Close ally of Prime Minister Fico leads a pro-Western diplomat who will become the Prime Minister of Slovakia

A close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico defeated a pro-Western career diplomat to become Slovakia’s new president, succeeding Zuzana Caputov, the country’s first female head of state.

Parliament President Peter Pellegrini received 53.85 percent of the vote with ballots from more than 98 percent of polling stations counted by the Bureau of Statistics in Saturday’s second election, surpassing former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, who received 46 .14 ​​percent had.

Korcok admitted defeat and congratulated the winner.

“I’m disappointed,” he said.

Pellegrini will become Slovakia’s sixth president since the country became independent following the split from Czechoslovakia in 1993.

Caputov, a staunch supporter of neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, did not seek a second term in the largely ceremonial post.

Pellegrini’s victory strengthened Fico’s grip on power by giving him and his allies control of key strategic posts.

After parliamentary elections, the president of the country with 5.4 million inhabitants chooses the prime minister, swears in the new government and appoints the judges of the Constitutional Court. The president can also veto laws, although Parliament can override this veto with a simple majority and challenge it in the Constitutional Court. The head of state also has the right to pardon convicts.

The government, led by the prime minister, has most executive powers.

Fico’s left-wing party Smer (Direction) won the parliamentary elections on September 30 on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform.

The 48-year-old Pellegrini, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party, which finished third in the vote and joined a governing coalition with Fico and the ultranationalist Slovak National Side.

Critics are concerned that Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbn.

The new government immediately stopped all arms deliveries to Ukraine. Thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to oppose Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to change the criminal code and take control of public media.

Korcok was critical of government measures that protesters fear could undermine the rule of law, while Pellegrini supported the new government and did not question its policies.

Korcok is the former ambassador to the United States and Germany who also served as the country’s envoy to NATO and the European Union. He strongly supports Slovakia’s membership of the EU and NATO.

Pellegrini, Fico’s former deputy in Smer, became prime minister in 2018 after Fico was forced to resign following major street protests against the government over the murder of journalist Jn Kuciak and his fiancée.

Pellegrini had temporarily parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous elections in 2020.

With Pellegrini’s victory, Fico recovered from two consecutive presidential election losses. Fico was defeated by Andrej Kiska in the presidential election a decade ago, while Caputov claimed victory over a candidate he supported in the 2019 election.

First print: April 7, 2024 | 6:58 am IST