The atmosphere before the first round of the presidential elections in Slovakia was different from everything the country remembers from past battles for the post of head of state. Commentators and ordinary voters alike described feeling a combination of resignation, pessimism and fear about the future direction of the country. The election campaign of the presidential candidates has been extremely lackluster as everyone has been watching the events surrounding the fourth government of Robert Fico, which took power in October last year. Smer and its coalition partners only needed a few months of government to turn around the current model of the Slovak state. They are harshly attacking the independence of public television and radio, softening the penalties for corruption misdeeds associated with their past era, canceling entire institutions and dismissing police officers and prosecutors who, since the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak in 2018, have been trying to expose the “mafia state” involved in their time among others, the current prime minister and some of his ministers. And all this in an accelerated regime in the parliament, where he holds a fragile majority.
The exchange of power in the position of the head of state is happening precisely in the shadow of this campaign. And in the shadow of the fact that the current president Zuzana Čaputová already announced last summer that she will not run for a second term – and, among other things, because she refuses to continue to tolerate hateful attacks on her and her family provoked by politicians, including Robert Fico. The result of the presidential election will thus play a crucial role in how strong a position Fico will have in Slovakia. Roberto Fico’s coalition partner, longtime politician Peter Pellegrini, advanced to the final, scheduled for April 6, on Saturday night. The candidate of the current Slovak opposition, diplomat and former foreign minister Ivan Korčok, won very narrowly over him.
They will come – or they won’t
“I will speak to all voters of the opposition and coalition parties before the second round. I have to speak more to those who voted for the government parties. It is evident that they are not satisfied with the way the government governs economically and where Slovakia is heading in foreign policy,” was Ivan Korčok’s first reaction after the first estimates were published, confirming the assumption that Peter Pellegrini’s and Ivan Korčok’s chances are approximately the same and the others seven candidates have no chance.