President of Slovakia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Slovak Republic
Presidential standard
Incumbent Peter Pellegrini since 15 June 2024
Style	Mr. President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
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

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.

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 (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 (born 1934)	15 June 1999	15 June 2004	5 years	SOP	1999
3		Ivan Gašparovič (born 1941)	15 June 2004	15 June 2014	10 years	HZD	2004
						None	2009
4		Andrej Kiska (born 1963)	15 June 2014	15 June 2019	5 years	None	2014
5		Zuzana Čaputová (born 1973)	15 June 2019	15 June 2024	5 years	PS	2019
6		Peter Pellegrini (born 1975)	15 June 2024	Incumbent	1 year and 18 days	Hlas	2024

Timeline of Slovak Presidents

Acting Presidents

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

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Eslovaquia para niños

• List of prime ministers of Slovakia
• List of speakers of Slovak parliaments
• List of presidents of Czechoslovakia