2024 Slovak presidential election

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2024 Slovak presidential election

← 2019 23 March 2024 (first round)
6 April 2024 (second round)
2029 →
Opinion polls
Turnout51.90% (first round) Increase 3.16 pp
 
Nominee Ivan Korčok Peter Pellegrini
Party Independent Hlas

First round results by district

Incumbent President

Zuzana Čaputová
Independent



Presidential elections are being held in Slovakia in March and April 2024. The first round was held on 23 March and since no candidate received more than half of the votes, a second round featuring the two candidates with the highest number of votes: Ivan Korčok and Peter Pellegrini, will take place on 6 April.[1][2]

Incumbent president Zuzana Čaputová announced in June 2023 that she would not run for a second term.[3]

Electoral system[edit]

The President of Slovakia is elected using the two-round system; if no candidate gains a majority in the first round, a runoff will be held between the top-two candidates.[4]

Candidates[edit]

Eligibility[edit]

Slovak citizens not sentenced for an intentional crime aged 40 or more are eligible to run for the office of president.[5]

Each candidacy has to be supported by either 15 Members of the National Council of Slovakia or signatures of 15,000 citizens of Slovakia to be admissible. Candidates fulfilling eligibility criteria had until midnight 30 January 2024 to formally confirm their candidacy.

Official candidates[edit]

Name Born Public Office Experience Affiliation and main endorsements Alma mater and profession
Patrik Dubovský 1965
(age 58–59)
Affiliation: For the People
Endorsement: Slovakia, Christian Union
Comenius University
historian
Krisztián Forró 31 January 1976
(age 48)
Veľká Mača
Affiliation: Hungarian Alliance Edutus University
businessman

Štefan Harabin
4 May 1957
(age 66)
Ľubica
Chairman of the Supreme Court (1998–2003, 2009–2014)
Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia (2006–2009)
Minister of Justice (2006–2009)
Affiliation: Independent
Endorsement: Slovak National Party and other minor parties
Pavol Jozef Šafárik University
judge

Ivan Korčok
4 April 1964
(age 59)
Banská Bystrica
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2020–2022)
Slovak Ambassador to the United States (2018–2020)
Undersecretary of Foreign and European Affairs (2002–2005, 2015–2018)
Slovak Ambassador to the European Union (2009–2015)
Slovak Ambassador to Germany (2005–2009)
Affiliation: Independent
Endorsement: Progressive Slovakia, Christian Democratic Movement, Freedom and Solidarity and other minor parties
University of Economics in Bratislava, Comenius University
diplomat

Marian Kotleba
7 April 1977
(age 46)
Banská Bystrica
Member of the National Council (2016–2022)
Governor of the Banská Bystrica Region (2013–2017)
Affiliation: Kotlebists – People's Party Our Slovakia Matej Bel University
teacher

Ján Kubiš
12 November 1952
(age 71)
Bratislava
Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006–2009)
Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (1999–2005)
Slovak Ambassador to the United Nations, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and other international organizations in Geneva (1993–1994)
Affiliation: Independent Moscow State Institute of International Relations
diplomat

Igor Matovič
11 May 1973
(age 50)
Trnava
Member of the National Council (2010–2020, 2022–present)
Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia (2021–2022)
Minister of Finance (2021–2022)
Prime Minister of Slovakia (2020–2021)
Affiliation: Slovakia
Endorsement: Christian Union, For the People
Comenius University
businessman
Milan Náhlik [sk] 1976
(age 47–48)
Affiliation: Independent police officer

Peter Pellegrini
6 October 1975
(age 48)
Banská Bystrica
Speaker of the National Council (2014–2016, 2023–present)
Member of the National Council (2006–2012, 2014–2016, 2020–present)
Deputy Speaker of the National Council (2020)
Prime Minister of Slovakia (2018–2020)
Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia for Investment and Informatization (2016–2018)
Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sport (2014)
Undersecretary of Finance (2012–2014)
Affiliation: Voice – Social Democracy
Endorsement: Direction – Social Democracy
Matej Bel University, Technical University of Košice
self-employed

Disqualified[edit]

  • Marta Čurajová, lecturer, judicial reform advocate. Launched the campaign on 19 December 2023 as an independent candidate.[6]

Withdrawn[edit]

  • Ján Drgonec [sk], former justice of the Supreme Court, former MP for ANO. Announced candidacy in March 2023.[7] Collection of required 15-thousand signatures was in progress as of November 2023.[8] In January 2024, he stopped the signature collection.[9]
  • Beáta Janočková, civil and parental rights activist. Announced candidacy as an independent candidate on 13 November 2023, initiating the collection of 15-thousand signatures to support her candidacy.[10]
  • Miroslav Radačovský, MEP. Announced his candidacy on 10 January 2024.[11] He withdrew his candidacy in early February.[12]
  • Andrej Danko, Deputy Speaker of the National Council. Withdrew candidacy on 18 March 2024 endorsing Štefan Harabin.[13]
  • Róbert Švec, Chairman of the Slovak Revival Movement [sk]. Withdrew candidacy on 20 March 2024 endorsing Štefan Harabin.[14]

Campaign[edit]

Milan Nahlik, Stefan Harabin, Marian Kotleba and Peter Pellegrini have expressed statements sympathetic with Russia in relation to its invasion of Ukraine and critical of the European Union, with Pellegrini supporting Ukraine opening negotiations with Russia. Meanwhile, Ivan Korčok has been supportive of the West and Ukrainian resistance against Russia.[15] During the campaign, Pellegrini accused Korčok of being a warmonger who wants to send troops to Ukraine, which Korčok denied.[16] Pellegrini also said that he was running for president "to rescue the government of [Prime Minister] Robert Fico.” Fico also openly supported Pellegrini, calling him a “a moderate candidate who recognises the value of peace” and described Korčok as supporting "everything the West tells him without hesitation".[17]

Following the results of the first round, Korčok said that he acknowledged a "need to reach out more to voters who supported the government parties,” adding that it was also clear that “they’re not satisfied with how this government is ruling, where it’s taking Slovakia.” Pellegrini congratulated Korčok for his first place and pledged to hold “several duels, as it should be” with Korčok before the second round, and “not to succumb” to an aggressive campaign style, having only engaged once in a debate prior to the first round of voting. He also noted that a majority of voters voted for nationalist candidates and not "a liberal, progressive" candidate, and predicted the second round of voting to be a tight race.[18][19][20]

Endorsements[edit]

Candidate Endorsement
Andrej Danko[a] Pellegrini[21]
Patrik Dubovský Korčok[22]
Krisztián Forró Pellegrini[23]
Štefan Harabin TBA
Marian Kotleba No endorsement[24]
Igor Matovič Korčok[25]
Milan Náhlik Pellegrini[26]
Ján Kubiš Pellegrini[27]
Róbert Švec[a] No endorsement[28]

Opinion polls[edit]

First round[edit]

Second round[edit]

Results[edit]

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Ivan KorčokIndependent958,39342.52
Peter PellegriniVoice – Social Democracy834,71837.03
Štefan HarabinIndependent264,57911.74
Krisztián ForróHungarian Alliance65,5882.91
Igor MatovičSlovakia49,2012.18
Ján KubišIndependent45,9572.04
Patrik DubovskýFor the People16,1070.71
Marian KotlebaKotlebists – People's Party Our Slovakia12,7710.57
Milan Náhlik [sk]Independent3,1110.14
Andrej Danko[a]Slovak National Party1,9050.08
Róbert Švec[a]Slovak Revival Movement [sk]1,8760.08
Total2,254,206100.00
Valid votes2,254,20699.53
Invalid/blank votes10,5630.47
Total votes2,264,769100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,364,07151.904,364,071
Source: Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Candidate withdrew in favour of Harabin, but was still on the ballot.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "News digest: March date set for the presidential elections". The Slovak Spectator. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ "The Election of the President of the Slovak Republic 2024". volbysr.sk. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Reakcie na rozhodnutie prezidentky / Pavel vyjadril Čaputovej uznanie, Kiska cíti smútok a Smer ju kritizuje". Postoj.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Slovak Republic: Election for president". electionguide.org. 16 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Prezidentské voľby: Kto môže kandidovať na prezidenta?". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  6. ^ ""Nezávislá, apolitická a národná kandidátka." O post prezidenta má záujem aj Čurajová". Pravda (in Slovak). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Záujem kandidovať za prezidenta po Štefanovi Harabinovi ohlásil aj bývalý ústavný sudca Ján Drgonec". Denník N. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  8. ^ Belej Majerčínová, Adriána (9 November 2023). "Začal sa boj o Prezidentský palác. Kto nahradí Čaputovú? Favoritmi sú Pellegrini a Korčok, kandiduje aj Drgonec". Pravda (in Slovak). Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Ústavný právnik Drgonec si to rozmysel. O palác nezabojuje: Polovica kandidátov je urážkou národa". Pravda Slovakia (in Slovak). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Prezidentskú kandidatúru ohlásila aktivistka Beáta Janočková". Konzervatívny denník Postoj (in Slovak). TASR. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Europoslanec M. Radačovský plánuje kandidovať za prezidenta". teraz.sk (in Slovak). 8 January 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  12. ^ Búry, Juraj (5 February 2024). "Chceli kandidovať, nakoniec z toho nič nie je. Čo zabránilo Radačovskému a ďalším v boji o prezidentský palác?". HNonline.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Danko sa vzdal kandidatúry na prezidenta v prospech Harabina". Denník N (in Slovak). 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Róbert Švec odstúpil z boja o prezidentské kreslo". Štandard (in Slovak). Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Slovakia's presidential election: A choice between Russia and the West". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ^ "A pro-Western career diplomat faces an ally of the populist premier in Slovakia's presidential vote". Associated Press. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Slovakia holds second round of presidential vote amid deep divisions over Ukraine war". France 24. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Slovak president election: Pro-EU diplomat tops coalition stalwart in first round". Politico. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  19. ^ "A pro-West diplomat and an ally of populist premier to meet in runoff for Slovakia's presidency". Associated Press. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Slovakia's pro-West diplomat Korcok to face off with Fico ally Pelligrini in presidential runoff". France 24. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  21. ^ "SNS podporí v druhom kole volieb Petra Pellegriniho". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 26 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  22. ^ "Hnutie Slovensko je pripravené na stretnutie s Ivanom Korčokom, podporí ho aj Patrik Dubovský". SITA.sk (in Slovak). 26 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Forró Krisztián Pellegrinit támogatja az elnökválasztás második fordulójában". Új Szó (in Hungarian). 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  24. ^ Kotlebovci - Ľudová strana Naše Slovensko (5 April 2024). "Voľbou Korčoka aj Pellegriniho preberáte zodpovednosť za ich činy proti národu aj štátu!" (in Slovak). Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Facebook.
  25. ^ "Hnutie Slovensko podporilo v druhom kole prezidentských volieb Ivana Korčoka". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  26. ^ Milan Náhlik vlastenec [in Slovak] (5 April 2024). "Druhé kolo!" (in Slovak). Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Facebook.
  27. ^ "Neúspešný kandidát Kubiš bude v druhom kole voliť Pellegriniho". Teraz.sk (in Slovak). 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Róbert Švec nepodporí Pellegriniho ani Korčoka, obaja sú podľa neho kandidátmi na „prezidenta vojny"". SITA.sk (in Slovak). 26 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.