Pellegrini Wins Slovak Presidential Election

Reuters reports Pellegrini Wins Slovak Presidential Election in Boost for Pro-Russian PM Fico

Slovak nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini won the country's presidential election on Saturday, cementing the grip of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico over the country.

Fico, who took power for the fourth time last October, has turned the country's foreign policy to more pro-Russian views and initiated reforms of criminal law and the media, which have raised concerns over weakening the rule of law.

Slovak presidents do not have many executive powers, but can veto laws or challenge them in the constitutional court. They nominate constitutional court judges, who may become important in political strife over the fate of Fico's reforms, which would dramatically ease punishments for corruption.

Pellegrini, 48, said his victory meant the government would have support in its aims, and not face an "opposition, opportunistic power centre" in reference to outgoing liberal president Zuzana Caputova.

The independent Korcok, 60, was Slovakia's envoy to the EU and later ambassador to the U.S., before taking the foreign affairs portfolio in centre-right governments in 2021-2022. At the time, Slovakia was a staunch ally of Ukraine, providing it with air defence and fighter jets.