The new Slovak President Peter Pellegrini took office on June 15 after winning the second round in this year's presidential election on April 6. He became the sixth president of the Slovak Republic after the division of Czechoslovakia, writes BTA.
„A lot of emotions are boiling in me – pride, joy, and also a sense of responsibility and respect. I am grateful for the extremely strong mandate I received thanks to your trust, the citizens of the Slovak Republic, which you voted for me in the elections in April," Pellegrini said on social media before taking office. He also said that he deeply values the trust of the citizens and that he will not disappoint them.
Peter Pellegrini won the second round of the presidential election with 53.12% of the vote on a turnout of 61.12% – this is the second highest voter turnout in a presidential election in Slovakia.
Pellegrini, who served as Prime Minister of Slovakia from 22 March 2018 to 21 March 2020, was the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament before being elected President. He became the chairman of the legislative body after last year's parliamentary elections, in which the party of Prime Minister Robert Fizo “Posoka– social democracy”. Pellegrini's party “Voice– social democracy“ ranked third and became part of the tripartite coalition that currently governs Slovakia. After Pellegrini was elected president, the leader of “Voice – social democracy“ became the Minister of Internal Affairs, Matus Šutaj Eštok.
Pellegrini was sworn in as head of state on June 15, at a solemn session of the Slovak parliament in Bratislava. The swearing-in was followed by a speech by the new president in which he presented his vision for his term. The inauguration ceremony of the new head of state was attended by the current president Zuzana Čaputova (the first female president of Slovakia), the deputy speaker of the parliament Peter Žiga and the president of the Slovak Constitutional Court Ivan Fiačan. Prime Minister Robert Fizzo, who was shot on May 15, was unable to attend the ceremony due to health reasons. The government was represented at the ceremony by ministers. The event was also attended by the former presidents of Slovakia, Andrej Kiska, Rudolph Schuster and Ivan Gašparović, as well as the former president of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, and the former Czech prime minister, Andrej Babis.
Defining common values and a common vision are the best prerequisites for the nation's success in difficult times, Pellegrini said in his inauguration speech. He said that first of all he would like his compatriots to feel an impulse of peace of mind coming from the Presidential Palace.
„In the spirit of my childhood political convictions, I am talking about a strong state that always helps and serves its citizens and is never a burden for them,” Pellegrini also said in his speech.
Slovakia has been, is and will be a part of the European Union and NATO, but it will never be afraid to speak with its sovereign voice within the associations, the new president also stated in his inauguration speech. He promised to unite Slovakian society, which is polarized, and work for the unity of the nation, Slovak news agency TASR reported.
On June 16, the new president announced that he would visit all countries neighboring Slovakia, including Ukraine. He noted that his first visit abroad will be to the Czech Republic. The visit to the Czech Republic is planned for June 26, reported TASR.
On June 17, Peter Pellegrini took part in the informal meeting of the leaders of the European Union countries in Brussels. He attended the meeting in place of Prime Minister Robert Fizzo, who is still recovering from the assassination attempt on him in May.
Pellegrini said he would use the informal meeting in Brussels to talk to European leaders from the socialist camp about the return of the “Direction – social democracy“ and “Voice – social democracy“ in the Party of European Socialists (PES), after the membership of the two Slovak formations in PES was frozen last year on the grounds that they had deviated from PES values.
On June 18, after the end of the informal meeting of European leaders, Peter Pellegrini said that Slovakia will support the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for NATO Secretary General. The TASR conveyed that in exchange for this support, Bratislava will request help from the Netherlands to supply Slovakia with air defense systems.
Also on June 18, Pellegrini met at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. The Slovak leader announced on social networks that he had discussed with Lipavski the possibilities for deepening the cooperation between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
„Relations between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic are at a very high level and are exceptional. However, we should not take our mutual proximity for granted, Pellegrini said, stressing that within the framework of his mandate, he will do everything possible to preserve the depth and quality of the partnership between Prague and Bratislava.
During his visit to the Czech Republic, Pellegrini will meet with the Czech President Petar Pavel, with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petar Fiala, as well as with the presidents of the two chambers of the Czech Parliament.