AMN
In Slovakia, Peter Pellegrini of the ruling nationalist has won the Presidential Election defeating opposition independent Ivan Korcok. Pellegrini is a close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. 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. A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by giving his allies control of strategic posts.
Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party won parliamentary elections in September last year on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. Pellegrini hopes to succeed Zuzana Čaputová, a staunch backer of Slovakia’s neighbor Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion. Caputova announced she won’t seek re-election.
The president of the nation of 5.4 million people picks the Prime Minister after parliamentary elections, swears in the new government and appoints Constitutional Court judges.