The Presidential Elections in Slovakia ended with the victory of Peter Pellegrinia member of the coalition Russophile, euroscettica e the nationalist led by the prime minister Robert Fico. Pellegrini, who is a member of the party Voice-Social Democracygot the 53.85 percent of the votes against the challenger’s 46.14 Ivan Freakscandidate of the centre-right pro-European movement Freedom and Solidarity. The run-off of the presidential consultations ended with a different result compared to that of the first round, in which Korcok had prevailed: now the Fico executive, in power after the victory in the parliamentary elections ofOctober 2023will be able to implement its own political line without major obstacles constitutional.
The outgoing Head of State Zuna Caputovaprogressive, pro-European and known for her pro-Ukraine positions, had decided to do not reapply for a second term due to the death threats and the pressures received during his office and his political departure end up strengthening, paradoxically, his arch-enemy Fico. The president of Slovakia does not have great powers but can still count on some prerogativelike the nomination of some judges and a weak power of veto which can be overcome by a second vote of Parliament, which allow it to slow down and moderate executive action.
Several observers and the opposition have made it known that a Pellegrini victory puts the victory at risk liberal democracy in Slovakia and will strengthen the extremist parties inside theEuropean Union. According to the analyst Tomas Korzoheard from Euractivewith a Pellegrini victory “Slovakia could follow ‘Orban’s path’”, referring to the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban. Fico’s political line has, in reality, already shown some points of contact with that of the leader of Budapest. The Slovak prime minister, for example, questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and refused to continue sending military aid a Kiev.
Internally they were presented bills which sparked protests from the opposition and civil society. The first will allow the executive, if it receives the green light from Parliament, to exercise a direct control on the appointments of the top managementnational public broadcaster. The second, as clarified by Euractivewill designate as “foreign-supported organizations” those NGOs that receive more than 5 thousand euros of funds from abroad per year. Both legislative proposals follow what is already happening in Hungary, a nation where the stability of the rule of law is now broken and often at loggerheads with Brussels.
The entrance of Bratislava in the field Eurosceptic can strengthen Orban in Brussels where, following the defeat of the Polish nationalists of Law and Justice, he found himself isolated. Pellegrini’s victory is also good news for the Russian president Vladimir Putinas Bratislava could come into conflict even more often with Brussels and get closer to Mosca with all the consequences of the case. The result of the Slovak presidential elections may then be indicative of political trends to be monitored in view of the European elections on June. The consultations could pave the way for the success of populist formations in other countries as well.Eastern Europe.