A pro-West diplomat and an ally of populist premier to meet in runoff for Slovakia's presidency

A pro-West diplomat and an ally of populist premier to meet in runoff for Slovakia’s presidency

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western career diplomat, speaks about the preliminary results of the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western career diplomat, arrives at his election headquarters to acknowledge the preliminary results of the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini speaks to reporters at his election headquarters during the first round of the presidential elections in Bratislava, Slovakia, March 23, 2024. (Vaclav Salek/CTK via AP)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, smiles before casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, casts his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, leaves the polling station after casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, smiles after casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, answers questions to the media after casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western career diplomat, accompanied by his wife Sona arrives to cast his vote during the first round of the presidential election, in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western career diplomat, addresses the media after casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election, in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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FILE - Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini delivers a speech at the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic, on Nov. 17, 2019. Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, leads a field of nine candidates ahead of the first round of the Slovakia’s presidential election which will be held on Saturday March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok prepares to cast his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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A woman casts her ballot during a first round of presidential election in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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FILE - Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok listens his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic during a press conference after their talks in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok, a pro-Western career diplomat, is one of the nine candidates ahead of the first round of the Slovakia’s presidential election which will be held on Saturday March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok addresses the media after casting his vote during the first round of the presidential election,l in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Ivan Korcok prepares to cast his vote during the first round of the presidential election, in Senec, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament’s speaker, arrives to cast his vote during the first round of the presidential election in Bratislava, Slovakia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A pro-western career diplomat defeated a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico in the first round of the presidential election Sunday to set up a runoff between the two to decide who will succeed Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president.

Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok had 42.13% of the votes late Sunday, with nearly all polling stations counted by Slovakia’s Statistics Office. Peter Pellegrini was in second with 37.28%

Because no candidate won an outright majority, a runoff will be held April 6 in this central European nation of 5.4 million people.

A former justice minister and judge, Štefan Harabin, 66, who has openly sided with Russia in its war with Ukraine was a distant third with 11.79%.

In all, nine male candidates sought to become Slovakia’s sixth head of state since it gained independence in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split in two.

Čaputová, a staunch backer of neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, didn’t seek a second term in the largely ceremonial post.

Korčok called the result “encouraging” and “promising,” but added that “we have to do more to win the runoff.”

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“I’m planning to approach all voters,” he said.

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.

Pellegrini was considered a favorite in the race, and opinion polls suggested he would beat any candidate in the runoff.

He congratulated Korčok on his victory in the first round and predicted a close contest in the runoff.

“It will likely be a tight race,” Pellegrini said.

A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by giving him and his allies control of strategic posts.

Pellegrini, 48, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the Sept. 30 parliamentary elections. His party joined a governing coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party.

The new government immediately halted arms deliveries to Ukraine. Thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to amend the penal code and take control of the public media.

Critics worry Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Pellegrini said Saturday that Slovakia’s membership in the European Union and NATO hasn’t been questioned.

“That we talk about a more sovereign voice of Slovakia or about a sovereign foreign policy ... doesn’t necessarily mean that we change the basic direction of our foreign policy,” Pellegrini said.