The biggest irony is that, just as Slovakia was consummating its marriage with the west, Mr Meciar was staging a comeback, giving the west, and many Slovaks, the jitters.
The surge of support for independence also sent jitters through the stock market, as shares in companies with large Scottish interest suffered sharp falls in early trading.
Leading shares have reversed early gains as jitters about the UK election and worries about Greece's finances unsettle investors.
The final polls – and the visible jitters among the British elite – gave the yes side confidence that they were on course for victory.
England arrived in Perth 2-0 down, having been obliterated in Brisbane by 277 runs and succumbing to final day jitters in Adelaide as their batsmen collapsed to 129 all out, en route to a six-wicket defeat.
When these two ingredients work together you get energy without the jitters of coffee, creating a perfect balance for studying or sport.
That they recovered to make 278 and cause more than few jitters through the England camp as the ball flew the boundary was down in part to some powerful hitting and in no small measure to some benevolent bowling that tended to put the ball into the arc of the bat swing rather nicely.
Related: Election polling day live: UK market jitters as votes cast in knife-edge poll As Britain goes to the polls on Thursday should anyone else care?
Currency market jitters over the impact of a yes vote on 18 September also intensified in the wake of the YouGov poll, with the value of the pound falling almost two cents against the US dollar to $1.614, a 10-month low.
That sent jitters through stock markets too, with share indices down around Europe.
Global markets were rattled on Tuesday by renewed fears that Greece is close to bankruptcy while tough talk from George Osborne on the UK's position in Europe added to jitters about the region's future.
