Slovaks pick between Fico ally and pro-Western diplomat for president

Slovaks go to the polls on Saturday to pick a new president, choosing between pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok and Peter Pellegrini running for the ruling nationalist left coalition.
At stake is whether Prime Minister Robert Fico, who took power in October for the fourth time, will get an ally in the presidential palace or an opponent who could challenge his pro-Russian stance and plans to reform criminal law and the media, which have raised concern over weakening the rule of law.
The election is expected to be tight, according to final opinion polls published ahead of a moratorium on campaigning from Thursday. Bookmakers made Korcok, who surprisingly topped the first round two weeks ago, the slight favourite on Friday.
Slovak presidents do not have many executive powers, but can veto laws or challenge them in the constitutional court. They nominate constitutional court judges, which may become important in upcoming battles over Fico’s reforms that would dramatically ease punishments for corruption.