The recent election of a populist government has pulled the country away from the European mainstream.
ADVERTISEMENTSlovakia will return to the polls this Saturday for the second round of their country's presidential election, in which they will decide whether to lean more toward the EU or Russia.
The contest pits pro-European diplomat Ivan Korčok, who unexpectedly came top in the first round with 42.5%, against social democrat Peter Pellegrini, the current speaker of parliament.
Korčok has also served as Slovakia’s ambassador to the United States and Germany and firmly supports his country’s membership in the EU and NATO. He is hoping to win with the support of government voters dissatisfied with domestic policies, including efforts to take state control of the media, as well as the international isolation that has come with the new government's pro-Russian stance.
Pellegrini, meanwhile, is a close ally of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. He heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party, which finished third in last September's parliamentary elections and then joined a governing coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party.
Pellegrini has criticised Korčok for putting the interests of the EU above those of Slovakia, and complains that the country's membership of EU and NATO hasn't been questioned.
A victory for Pellegrini would cement Fico’s power by giving him and his allies control of strategic posts. If Korčok wins, the head of state and the executive branch will be forced into a difficult coexistence.