Slovaks elect president this Saturday between two candidates reflecting the country's polarization over the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the pro-European Ivan Korcokwhich is committed to supporting the kyiv resistance, and Peter Pellegrinithe Government candidate who supports negotiating an end to the war with Moscow.
The polls predict a very close result, without a favorite candidate, according to Efe. Korcok, a 59-year-old former foreign minister, close to the progressive and liberal opposition, won the first round by surprise two weeks ago. with 42.5% support, compared to Pellegrini's 37%eleven years younger and current President of Parliament.
Both aspire to replace Zuzana Caputovathe liberal and pro-European lawyer who in 2019 became the first head of state, with a message of political renewal in the face of popular indignation against the then, and again now, prime minister, Robert Fico, caused by the murder of the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak.
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In these elections it is the growing polarization due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has marked the political discourse. Slovakia was one of the countries that with more determination it supported Ukraine militarily from the beginning of the Russian invasion until the new Government, headed by the populist Fico, and of which Hlas (The Voice), the party led by Pellegrini, took office last October, and stopped sending aid, reports Efe.
Peace with Russia or support for Ukraine
In fact, Pellegrini advocates starting negotiations with Russia now to end the conflict, even at the cost of Ukraine giving up the territory occupied by Russian troops.
Korcok, for his part, defends continuing to support kyiv militarily to resist Russian aggression. Hlas is a split from Smer, Fico's party, the politician who has been at the head of the Government for the longest time in Slovakia and which in recent years has shifted towards anti-immigration, anti-vaccine and pro-Russian positions.
Both Smer and Hlas have been suspended from the group of European socialists for agreeing a coalition with the ultranationalist SNS party. The murder of Kuciak, who was investigating links between organized crime and political power, forced Fico in 2018 to resign as prime minister and give the position to Pellegrini.
Slovak presidential candidate, former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, attends a television debate on RTVS (Radio and Television of Slovakia) before the second round of the Slovak presidential election in Bratislava.
Pellegrini runs as the president of “peace” and accuses Korcok of being a warmonger, with messages such as “Slovakia will not send any soldiers to Ukraine”, in clear allusion to the approach of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, that it may be necessary to send troops to help Kiev.
Korcok, for his part, presents himself as a “counterweight” to the Fico Executivewhich he considers a danger to the rule of law.
Fight against corruption
The Fico Government, very close to the ultranationalist Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, has dissolved, for example, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and promoted a radical reform of the penal code which the opposition interprets as an amnesty for oligarchs related to power.
This Prosecutor's Office investigated numerous cases of corruption of Smer politicians, whose resolution is now uncertain. If Korcok is the new president, he can alter relations with Orbán, considered the Kremlin's greatest ally in Europe and a permanent critic of the European Union.
Political analysts consider that Pellegrini will not have an easy time attracting the essential votes which was the third place finisher in the first round, the ultranationalist Stefan Harabin. Harabin, who obtained 11.7% with pro-Russian rhetoric and advocating leaving NATO and becoming a neutral country like Switzerland, is in many ways at the ideological antipodes of Pellegrini, according to Efe.
Pellegrini also aims to achieve the support of the Hungarian minority, 10% of the population, and which had a low turnout in the first round. The Government candidate must also mobilize in his favor the vote of his main partner, the Smer de Ficoto be able to stand up to Korcok and overcome the five-point difference from the first round.
In Slovakia, the powers of the president, whose term lasts five years, are mainly representative. He is the head of the armed forces, appoints the prime minister and members of his cabinetand calls elections and referendums.
Although his functions are limited, the president can play an important role in the event of an institutional crisis. On the voters' decision he can weigh the socio-economic situation of the country, hit by inflation and the emigration of young people and talents.
