Russia-friendly Pellegrini elected Slovak President

BRATISLAVA, April 7

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.

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 had 53.26 per cent of the vote, versus 46.73 per cent for pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok, results from 99.66 per cent of voting districts showed.

Slovak presidents do not have many executive powers, but can veto laws or challenge them in the constitutional court. They nominate constitutional court judges, who may become important in political strife over the fate of Fico’s reforms, which would dramatically ease punishments for corruption. — Reuters