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President of the Slovak Republic
Flag of the President of Slovakia.svg
Presidential standard
Peter Pellegrini, 2024 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Peter Pellegrini

since 15 June 2024
Style
Residence Grassalkovich Palace, Old Town, Bratislava
Appointer Popular vote
Term length Five years, renewable once consecutively
Formation Constitution of Slovakia
First holder Michal Kováč
2 March 1993
Succession Line of succession
Salary c. 204,000 per annum
(2024)
Pension for former presidents:
c. 48,000 per annum

The President of the Slovak Republic is the head of state for Slovakia. This means they are the top representative of the country. They are also the commander-in-chief of the Slovak Armed Forces.

People in Slovakia vote directly for their president. A president serves for five years and can be re-elected only once. The president's job is mostly ceremonial, like a symbol for the country. But they do have some important powers. The president's official home is the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava.

History of the Presidency

The job of president was created when Slovakia became an independent country. This happened on January 1, 1993, after Slovakia separated from Czechoslovakia. The first president, Michal Kováč, was chosen by the National Council of the Slovak Republic on March 2, 1993.

However, in 1998, the National Council couldn't agree on a new president. So, the position was empty for about six months. During that time, the prime minister and the speaker of the National Council shared the president's duties. To fix this, the country's constitution was changed. After that, people started voting directly for their president.

Since then, presidential elections have been held regularly. The most recent election was in 2024. Peter Pellegrini is the current president. He started his term on June 15, 2024.

What the President Does: Role and Powers

Bratislava Grassalkovich Palace 01
The Grassalkovich Palace, where the president of Slovakia works and lives.

The president of Slovakia has a limited role in making new laws. Their job is mostly symbolic in Slovakia's government system. The constitution says the president is the main representative of Slovakia, both inside the country and when dealing with other nations.

The president represents Slovakia to other countries. They also sign and approve international agreements. Sometimes, they let the government handle these agreements.

One of the president's key powers is choosing the prime minister. The constitution doesn't limit who the president can pick. However, the prime minister's government needs to be approved by the parliament. So, the president usually chooses the leader of the party or group that wins the most votes in parliamentary elections.

The president also has the power to appoint certain important people. For example, they choose some members of the judicial council and the budget council. They can also give out awards. The president appoints the top judges for the Constitutional Court. They can also grant pardons or release people from prison.

The president can say "no" to (veto) any new law or idea from the National Council. But this veto isn't very strong. If the National Council votes for the same law again with enough support, they can override the president's veto.

Cestnastraz
The Honour Guard of the President protects the president.

The president is officially the commander-in-chief of the Slovak armed forces. But this role is mostly ceremonial. Any big military decision the president makes needs to be signed by the prime minister or another authorized minister.

Other duties of the president include signing new laws. They also appoint ministers suggested by the prime minister. They appoint many other state officials too, like generals, university professors, judges, and prosecutors.

The president has some freedom in choosing certain officials. For example, there have been times when the president refused to appoint certain officials suggested by the government. The Constitutional Court has supported these actions.

The president's powers become much stronger in special situations. This happens if the National Council votes that they no longer trust the government. In such cases, many of the government's powers need the president's approval. The president can even appoint a new government without needing parliament's approval right away.

List of Presidents of Slovakia

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party Election
Took office Left office Duration
1 Michal Kováč.jpg Michal Kováč
(1930–2016)
2 March
1993
2 March
1998
5 years HZDS 1993
1998 Slovak presidential election
Acting Presidents: Vladimír Mečiar and Ivan Gašparovič (1998 - 1999), later Mikuláš Dzurinda and Jozef Migaš (1999)
2 Rudolf Schuster 2011.jpg Rudolf Schuster
(born 1934)
15 June
1999
15 June
2004
5 years SOP 1999
3 Ivan Gašparovič (cropped) Election infobox.jpg Ivan Gašparovič
(born 1941)
15 June
2004
15 June
2014
10 years HZD 2004
None 2009
4 Andrej Kiska in Senate of Poland (cropped 1).jpg Andrej Kiska
(born 1963)
15 June
2014
15 June
2019
5 years None 2014
5 Zuzana Čaputová at the Enthronement of Naruhito (1).jpg Zuzana Čaputová
(born 1973)
15 June
2019
15 June
2024
5 years PS 2019
6 Peter Pellegrini, 2024 (cropped).jpg Peter Pellegrini
(born 1975)
15 June
2024
Incumbent 1 year and 5 days Hlas 2024

Timeline of Slovak Presidents

Peter Pellegrini Zuzana Čaputová Andrej Kiska Ivan Gašparovič Rudolf Schuster Michal Kováč

Acting Presidents

Sometimes, when there is no president, other officials take over the duties. These are called "acting presidents."

Name Term
Vladimír Mečiar
Ivan Gašparovič
2 March 1998 – 30 October 1998
14 July 1998 – 30 October 1998
Mikuláš Dzurinda
Jozef Migaš
30 October 1998 – 15 June 1999

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Presidente de Eslovaquia para niños

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