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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
Constituting instrument Constitution of Slovakia (1992)
Formation 2 March 1993; 32 years ago (1993-03-02)
First holder Michal Kováč
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 leader of Slovakia. This person is the head of state and also the commander-in-chief of the country's military. People in Slovakia vote directly for their president. A president serves for five years and can be elected for a maximum of two terms in a row. The president's job is mostly ceremonial, like a symbol for the country. However, the president does have some special powers. The official home of the president is the Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava.

History of the Presidency

The role of president was created when Slovakia became an independent country. This happened on January 1, 1993, after Slovakia separated from Czechoslovakia. The position was empty for a short time. Then, on March 2, 1993, Michal Kováč became the first president. He was chosen by the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

In 1998, the National Council could not agree on a new president. Because of this, the job 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 problem, the constitution was changed. After that, people started voting directly for the president. Presidential elections have been held regularly since then.

Peter Pellegrini is the current president. He started his term on June 15, 2024.

What the President Does

Bratislava Grassalkovich Palace 01
Grassalkovich Palace, the official home of the Slovak president.

The president of Slovakia has a limited role in making new laws. This is because Slovakia is a parliamentary republic. In this system, the prime minister and parliament usually have more power. The president is the main representative of Slovakia. They represent the country both at home and when dealing with other countries.

The president signs and approves international agreements with other countries. Sometimes, the president lets the government handle these agreements. This has been a common practice for many years.

One important power of the president is choosing the prime minister. The constitution does not limit who the president can choose. However, the prime minister's government needs to be approved by the parliament. So, the president usually picks the leader of the party or group that won the most votes in the parliamentary elections.

The president also has the power to appoint certain officials. These include three members of the judicial council. They also appoint one member of the Budget Council. Two members of the Nation's Memory Institute council are also chosen by the president. The president gives out awards and honors. They also appoint the top judges for the Constitutional Court. The president can also grant pardons or parole to people.

Cestnastraz
The Honour Guard protects the president.

The president can say no to (veto) any new law from the National Council. However, the National Council can override this veto. They can do this by voting for the same law again with a majority of all members. This means the president's veto power is not very strong.

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

Other duties of the president include signing bills into law. They also appoint ministers based on the prime minister's suggestions. The president appoints many other state officials too. These include generals, university professors, judges, and prosecutors.

Sometimes, the president has special power over appointments. For example, presidents have refused to appoint certain officials. The Constitutional Court has supported these decisions.

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, the president can approve many government actions. They can also appoint a new government without needing parliament's approval.

Presidents of the Slovak Republic (since 1993)

This section lists the presidents of Slovakia since the country became independent in 1993.

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 and 0 days HZDS 1993
1998 Slovak presidential election
Acting Presidents: Vladimír Mečiar and Ivan Gašparovič (1998), later Mikuláš Dzurinda and Jozef Migaš (1998–1999)
2 Rudolf Schuster 2011.jpg Rudolf Schuster
(born 1934)
15 June
1999
15 June
2004
5 years and 0 days SOP 1999
3 Ivan Gašparovič (cropped) Election infobox.jpg Ivan Gašparovič
(born 1941)
15 June
2004
15 June
2014
10 years and 0 days HZD 2004
None 2009
4 Andrej Kiska in Senate of Poland (cropped 3).jpg Andrej Kiska
(born 1963)
15 June
2014
15 June
2019
5 years and 0 days None 2014
5 ZuzanaCaputovaPokracujeVKampani-Orez-IMG 0394-SF.jpg Zuzana Čaputová
(born 1973)
15 June
2019
15 June
2024
5 years and 0 days PS 2019
6 Peter Pellegrini, 2024 (cropped).jpg Peter Pellegrini
(born 1975)
15 June
2024
Incumbent 1 year and 41 days Hlas 2024

Presidential Timeline

This timeline shows when each president of the Slovak Republic served.

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 people are called "acting presidents." Here are some who served in this role:

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

Latest Presidential Election

The most recent election for president in Slovakia was in 2024.

Candidate Party First round Second round
Votes % Votes %
Ivan Korčok Independent 958,393 42.52 1,243,709 46.88
Peter Pellegrini Voice – Social Democracy 834,718 37.03 1,409,255 53.12
Štefan Harabin Independent 264,579 11.74
Krisztián Forró Hungarian Alliance 65,588 2.91
Igor Matovič Slovakia 49,201 2.18
Ján Kubiš Independent 45,957 2.04
Patrik Dubovský For the People 16,107 0.71
Marian Kotleba Kotlebists – People's Party Our Slovakia 12,771 0.57
Milan Náhlik [sk] Independent 3,111 0.14
Andrej Danko Slovak National Party 1,905 0.08
Róbert Švec Slovak Revival Movement [sk] 1,876 0.08
Total 2,254,206 100.00 2,652,964 100.00
Valid votes 2,254,206 99.53 2,652,964 99.35
Invalid/blank votes 10,563 0.47 17,233 0.65
Total votes 2,264,769 100.00 2,670,197 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 4,364,071 51.90 4,368,697 61.12
Source: First Round, Second Round

See also

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

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