Slovakia Elects first female president
On 30th of March, environmental, anti-corruption and pro-EU candidate Zuzana Caputova won the presidential elections and is to be the first female president in history of the country. The list of candidates for president consisted of 13 men and 2 women.
Maroš Šefčovič, Caputova’s biggest opponent acknowledged his defeat after it was announced that Caputova got 58 percent of the votes. He is the current vice president of the European Commission.
Corruption and political change were the most important themes during this election. The election came after the murder of an investigative journalist, Jan Kuciak last year. He was engaged in an investigation on links between organised crime and important politicians. Kuciak and his fiancée were shot in February 2018.
The new president stated that Kuciak’s murder was one of the main reasons why she wanted to run for presidency, which is largely a ceremonial role.
Caputova gained her popularity in Slovakia by leading a case against an illegal landfill that lasted almost 14 years. She is 45 years old, divorced and a mother of two. Caputova is a member of the Progressive Slovakia party, a liberal party which has no seats in the parliament.
In Slovakia, where adoption and same-sex marriage is illegal, Caputova is very much promoting her liberal views on LGBTQ+ rights.
