On June 15, Slovakia’s first female President will be sworn into office. Zuzana Čaputová, who entered high-level Slovak politics only a few years ago, took the election with nearly 60 per cent of the vote. The vote was regarded by many as a referendum on corruption in Slovakia, with the murder of reporter Ján Kuciak in 2018 serving as a guide for popular resistance to entrenched corruption in the country. Is it the dawn of a new era for politics in Slovakia? asks Patrick J.O. Brien.
When political outsider Zuzana Čaputová surprised European politics by winning 58.4 per cent of the votes in Slovakia’s presidential election – she was polling in single figures just a few months prior to the election – she claimed her victory was one that highlighted the values of humanism, solidarity and truth, and showed that you can win without attacking opponents.
Dr Čaputová’s election was a clear message that a positive campaign can be a winning one – and provided a rare glimmer of hope for liberal politics in central Europe. It was a cry for change – but Dr Čaputová’s victory also comes with high expectations.
Read the full article in Times of Malta.
On photo: Patrick J.O. Brien, EXANTE Communication Director.
