Slovak presidential election heads to a runoff

According to results released by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic with more than 99 percent of the votes counted, former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, who is supported by the opposition, received 42 percent of the vote, while Peter Pellegrini, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and supported by Prime Minister Robert Fico, received 37 percent. Based on these results, the two presidential candidates with the highest number of votes will face off again in the second round to be held on April 6.

The winner of the first round of the elections, 59-year-old Ivan Korcok, stands out as a pro-Western and pro-EU politician. Korcok, who previously served as Slovakia's ambassador to the United States and Germany, stated after casting his vote today that the public is dissatisfied with the Slovak government and that he expects to receive votes from the ruling party's supporters.

Korcok's opponent in the second round, 48-year-old Pellegrini, leads the left-leaning Hlas (Voice) party, which came in third in the parliamentary elections held on September 30 last year.

The leader of the Hlas party, which is part of the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Fico's Smer (Direction) party, said after casting his vote today that regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, the country's foreign policy direction would not change. Pellegrini stated, "Slovakia will continue to remain anchored in the EU and NATO after the election."

Former Supreme Court President Stefan Harabin, who stands out as a pro-Russian leaning politician in the election, placed third with 11 percent of the vote.

No major incidents were recorded during the voting process.

News Source: İHA