Slovakia has voted in the
presidential runoff and chosen an ally of nationalist and
pro-Russian premier Robert Fico as president for the next five
years: it is the current head of parliament, Peter Pellegrini,
who defeated the opposition candidate, diplomat Ivan Korcok,
accelerating the populist drift in the Eastern European country.
When 96 percent of the polling stations had been counted,
Pellegrini was ahead with 54 percent of the vote to the 46
percent that went to Korcok subverting the result of the first
round two weeks ago and also of exit-polls circulated at the
close of the polls in the up to the last most uncertain round
since direct election of the head of state was introduced in
1999. An all-populist institutional constellation has thus
formed in Bratislava, and the levee against Fico represented so
far by outgoing President Zuzana Caputová, his opponent,
collapses. "The future direction of the country depends on the
elections," the 60-year-old Korcok, who-supported by three
opposition parties-wanted to keep Bratislava in the European
fold and is strongly pro-Ukraine in its war to defend itself
from Russian attack, had said while speaking at the polling
station.
Evidently aware of international concern over Fico's
positions that to appeal for peace with Moscow calls into
question Ukraine's territorial integrity, the 48-year-old
Pellegrini had argued that the vote "does not affect the future
direction of Slovakia's foreign policy" and assured, "I
guarantee that we will continue to be a strong member of the EU"
and NATO.
The presidency in Slovakia is largely ceremonial, but the head
of state can always veto laws and appoint key officials
resulting now, with Pellegrini, an element of support for Fico's
choices.According to his detractors, the premier is 'orbanizing'
the country with steps on the judiciary, media and Russia that
recall those taken by Viktor Orban in Hungary.In office since
last October, the government made up of Fico's Smer party,
Pellegrini's Hlas and the small far-right Sns formation has
halted state military aid to Ukraine. Korciok, foreign minister
for the 2020-2022 biennium, had surprisingly won in the first
round two weeks ago with 42.5 percent of the vote, beating
Pellegrini, who placed second with 37.0 percent.
As predicted by some analysts, decisive should be supporters
of former Justice Minister Stefan Harabin, a nationalist with
pro-Russian and anti-NATO positions, who received 11.7 percent
of the vote and thus managed to turn the tide.
Pellegrini was a minister in Fico's previous governments and
even replaced him as head of government in 2018: although he was
his rival for a time, he admitted in a televised campaign debate
that "I am running to save Robert Fico's government."The
election, albeit by a narrow margin, enshrined that the majority
of Slovakia's 4.3 million voters are satisfied with the
direction the country has taken under Fico's rule and do not
want to correct his policies although they are challenged by
demonstrations in recent weeks: protests triggered mainly by
changes to the Criminal Code suspected of seeking to protect the
premier's entourage and a dispute over control of the public
broadcaster Rtvs, but also by restrictions on aid to Ukraine.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
