Polls have predicted Pellegrini would beat other candidates in the second round.<\/p>\n

His rivals include former Foreign Minister Ivan Kor\u010dok, 59. a pro-Western career diplomat. He had also served as the ambassador to the United States and Germany, and firmly supports Slovakia\u2019s EU and NATO memberships.<\/p>\n

A former justice minister and judge, \u0160tefan Harabin, 66, has openly sided with Russia in its war against Ukraine. <\/p>\n

Another former foreign minister and career diplomat, J\u00e1n Kubi\u0161, and far-right leader Marian Kotleba are among other notable candidates.<\/p>\n

THE PRESIDENT\u2019S POWERS <\/h2>\n

The president is elected for a five-year term. <\/p>\n

The president picks the prime minister after parliamentary elections, swears in the new government and appoints Constitutional Court judges. The president can also veto laws, though Parliament can override the veto with a simple majority. <\/p>\n

The president also has the right to pardon convicts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) \u2014 Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of Slovakia\u2019s\u202f populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, is considered a favorite in the race for the largely ceremonial post of president. A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico\u2019s power by giving his allies control of strategic posts. It would also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[161,177,53,1476,67,1907],"yoast_head":"\n