Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of the left-wing populist prime minister Robert Ficowas sworn in as president of Slovakia on Saturday.
The 48-year-old took the oath of office during a ceremony at the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava in the presence of parliamentarians.
Pellegrini won the second election in April with 53.1% of the vote, defeating former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok.
Ukraine played a prominent role in the campaign, with Pellegrini advocating a cautious stance on arms deliveries to Kiev – a position in line with Russia-friendly Fico.
In his speech after his swearing-in, Pellegrini emphasized that many people in Slovakia were restless because of the war in Ukraine.
“For us, war was just a concept from the history books – and suddenly it is here, within sight of our eastern border,” he said. “We must help the neighboring country achieve a just peace.” He wasn’t more specific.
After his election as prime minister, Fico stopped state arms deliveries to Ukraine and spoke out against the neighboring state’s accession to NATO in the future.
Pellegrini previously served as prime minister and speaker of parliament from 2018 to 2020.
Incumbent Zuzana Čaputová, a lawyer and rights activist, did not run for a second five-year term despite her continued popularity as president.
Pellegrini’s Voice – Social Democratic party is part of the Slovak government coalition, led by Fico. The right-wing populist Slovak National Party (SNS) is also part of the divided coalition.
Presidents in Slovakia have few executive powers, although they can veto laws. The president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces and represents the country of nearly 5.5 million foreign visits.
With Pellegrini’s swearing-in, the left-wing nationalist camp now holds the two most important political offices in the country.
The opposition fears that the coalition will now push through controversial plans, such as the proposed dissolution of the public radio and television broadcaster RTVS.
Slovakia and its fellow EU members were stunned last month by an assassination attempt on Fico, which seriously injured the prime minister.
