Slovakia has elected Peter Pellegrini as its new president, marking a significant shift in the country’s political landscape. Pellegrini, a populist leader and close ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, secured victory over pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korčok with 53% of the vote. This outcome consolidates the power of Fico’s coalition, which now controls the parliament, government, and the presidency.
Peter Pellegrini, Slovakia's newly elected president
Pellegrini’s ascent to the presidential office signals a notable change in Slovakia’s foreign policy, particularly concerning its relationship with Russia and Ukraine. Previously, under outgoing President Zuzana Čaputová, Slovakia was a strong supporter of Ukraine. However, with Fico’s rise to power in October, marked by his pledge to halt military aid to Kyiv, and now with Pellegrini as president, Ukraine has lost a key ally within the European Union and NATO.
Robert Fico’s government has openly advocated for an end to Western military assistance to Ukraine, pushing for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations with Moscow. Fico has also made controversial statements, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been unfairly demonized and that Ukraine’s NATO membership would risk triggering a third world war. Peter Pellegrini’s presidential campaign echoed this rhetoric, falsely portraying his opponent, Ivan Korčok, as a warmonger who would involve Slovakia in the conflict in Ukraine – a power that constitutionally does not reside with the Slovak president.
Following his election victory, Peter Pellegrini declared his commitment to ensuring “that Slovakia remains on the side of peace and not on the side of war.” He also reassured Fico’s government, stating that the Presidential Palace would not become a center of opposition, contrasting with what he implied was the approach of his predecessor. This transition means that once Zuzana Čaputová steps down in June, no high-ranking Slovak official will unequivocally support Ukraine’s efforts to defend its territory, a stark contrast to just a year ago when Slovakia donated its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Ivan Korčok voiced his disappointment and criticized Pellegrini’s campaign tactics, asserting that fear, “spread by those who are hidden in state positions,” determined the election’s outcome. He lamented that the presidency could be won by “spreading hatred, whipping up passions and painting the opposite number… as a candidate of war.”
Furthermore, the liberal opposition has criticized Peter Pellegrini, who formerly led the Hlas party and served as chairman of parliament, for his silence as Prime Minister Fico dismantled key elements of Slovakia’s criminal justice system. This includes the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, established two decades ago to investigate serious corruption and economic crimes. This office had been instrumental in probing high-ranking officials within Fico’s Smer party and in prosecuting those allegedly responsible for the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in 2018, a crime that deeply shook Slovak society and led to Fico’s previous resignation in 2018, paving the way for Zuzana Čaputová’s presidency.
Adding to concerns about the direction of Slovakia under this new leadership, Fico’s government recently proposed abolishing the public broadcaster and replacing it with a state-controlled entity. While these plans were temporarily paused after Pellegrini’s less-than-expected performance in the presidential election’s first round, the opposition fears that a strengthened Fico, emboldened by Pellegrini’s victory, will revive these efforts. They anticipate that President-elect Peter Pellegrini is unlikely to impede these measures, further concentrating power within Fico’s sphere of influence and potentially undermining democratic institutions in Slovakia.
