BRATISLAVA, Slovakia: Slovakia’s current shift in direction of Russia has hit a hurdle, analysts mentioned on Sunday (Mar 24), after the pro-West former international minister Ivan Korcok topped the primary spherical of the presidential election.
Korcok garnered 42.5 per cent of the vote on Saturday, beating parliament speaker Peter Pellegrini with 37 per cent, last outcomes confirmed.
The 2 marketing campaign front-runners vying to switch the outgoing liberal President Zuzana Caputova will sq. off for the highest job in a runoff on Apr 6.
Each had been broadly anticipated to succeed in the second spherical, although Pellegrini had been the slight favorite.
However “no polls anticipated Korcok to attain a five-point lead over his rival,” Tomas Koziak, a political analyst on the College of Worldwide Enterprise ISM, informed AFP.
“Now he appears to be a powerful candidate.”
The runoff will function a showdown between Korcok’s liberalism and Pellegrini’s attachment to the Russian-leaning governing workforce of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine turned a fixture of the electoral marketing campaign within the EU and NATO member of 5.4 million folks after Fico questioned the sovereignty of Ukraine and referred to as for peace with Russia.
The Slovak authorities, in workplace since October and comprising Fico’s Smer celebration, Pellegrini’s Hlas and the small far-right SNS, has additionally stopped its navy assist to Ukraine.
After the primary spherical, Fico described Pellegrini as “a greater answer for Slovakia than Ivan Korcok”.
“CLOSER TO ORBAN”
Analysts say that Slovakia’s international coverage will proceed to be a significant concern within the runoff marketing campaign.
“If Korcok is elected, Slovakia will preserve a vital angle in direction of Russia, pro-European positions and assist for Ukraine,” mentioned Grigorij Meseznikov, head of the Bratislava-based Institute for Public Affairs.
Pellegrini, although, would observe Fico within the “loosening of our ties with our allies and companions in NATO and the EU, a weaker assist for Ukraine and leaning in direction of Russia,” Meseznikov informed AFP.
A Korcok victory might additionally hamper Slovakia’s shift nearer to Viktor Orban’s Hungary, which started when Fico turned premier.
Orban is an EU and NATO outlier who’s near Russian President Vladimir Putin and just lately held up a significant assist package deal for Ukraine.
“There’s a probability that the Orbanisation of Slovakia will not be achieved” if Korcok wins, Koziak mentioned.
However Korcok faces a more durable job than Pellegrini in making an attempt to win over supporters of the opposite candidates, significantly these which are extra nationalist.
These embody third-placed Stefan Harabin, who gained nearly 12 per cent within the first spherical and campaigned criticising the EU and hailing Putin.
“Most Slovak voters … need a president who will defend Slovakia’s nationwide pursuits, who won’t drag Slovakia right into a battle however will discuss peace, who … will put Slovakia’s pursuits first,” Pellegrini mentioned.
The 48-year-old is a former prime minister and was additionally a minister in Fico’s earlier governments.
Korcok, 59, is a profession diplomat who has represented Slovakia in america, Germany and Switzerland and served as international minister from 2020 to 2022.
“I need to attraction to voters who disagree with the path this authorities is dragging Slovakia … together with in international coverage,” Korcok mentioned after his first-round win.
“I will not sit quietly and watch the Slovak Republic develop and head within the path it’s heading now.”
“A RED RAG”
Pellegrini is anticipated to woo Harabin’s anti-Western voters.
“Pellegrini will describe Korcok as an individual with a pro-Western leaning to draw Harabin’s voters who react to this subject like a bull to a purple rag,” Koziak mentioned.
He additionally expects Fico to make use of “aggressive, pro-Russian and anti-Western sentiment” to sway voters Pellegrini’s method.
Home coverage can also be at stake, with Fico criticised over makes an attempt to meddle with the nation’s judiciary – along with his just lately handed reform easing corruption penalties – and to tamper with public media.
Opposition events have backed Korcok, saying a Pellegrini win would pave the best way for presidential pardons of presidency allies discovered responsible of corruption.
