Slovakia, pro-Russia candidate Peter Pellegrini elected president

Slovakia has voted in the presidential run-off and chosen an ally of the nationalist and pro-Russian premier Robert Fico as president for the next five years: it is the current head of parliament, Peter Pellegrini, who defeated the opposition candidate, diplomat Ivan Korcok, accelerating the populist drift of the Eastern European country. When 96% of the polling stations had been counted, Pellegrini was ahead with 54% of the consensus compared to 46% for Korcok, overturning the result of the first round a fortnight ago and also the exit-polls released at the close of the polls in the most uncertain round since the direct election of the head of state was introduced in 1999.

An all-populist institutional constellation has thus formed in Bratislava and the bank against Fico represented until now by outgoing president Zuzana Caputová, his opponent, collapses. "The future direction of the country depends on the elections," said the 60-year-old Korcok speaking at the polling station, who - supported by three opposition parties - wanted to keep Bratislava in the European fold and is strongly in favour of Ukraine in its war of defence against Russian attack.

Evidently aware of the international concern over Fico's positions, which call into question Ukraine's territorial integrity in order to appeal for peace with Moscow, the 48-year-old Pellegrini claimed that the vote 'does not affect the future direction of Slovakia's foreign policy' and assured: 'I guarantee that we will continue to be a strong member of the EU' and NATO.

The presidency in Slovakia is largely ceremonial, but the head of state can always veto laws and appoint key officials, resulting now, with Pellegrini, in support of Fico's choices. According to his detractors, the premier is 'orbanizing' the country with steps on the judiciary, media and Russia that recall those taken by Viktor Orban in Hungary (who immediately congratulated the newly appointed Slovak president).

In office since last October, the government consisting of Fico's Smer party, Pellegrini's Hlas and the small far-right formation Sns has stopped state military aid to Ukraine. Korciok, foreign minister for 2020-2022, had surprisingly won the first round a fortnight ago with 42.5% of the vote, beating Pellegrini, who came second with 37.0%. As predicted by some analysts, decisive should be the supporters of former Justice Minister Stefan Harabin, a nationalist with pro-Russian and anti-NATO positions, who received 11.7% of the vote and thus managed to turn the tide.