BRATISLAVA: Slovaks on Saturday cast ballots for a new president with Russia’s offensive in neighbouring Ukraine the main point of contention between the two presidential candidates who went into the presidential election neck in neck in recent polls.
The runoff election pits pro-West diplomat Ivan Korcok against Ukraine-sceptic parliament speaker Peter Pellegrini, with their differing stances on the Ukraine-Russia conflict potentially reshaping Slovakia’s foreign policy trajectory.
Populist Prime Minister Robert Fico’s controversial questioning of Ukraine’s sovereignty and calls for peace with Russia have propelled the conflict into the forefront of the electoral campaign in the nation of 5.4 million people.
Korcok, a former foreign minister and staunch Ukraine supporter, and Pellegrini, a former prime minister, are competing to succeed outgoing liberal President Zuzana Caputova. Their face-off comes after neither secured a decisive victory in last month’s initial ballot.
While Slovakia’s presidency is largely ceremonial, the elected president plays a crucial role in ratifying international treaties, appointing top judges, and serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The final pre-election polls indicate a neck-and-neck race, with Pellegrini holding a slight lead at 51 percent over Korcok’s 49 percent. The tight contest has kept analysts on edge, with turnout expected to be decisive in determining the outcome.
The election has seen voters deeply divided over their preferred candidates’ positions on foreign policy and the Ukraine crisis. Pellegrini, aligning with Fico’s government, has advocated for peace talks with Russia, while Korcok has championed Slovakia’s pro-European and pro-Western stance.
