Pro-Russia Candidate Wins Slovakia’s Presidential Election

Slovak nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini won the country’s Presidential election on Saturday, cementing the grip of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico over the country.

As 99.9 per cent of ballots have been counted, Peter Pellegrini received 53 per cent of the vote, while Korcok got 47 per cent votes.

The election result gives Fico’s ruling coalition full control over the executive and legislative branches of government.

Fico, who took power for the fourth time last October, has turned the country’s foreign policy to more pro-Russian views and initiated reforms of criminal law and the media, which have raised concerns over weakening the rule of law.

Pellegrini, 48, said his victory meant the government would have support in its aims, and not face an “opposition, opportunistic power centre” in reference to outgoing liberal president Zuzana Caputova.