It is noteworthy, however, that a hard-line element remains active not only in contesting the election but, according to some democratic leaders, in infiltrating democratic parties (such as the Civic Forum) and in trying to stir up Slovak separatism and popular fears about the consequences of economic transition to a more market-oriented economy.
One key element is economic the active articulation between the advanced economic sectors and backward-looking sectors, i.e. sectors that seem like an anachronism in an advanced urban economy.