Double Murder and Anti-Graft Rage to Cast the Die in Slovak Vote

  • Activist Lawyer Caputova leads polls before Saturday runoff
  • EU commissioner Sefcovic hurt by his ties to ruling party
A memorial for Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova in BratislavaPhotographer: Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images
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When Zlatica Kusnirova votes on Saturday, she won’t be alone in thinking of her daughter. Martina, a 27-year-old archaeologist, was killed by a hit man last year along with her investigative-reporter fiancee in a murder that rocked Slovakia.

The slayings exposed a web of corrupt links between business and ruling politicians, sparking the largest street protests since the fall of the Iron Curtain and the resignation of three-time Prime Minister Robert Fico. Although police have since charged a local tycoon for ordering the hit, Kusnirova isn’t satisfied.