Thousands of people protested in Slovakia on Tuesday against a legislative proposal by nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico to change election rules.
Organised by several opposition parties, around 2,000 demonstrators gathered in the capital, Bratislava, while hundreds joined rallies in other cities across the country, according to the local TV network TA3.
Protests were also reported in Prague, Czech Republic, and Brussels, which hosts European Union institutions.
The focus of the protests is a government proposal to ban postal voting for Slovak citizens living abroad.
Under the plan, citizens residing outside Slovakia would be able to cast their votes in person only at diplomatic missions or designated polling stations, removing their current option to vote by mail during parliamentary elections.
The government suggests, however, that the new system would allow Slovaks abroad to participate in presidential elections. Currently, votes for the presidency are only cast within Slovakia.
The government has defended the proposal, claiming that the new method would safeguard the secrecy of ballots and prevent potential manipulation.
Opposition figures, however, view the move as an attempt to marginalise overseas voters, who have historically leaned towards opposition parties.
Speaking at the Bratislava rally, liberal opposition leader Michal Šimečka accused Prime Minister Fico of trying to "cement his power" by curbing the involvement of tens of thousands of expatriate Slovaks in upcoming parliamentary elections.
