Ivan Korczok leads in Slovakia's presidential race, facing Pellegrini in runoff
The first round of presidential elections in Slovakia was won by opposition-supported Ivan Korczok, who will now face the speaker of the parliament, former Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, in the second round in two weeks.
After counting more than 99% of the ballots, they are separated by about 120,000 votes. Korczok received 42.48%, and his opponent 37.05%.
Both candidates, who will face off in the second round, addressed their supporters at their headquarters even before 99% of the votes had been counted. Korczok, surprisingly leading the polls against most pre-election predictions, thanked his voters, commenting on the current results as promising and encouraging.
He revealed plans to continue engaging with the electorate. The first meeting is scheduled for this Sunday in Bratislava, followed by another the next day in Košice, and subsequently in other major Slovak cities. During the night following the election, Korczok expressed his intention to also court the voters from the current governing coalition, specifically those dissatisfied with its conduct.
Pellegrini admitted expecting a tight race but refrained from making any predictions about who would lead. He views the results as forecasting an intense voting round in two weeks. He interpreted the lesser support for candidates opposed to military aid for Ukraine as indicative of Slovak preference against a "liberal-right-progressive" president, preferring instead a leader who protects Slovakia's national and state interests.
Analysts see his remarks as an attempt to win over voters who supported the former Supreme Court Chairman, former Justice Minister Ştefan Harabin, who received 11.74% of the vote. Harabin, known for his anti-system, nationalist, pro-Russian stance, remained non-committal on his support for either candidate but suggested that his followers knew what to do.
In his campaign, Harabin promoted ideas such as distancing Slovakia from aid to Ukraine, advocating for peace talks, and supporting traditional family values.
The outgoing President Zuzana Čaputová, who did not seek re-election, also made a statement on the election night. She congratulated both candidates making it to the second round and remarked, "It turns out that our future is not indifferent to us", thanking everyone who voted.
The turnout was 51.89%, marking the highest participation rate in Slovakia's presidential elections since the commencement of direct head of state elections in 1999.
