Government critic on track to become Slovakia's first woman president
Source: France24
Government critic Zuzana Caputova secured a huge first-round win over the ruling party candidate in Slovakia's weekend election, putting her one step closer to becoming the country's first female president.
Official results showed Caputova securing more than twice the votes of her rival Maros Sefcovic, suggesting the electorate had shunned the political establishment following last year's shock murder of an investigative journalist probing corruption.
The liberal environmental lawyer, who secured 40 percent of the vote, is almost certain to win the March 30 run-off against European Commission vice-president Sefcovic, who took just 19 percent.
The outcome is likely to spell trouble for the governing Smer-SD ahead of next year's general election.
"Caputova has such a large lead that Sefcovic would have to attract nearly all the unsuccessful candidates' voters and that is improbable," Bratislava-based analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP.
"By choosing Caputova, people have strongly called for change for the better in accordance with the values of liberal democracy," he said.
"Those who want continuity and Smer-SD to remain in power are in the clear minority."
Click here to read the full article published by France24 on 17 March 2019.
Government critic Zuzana Caputova secured a huge first-round win over the ruling party candidate in Slovakia's weekend election, putting her one step closer to becoming the country's first female president.
Official results showed Caputova securing more than twice the votes of her rival Maros Sefcovic, suggesting the electorate had shunned the political establishment following last year's shock murder of an investigative journalist probing corruption.
The liberal environmental lawyer, who secured 40 percent of the vote, is almost certain to win the March 30 run-off against European Commission vice-president Sefcovic, who took just 19 percent.
The outcome is likely to spell trouble for the governing Smer-SD ahead of next year's general election.
"Caputova has such a large lead that Sefcovic would have to attract nearly all the unsuccessful candidates' voters and that is improbable," Bratislava-based analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told AFP.
"By choosing Caputova, people have strongly called for change for the better in accordance with the values of liberal democracy," he said.
"Those who want continuity and Smer-SD to remain in power are in the clear minority."
Click here to read the full article published by France24 on 17 March 2019.