An environmental activist with little political experience has been elected as the first female president of Slovakia. Relative newcomer Zuzana Caputova took 58% of the vote with almost 95% of returns counted in Saturday’s runoff election, topping European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic, who took 42%.
Mr Sefcovic conceded defeat and congratulated his rival.
“I’m extremely happy about the result,” Ms Caputova said. “It’s an extremely strong mandate for me.”
Ms Caputova, 45, has little experience in politics and won over voters who are angered by corruption and mainstream politics. She only recently became vice chairman of Progressive Slovakia, a party so new it has not had a chance to run in parliamentary elections.
Ms Caputova resigned from her party post after winning the first round of the presidential vote two weeks ago. She becomes Slovakia’s fifth president since the country gained independence following the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
The president of the nation of 5.4 million people has the power to pick the prime minister, appoint Constitutional Court judges and veto laws. But parliament can override the veto with a simple majority.