Pro-European diplomat and populist politician to face off in Slovak presidential runoff

Ivan Korcok and Peter Pellegrin are set to face each other in a runoff election for the Slovak presidency on April 6. In the first round of voting held on March 15, Korcok received 37.0% of the votes, while Pellegrini earned 37.07%. However, according to the Slovak Statistics Office, Korcok leads with 42.44% and 99.9% of the votes counted, compared to Pellegrini's 37.07%. Both candidates have taken opposing political stances; Korcok is a career diplomat and a pro-Ukraine supporter, while Pellegrini is an ally of Slovakia's populist prime minister and part of the Russia-leaning ruling camp led by Prime Minister Robert Fico.