Peter Pellegrini during his visit in Austria. (source: TASR)
In a few months, in the spring of 2024, Slovakia will elect a new president. The latest poll by the Focus agency for the "Na Telo" political programme revealed who could have won if the elections had been held in November.
Respondents were asked to imagine a scenario where Speaker of Parliament and Hlas party leader Peter Pellegrini and ex-foreign minister Ivan Korčok reached the final round of the presidential elections. According to the survey, Pellegrini would win with the support of 60 percent of the decided respondents, while Korčok would enjoy 40 percent support.
Pellegrini has not said whether he would run for the prestigious office next year. However, his public messages suggest that he may. In a televised interview last Sunday, he said that he would announce his decision in early January.
He can rely on the support of Smer, PM and Smer party leader Robert Fico said last Sunday.
Who would you vote for president?
In another hypothetical scenario with Korčok and pro-Russian politician and former Supreme Court Justice Štefan Harabin in the final round, Korčok would secure victory with 67 percent support, while Harabin would receive 33 percent support, as indicated by the survey.
Korčok has already gone on the campaign trail. In addition to events, he presents his own podcast about patriotism. Harabin ran for president in 2019. He failed.
The survey also explored a matchup between Korčok and Ján Kubiš, where Korčok would garner 62 percent support, leaving Kubiš with 38 percent. Kubiš served as foreign minister in the first Smer government (2006-2009)
The survey suggested that Kubiš could become president if he faced Harabin in the second round, with 67 percent of decided voters supporting Kubiš and 33 percent supporting Harabin.
Further hypothetical matchups included Pellegrini against Kubiš, where Pellegrini would secure 74 percent support against Kubiš's 26 percent. In a faceoff between Pellegrini and Harabin, Pellegrini would dominate with 84 percent support, leaving Harabin with 16 percent.
The opinion poll, conducted by the Focus agency, took place from November 15 to November 22, 2023, through personal interviews with a sample of 1,015 respondents.
