Highlights: Slovakia votes in the presidential election with a pro-Russian government candidate favorite in the first round. Candidate Peter Pellegrini, President of Parliament and ally of the Prime Minister, was leading the polls. His main opponent, the diplomat Ivan Korcok, advocates apro-European policy and support for Ukraine. If the powers of the Slovak president are limited, this vote of voters serves as a thermometer to see if the population supports the nationalist turn of the new president, says Jana Vargovčikovà.

Slovakia votes this Saturday March 23 for the presidential election, shortly after the return of pro-Russian Robert Fico to the role of Prime Minister. The candidate Peter Pellegrini, President of Parliament and ally of…

Slovakia votes in the presidential election with a pro-Russian government candidate favorite in the first round

Slovakia votes this Saturday March 23 for the presidential election, shortly after the return of pro-Russian Robert Fico to the role of Prime Minister. Candidate Peter Pellegrini, President of Parliament and ally of the Prime Minister, was leading the polls before the first round. His main opponent, the diplomat Ivan Korcok, advocates a pro-European policy and support for Ukraine. But the campaign was of little interest to the Slovaks, the president having very limited powers.

Listen - 01:20

Election posters show Slovak presidential candidates Peter Pellegrini and Ivan Korcok ahead of the presidential election, in Trencin, Slovakia, March 22, 2024. On the left, "Let's give Slovakia peace, pride and dignity", on a poster by Peter Pellegrini, then “Serve people, not politicians”, on the right, on the poster by Ivan Korcok. © Radovan Stoklasa / Reuters

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Bratislava,

Alexis Rosenzweig

Two candidates are currently well ahead in the polls in

Slovakia

: career diplomat Ivan Korcok, supported by the opposition, and Peter Pellegrini, ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico who, since his return to power, is indeed in a favorable position to Moscow. The head of government repeatedly repeats that supporting the Ukrainian army only serves to prolong a deadly conflict. A conflict for which, according to him,

“

Ukrainian neo-Nazis

” would be responsible.

“

Slovakia is unfortunately specific in the sense that those who spread the most disinformation are the politicians who are part of the current government

,” laments political scientist from Comenius University in Bratislava Sona Szomolanyi. She discusses in particular the way in which the French president's statements were used in the electoral campaign. Prime

Minister Robert Fico

was quick to distort Emmanuel Macron's words on sending soldiers to Ukraine, and Peter Pellegrini took up the subject: he claimed that Ivan Korcok, if elected, would send Slovak soldiers to Ukraine. “

But it is all the more false because the President of the Slovak Republic does not have the competence to do it. And he knows it very well

,” she insists.

For supporters of the national-populist government coalition, which refuses any military aid to neighboring Ukraine, Peter Pellegrini's victory would be a means of strengthening the power in place. The latter is undertaking

very controversial reforms in the areas of justice and the media

, in particular. For the progressive opposition, it is the only chance to reduce the influence of

Robert Fico whose Russian tropism is denounced by Ivan Korcok

. This career diplomat will have his work cut out to win in the second round in two weeks if he manages to qualify this Saturday.

Campaign which little excited the Slovaks

In any case, the Slovaks are going to the polls after a campaign which attracted little interest. In addition, the two contenders were extremely careful to avoid stirring up tensions in the country, according to Jana Vargovčikovà, lecturer in political science at Inalco, the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations.

Both seek to show themselves as peacemakers, calm forces, who would return the country to normal, although the definition of normal remains intentionally quite vague.

00:53

The two Slovak presidential candidates were cautious because “the electorate can discredit the candidate who attacks the other,” explains political scientist Jana Vargovčikovà

Julien Chavanne

If the powers of the Slovak president are limited, this vote of voters serves as a thermometer, to see if the

population supports the nationalist and pro-Russian turn

of the new government, analyzes Jana Vargovčikovà.

00:44

“It will be a form of referendum, since a candidate close to the government opposes one from the opposition,” says Jana Vargovčikovà

Julien Chavanne

Read alsoPresidential election in Slovakia: towards the confirmation of the pro-Russian turn?

Slovakia votes in the presidential election with a pro-Russian government candidate favorite in the first round

Slovakia votes in the presidential election with a pro-Russian government candidate favorite in the first round

Campaign which little excited the Slovaks

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