Government-backed Peter Pellegrini has been elected president of Slovakia, beating pro-Western diplomat Robert Fico
– 2024-04-06 20:05:48″>Ivan Korčok in the second round of presidential elections.
With 99.8% of the votes counted, Pellegrini secured 53.20% to Korčok’s 46.8%, according to official figures published by the Slovak Statistical Service. Political analysts expected a more ambiguous showdown. The turnout in the second round was 61.2% and was increased compared to the first round of the presidential election.
“It is a great satisfaction,” said Pellegrini addressing his constituents. “I want to be a president who will defend Slovakia’s national interests,” he noted. At the same time, he assured that he intends to do everything so that “Slovakia remains on the side of peace and not on the side of war”.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cast a heavy shadow over the election campaign, particularly after populist Prime Minister Robert Fizzo – a longtime Pellegrini ally – challenged Kiev’s sovereignty and demanded capitulation to Moscow.
Pellegrini had been a minister in Fizzo’s governments. He even succeeded him as prime minister after his government collapsed in 2018 – in the wake of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, who were shot outside their home. The double murder had sparked a wave of protests across the country, forcing Fitso to resign.