Slovakia’s former chief diplomat, Ivan Korčok, who has a pro-European stance, won a surprise victory in the first round of the country’s presidential election.
The contest is expected to show whether Prime Minister Robert Fico will consolidate his influence over the Eastern European country of 5.4 million people or whether voters will choose a counterweight to the government.
Former foreign minister Ivan Korčok, who has pledged to help Slovakia stay within the European mainstream, will face Peter Pellegrini, speaker of parliament and a member of Fico’s ruling coalition, in the final round on 6 April.
“The result of the first round looks promising,” he told reporters. “But to succeed in the second round, we need to do more to address voters in the entire political spectrum.”
Korčok defied polls showing him trailing Pellegrini ahead of the first round of voting, which ended on Saturday with 42.5 percent of the vote. Korkok has pledged to support the pro-European course of current President Zuzana Čaputová, despite the ceremonial role of the president in Slovakia, who can still veto and elect officials. For instance, she has tried to block some legislative initiatives and appointments to key government posts by Fico.
Fizo’s ally, Petter Pellegrini, won 37 percent of the vote and said he would try to win the support of some nationalist voters in the second round. He said a majority of Slovaks don’t want a “liberal, right-wing, progressive” president, indicating that voters prefer a head of state “who won’t drag them into a war.”
Pellegrini’s victory guarantees Fizo more opportunities to advance his programme, which has attracted the scrutiny of the European Union because of his proposal to overhaul parts of the justice system.
