Poll Shows Scant Support for Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar

of Slovaks thought Mečiar was doing a good job as prime minister, compared with just over 60 percent who disapproved. On Tuesday, the European Union criticised Mečiar, questioning his commitment to the rule of law. Slovakia is expected to hold general elections in September but the opposition fears that Meciar, who last week assumed important presidential powers, will try to manipulate the vote. Meciar has used the powers to grant amnesties against prosecution which could embarrass his government, and has sacked about half of Slovakia's ambassadors. The survey was conducted before the onset of a constitutional crisis last week when the then President Michal Kováč, a bitter foe of Mečiar, stepped down at the end of his term without leaving a successor. Another poll by the same agency published at the weekend put combined support for anti-Mečiar parties at 61 percent, compared with 31 percent for the government. Mečiar told a rally last week there was nothing undemocratic about his behaviour, which has been criticised by the United States, NATO and some human rights groups. The EU's British presidency said on Tuesday Mečiar's actions "brings into question his commitment to commonly accepted principles of good governance and the rule of law." Both opinion polls covered what the agency said was a representative sample of 1,196 people.