Pellegrini was elected president of Slovakia and supported the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks
Slovakia held a second round of voting in the presidential election on 6 April, with the incumbent speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Pellegrini, winning. He is a long-time ally of Prime Minister Robert Fizo and has supported peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
The Prime Minister is a close ally
According to official data released by Slovakia, of the 99.66 percent of the votes that have been counted, Pellegrini received 53.26 percent of the votes, while his rival, former Foreign Minister Ivan Kolčok, received 46.73 percent of the votes. Kolchok conceded defeat and congratulated Pellegrini.
Peter Pellegrini CCTV news report with pictures
After his victory, Pellegrini said: "As President, I will support this administration's efforts to improve people's livelihoods. ”
The 48-year-old was a deputy of the Social Democratic Party, a direction led by Fizo, and became prime minister in 2018 after Fizo's resignation. After Fizo's defeat in the 2020 general election, Pellegrini set up a separate voice party, with a more centrist and liberal political stance – the SPD.
Direction - The Social Democrats won parliamentary elections on September 30 last year, with Fizo as prime minister. The Voice party, which received the third largest number of votes in the general election, joined the coalition government led by Fizo, and Pellegrini was elected president of the National Assembly.
Slovakia is a parliamentary state, with the president as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who can ratify international treaties, grant amnesties to criminals, and veto bills passed by parliament, but the parliament can override the veto with a simple majority. According to Reuters, an important power of the president is to appoint judges of the Constitutional Court, which may determine the fate of the reforms promoted by the Fizo government.
Support the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks
During the second round of the election, Pellegrini pointed out that Slovak politics is divided into two camps, one group advocates continuing to support Ukraine at all costs, while the other faction, including him, supports Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
After the full-scale escalation of the Ukraine crisis in February 2022, Slovakia provided Ukraine with MiG-29 fighter jets and anti-aircraft missiles with Soviet-made weapons. The current government immediately stopped military aid to Ukraine after its establishment. Fizo criticized the West's influence on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has led to fratricidal fighting among Slavic peoples.
Slovakia's current president, Suzanne Chaputova, is scheduled to step down on June 15, with Pellegrini taking office on the same day. Chaputova, Slovakia's first female head of state, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine but has given up on seeking re-election.
On April 6, local time, a polling station in Slovakia CCTV news report with pictures
During the election campaign, Pellegrini called Kolčok, a campaign opponent who supports military aid to Ukraine, a "warmonger", suggesting that the latter may send Slovak troops to fight in Ukraine. In a video, Fizo also criticized Kolchok for "not hesitating to support whatever the West tells him, including dragging Slovakia into war."
Kolčok served as Slovakia's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Ambassador to the United States, Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Foreign Minister from 2021 to 2022. He was disappointed but respectful of the presidential election results, while denying the designation of a "war candidate."
Turnout in the second round of the presidential election was 61.07 per cent, up from 51.91 per cent in the first round on March 23. In Kolchok's view, high turnout was the decisive factor in the outcome of the election.
Pellegrini said at the campaign headquarters on the 6th: "I will do my best to ensure that Slovakia will always stand on the side of peace, not war." However, he stressed that his election does not mean a fundamental shift in Slovakia's foreign policy. "Like the other candidates, I pledge that we will continue to be a committed member of the EU and NATO. ”
Source: CCTV news client
Column Editor-in-Chief: Qin Hong Text Editor: Cheng Pei Title Image Source: Xinhua News Agency Photo Editor: Cao Liyuan
Source: Author: CCTV News