Top Slovak Presidential Contenders At Odds Over Ukraine

Bratislava, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Mar, 2024) Slovaks will vote on Saturday in a presidential election seen as a race between the ruling populist camp leaning towards Russia and a pro-Ukrainian candidate backed by the opposition.

The clear frontrunners of the pool of nine contenders are Peter Pellegrini, a former prime minister and current speaker of parliament, and liberal ex-foreign minister Ivan Korcok.

Opinion polls prior to the March 23 ballot have suggested government-backed Pellegrini had a marginally higher chance of becoming president of the NATO and EU member than Korcok.

The two are likely to face each other in a run-off set for April 6, as neither is on track to garner the at least 50 percent of votes required to win in a single round.

Polling stations across the country will open at 7:00 am local time (0600 GMT), with no exit polls expected immediately after they close at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT).

Pellegrini won the backing of Prime Minister Robert Fico, who in the past months has refused to provide military aid to neighbouring Ukraine, questioned its sovereignty and called for peace with Russia.

His main rival Korcok is staunchly pro-Ukrainian and holds similar views to outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, a vocal government critic who chose not to run for a second term.

Analysts say the outcome in the country of 5.4 million people will either temper or harden its scepticism towards war-torn Ukraine.

"In the event of Pellegrini's victory, we may expect a further deepening of the current government position and current narratives," said Michal Mislovic, a political analyst at the Median polling agency.

"If Korcok wins, we can at least expect that he will be a counterweight to the government and parliament in this regard," he told AFP.

Pollsters expect a tight race. The latest survey by the AKO agency showed that Pellegrini would take 40 percent of the vote, while Korcok would receive 38.

The war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022, has been a fixture of the electoral campaign.

"It is a topic that divides the adult population of Slovakia to a large extent," Mislovic said.

Pellegrini himself points to this division.

"The Slovak political scene is divided between those who are in favour of the continuation of the war at all costs, and those who demand the start of peace negotiations," he said.

"I belong to the latter," Pellegrini told AFP.

His long-time ally Prime Minister Fico has over the years appointed Pellegrini to various positions, notably those of parliamentary speaker and education minister.

The 48-year-old became the head of government after Fico was toppled in 2018, following the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, who were shot dead in their home.

The double murder sparked large rallies that forced Fico's resignation as Kuciak had been working on unearthing links between the Italian mafia and Fico's Smer-SD party.

Korcok, 59, is squarely in the pro-Ukraine camp and has criticised Fico's calls to negotiate with Moscow.

"The Russian Federation has trampled on international law... I do not think Ukraine should give up part of its territory to achieve peace," he told AFP.

Korcok is a diplomat and has represented Slovakia in the United States, Germany and Switzerland.

"The first prerequisite for us to be able to talk about a peaceful solution to this war is that Russian missiles stop hitting Ukrainian schools and hospitals," he said.

Though running as an independent, Korcok is backed by opposition parties that believe a Pellegrini win would pave the way for presidential pardons of government allies found guilty of bribery and corruption.

"I will vote for Korcok, as to me Pellegrini is even less acceptable than Fico, and that is saying something," said voter Marta Demcakova from Bratislava.

"Forgive my honesty, but I do not want to live to see my children and grandchildren grow up in a Russian governorate," the 66-year-old pensioner told AFP.

Though the office is largely ceremonial, the president in Slovakia ratifies international treaties, appoints top judges including the Supreme Court chief justice and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The head of state can also veto laws passed by parliament.

Other presidential contenders include pro-Kremlin former Supreme Court chief Stefan Harabin, far-right former lawmaker Marian Kotleba and ex-premier Igor Matovic.