The social democratic and official candidate Peter Pellegrini has been the most voted in the second round of the Slovak presidential elections held this Saturday with 55.02 percent of the votes, once 92.89 percent of the votes have been counted, according to data officials collected by the TASR agency.
Pellegrini has thus prevailed over his rival, the liberal Ivan Korcok, who has gained 44.97 percent of support, despite the fact that he was the favorite after being the most voted two weeks ago, in the first round of the elections.
According to preliminary figures, participation in this second round has been around 60 percent, notably exceeding the 52 percent turnout registered in the first round on March 23.
Pellegrini will be the new tenant of the Grasalkovic Palace and will succeed the current head of state, Zuzana Caputova, who has not run as a candidate for reelection “for personal reasons.”
In Slovakia the presidential figure has almost no powers, although he does sign international treaties and appoint judges. It can also, in very specific circumstances, veto laws passed in Parliament.
“A GREAT HONOR AND SATISFACTION”
Pellegrini, who presented himself in this vote as a figure of reconciliation in a society polarized after the protests in mid-March against the Government of Prime Minister Robert Fico for a bill that put the status of the state radio and television station (RTVS) in check. , thanked the citizens for their support and stated that their victory is “an enormous commitment, a great honor and satisfaction.”
“The Government can be sure that as long as it complies with the Government’s Manifesto, it will not have to worry about the Presidential Palace serving as a center of opportunistic and opposition power that harms the Cabinet and the State by hatching plots against it abroad” , declared Pellegrini after knowing the results and this was reported by the aforementioned agency.
For her part, according to TARS, Caputova congratulated Peter Pellegrini by telephone on her victory and urged him to act in such a way that “no sector of society feels defeated.”
Korcok has also congratulated his opponent, admitting that he is “disappointed, but not destroyed” and “wishing Slovakia a president who complies with what is written in the Constitution and who acts independently, based on his own convictions and without receiving orders.” of anyone.”
