populist promises like this in its well-funded advertising campaign (exactly how they would lower food prices isn't explained), but their vote result was still around 2.5% leaving them out of parliament.

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

The text reads: "The certainty of work, the certainty of living" (meaning a stable quality of life for citizens), "We aren't going to quit".

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

The text reads: "Rental housing for young people", "We aren't going to quit". Affordable housing for young families is a significant problem in Bratislava, where high rental costs often force the young to continue living with their parents. SDĽ made improving the housing situation an important part of their platform and it featured in many of their campaign ads.

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

The text reads: "Medications without extra fees" and "We aren't going to quit".