kids encyclopedia robot

Peter Pellegrini facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Peter Pellegrini
Peter Pellegrini, 2024 (cropped).jpg
Pellegrini in 2024
6th President of Slovakia
Assumed office
15 June 2024
Prime Minister Robert Fico
Preceded by Zuzana Čaputová
Prime Minister of Slovakia
In office
22 March 2018 – 21 March 2020
President Andrej Kiska
Zuzana Čaputová
Deputy
See list
Gabriela Matečná
Richard Raši
László Sólymos
Peter Kažimír
Preceded by Robert Fico
Succeeded by Igor Matovič
Speaker of the National Council
In office
25 October 2023 – 7 April 2024
President Zuzana Čaputová
Deputy
See list
Ľuboš Blaha
Andrej Danko
Michal Šimečka
Peter Žiga
Preceded by Boris Kollár
Succeeded by Peter Žiga (acting)
In office
25 November 2014 – 23 March 2016
President Andrej Kiska
Deputy
See list
Ján Figeľ
Erika Jurinová
Jana Laššáková
Renáta Zmajkovičová
Preceded by Pavol Paška
Succeeded by Andrej Danko
Chairman of Voice – Social Democracy
In office
28 November 2020 – 1 June 2024
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Matúš Šutaj Eštok
Personal details
Born (1975-10-06) 6 October 1975 (age 49)
Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Political party Independent
Other political
affiliations		 Direction – Social Democracy (2000–2020)
Voice – Social Democracy (2020–2024)
Residence Grassalkovich Palace
Alma mater Matej Bel University
Technical University of Košice (Ing.)
Website President of the Slovak Republic

Peter Pellegrini (born 6 October 1975) is a Slovak politician who became the sixth president of Slovakia in 2024. Before becoming president, he served as the prime minister of Slovakia from 2018 to 2020.

Pellegrini has held several important roles in the Slovak government. He was the Minister of Health for a short time and also served as a deputy prime minister. He was also the Minister for Education and Science. He has been the Speaker of the National Council (Slovak Parliament) twice.

He was a member of the political party Direction – Social Democracy for many years. In 2020, he left that party to help start a new one called Voice – Social Democracy, which he led until he became president.

In January 2024, Pellegrini announced he would run for president. He won the election in April 2024 and officially became president on 15 June 2024. He is the first Slovak politician to have held all three of the country's highest government positions: President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of Parliament.

Early Life and Education

Peter Pellegrini studied economics at Matej Bel University and the Technical University of Košice. He focused on banking, investment, and finance during his studies. From 2002 to 2006, he worked as an economist and later as an advisor to a member of the National Council.

Political Career

Starting in Politics

Pellegrini began his political journey in 2002 when he was 26 years old. He first ran for parliament with the Direction – Social Democracy party. Although he didn't win a seat that year, he continued his work as an economist.

In the 2006 parliamentary election, he was elected as a member of the National Council (Slovak Parliament). During his first term, he was part of committees dealing with health, national security, and parliamentary rules. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2012, continuing to serve on important committees, including finance.

From 2012 to 2014, he served as the State Secretary for Finance. In June 2014, he became the vice-chairman of the Smer-SD party. Soon after, in July 2014, he was appointed as the Minister for Education and Science.

First Time as Speaker of Parliament

On 25 November 2014, Peter Pellegrini was chosen to be the Speaker of the National Council. This is a very important role, similar to the head of a country's parliament. In 2015, he was also named the Digital Champion of Slovakia by the European Union. This role involved promoting the benefits of digital technology for everyone.

Serving as Prime Minister

Future of Europe debate with Peter Pellegrini Slovak Prime Minister (33481905118)
Peter Pellegrini as Prime Minister, speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, March 2019

In 2016, Pellegrini became the Deputy Prime Minister for Investments under Prime Minister Robert Fico. He became Prime Minister himself on 15 March 2018, after the previous Prime Minister resigned. His government was approved by the National Council a week later.

During his time as Prime Minister, Pellegrini also temporarily held other ministerial roles, such as Acting Interior Minister and Acting Finance Minister.

In May 2019, he met with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to discuss important topics like energy security and international relations. President Trump praised Slovakia's efforts to increase its defense spending. Later, in December 2019, Pellegrini also took on the role of Minister of Health.

President Trump Welcomes the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic to the White House (33889394078)
Peter Pellegrini as Prime Minister, meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Washington D.C., May 2019

His party lost the 2020 parliamentary election. In March 2020, his government introduced measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia. These included closing schools, limiting movement, and introducing quarantine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a global shortage of medical supplies. Pellegrini mentioned how countries were competing to buy masks and other equipment.

Second Time as Speaker of Parliament

Visit to Ireland by Delegation led by Peter Pellegrini, Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic on 27 and 28 February 2024 - 16
Peter Pellegrini as Speaker of the National Council, with the speaker of the lower house of the Irish parliament, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, Dublin, February 2024

On 25 October 2023, Peter Pellegrini was re-elected as the Speaker of the National Council.

Running for President

On 19 January 2024, Peter Pellegrini announced that he would run for president of Slovakia. He had strong support from his party, Voice – Social Democracy, and other political partners.

In the first round of the election on 23 March 2024, he came in second place. In the second round, held on 6 April 2024, he won the election with 53.12% of the votes. After winning, he announced that he would step down as the leader of his party and leave the party. This is a tradition in Slovakia, as the president is expected to be non-partisan (not officially part of any political party).

Presidency

Zasedanje vrha Nata (53848566328)
Peter Pellegrini as President at the NATO summit in Washington D.C., July 2024

Peter Pellegrini officially became the President of Slovakia on 15 June 2024. His inauguration ceremony took place during a special meeting of the National Council in Bratislava.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu meets the President of the Slovak Republic, Mr. Peter Pellegrini at the Presidential Palace, in Bratislava, Slovakia on April 09, 2025
Peter Pellegrini meets the President of India, Droupadi Murmu at the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava, April 2025

Personal Life

Peter Pellegrini has Italian ancestors. His great-grandfather came to Slovakia to help build a railway.

He owns a dog named Gery, which is named after a character from The Witcher.

Honours and Awards

Peter Pellegrini has received several national honours from Slovakia, recognizing his service to the country. These include:

  • Order of Andrej Hlinka
  • Order of Ľudovít Štúr
  • Milan Rastislav Štefánik Cross
  • Pribina Cross

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Peter Pellegrini para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Peter Pellegrini Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.