In the presidential runoff election in Slovakia, a European-oriented candidate and a confidant of the Russia-friendly Prime Minister Fico are competing against each other. A head-to-head race is expected.
The decisive second round of the presidential election began in Slovakia this morning. Around 4.4 million eligible voters are expected to decide in a runoff election between the Social Democratic Parliament Speaker Peter Pellegrini and the liberal former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok.
Surveys suggest a neck-and-neck race. In the first round on March 23rd, Korcok surprisingly won by five and a half percentage points. The 60-year-old is a supporter of Ukraine and is running as an independent candidate but is supported by the opposition parties. The 48-year-old Pellegrini, on the other hand, is an ally of the Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico. The war against Ukraine was loud ARD correspondent Danko Handrick a defining issue in the election campaign.
“Orbanization” of Slovakia?
There have been huge protests against the government for weeks. The left-wing populist Fico pushed through a controversial judicial reform and dissolved an anti-corruption public prosecutor’s office. This reduced the penalties for corruption and significantly shortened the statute of limitations, including for rape and murder. Opposition parties criticize the measures as a “pro-mafia package”: The actual aim is to sweep corruption cases from previous periods in government of the Fico Smer party under the carpet. The EU Commission and the EU Parliament also expressed criticism.
According to Handrick, if Pellegrini wins the election, Slovakia could be “Orbanized.” This means a Russia-friendly course of the government, a restructuring of the legal and media system – which a possible President Pellegrini is likely to support. “All of these are issues that divide society here in Slovakia,” said Handrick tagesschau24.
Results only on Sunday
In today’s election, the voting behavior of the supporters of the seven eliminated presidential candidates is likely to be a deciding factor. The polling stations close at 10 p.m., although there will be slight delays due to technical problems at one polling station, the TASR news agency reported. A result is expected on Sunday morning.
The Slovak president ratifies international treaties, appoints high-ranking judges, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and can veto laws passed by parliament. Liberal incumbent Zuzana Caputova is not running for a second five-year term despite her continued popularity.