Why does this election matter?
The Slovak presidency is a largely ceremonial submit, however it may play an vital function when, as has been the case for the previous 5 months, the president and prime minister signify opposing political camps.
The outgoing president, Zuzana Caputova, an outspoken liberal, has used her restricted powers and bully pulpit to withstand the agenda of Prime Minister Robert Fico, a pugnacious veteran politician who returned to energy in October after years within the political desert. He resigned in shame as prime minister in 2018 amid a flurry of corruption allegations following the homicide of an investigative journalist who had been investigating authorities embezzlement.
Mr Fico, who since his return to energy has typically offered the US, not Russia, as the principle menace to European safety, needs to reverse Slovakia's beforehand sturdy help for Ukraine. He additionally seeks to assessment judicial programs with a view to restrict their capability to prosecute corruption. Ms. Caputova opposes these objectives and has delayed laws associated to the judiciary by sending it for constitutional assessment.
The front-runner to switch Ms. Caputova, in line with opinion polls, is Peter Pellegrini, a former shut ally and someday rival of Mr. Fico. A victory for Mr. Pellegrini would in all probability free the fingers of the federal government to weaken the judiciary and to take a extra combative stance within the European Union on the coverage in the direction of Ukraine. Slovakia, which is breaking ranks with EU politics, final week despatched its overseas minister to affix his Hungarian counterpart for a gathering in Turkey with Russia's overseas minister , Sergei Lavrov.
However Mr. Fico, in contrast to Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, has up to now not tried to dam EU help to Ukraine and has largely averted brazenly clashing with Hungary towards 'to a lot bigger and extra highly effective European international locations. (Slovakia's inhabitants is lower than 5.5 million.) There may be additionally a historical past of unhealthy blood between Slovak nationalists, equivalent to Mr Fico, and Mr Orban over what they see because the ingestion of Hungary within the affairs of the massive Hungarian ethnic minority in Slovakia.
Who’s operating for president?
There are 11 candidates competing within the March 23 vote, which is more likely to go to a runoff on April 6, as nobody is predicted to obtain a majority within the first spherical.
The crowded, nationalist-dominated area features a far-right xenophobe, Marian Kotleba, and former Parliament Speaker Andrej Danko, who’s a staunch admirer of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Representing the liberal camp is a former overseas minister, Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western profession diplomat who served as ambassador to the USA and sometimes speaks in favor of supporting Ukraine.
Who is predicted to win?
Opinion polls give Mr. Pellegrini and Mr. Korcok every between 35 p.c and 40 p.c of the vote, nicely forward of everybody else, however not sufficient to keep away from a runoff. The victory of Mr. Pellegrini will take away a brake on the ambitions of Mr. Fico, whereas a victory of Mr. Korcok would most certainly result in a replay of the present standoff between the federal government and the president.
When will we be taught the consequence?
The outcomes of the primary spherical, which present at the least whether or not a single candidate has secured a majority and which two candidates will face off in a probable second spherical, ought to be clear late on election day. The timing of the runoff outcomes will rely upon how shut the race is.
