The presidential elections in Slovakia are to take place on 15 March. This will be the fourth time that Slovak citizens will choose their president via a secret ballot in a direct election. It is a two-round voting system. The winner might emerge also in the 1st round if there is a candidate that receives more than 50% of legitimate votes; otherwise, two weeks’ after the 1st round, a 2nd round will take place, where the two most successful candidates will meet. The one who gets the most votes in this round will reside in the Presidential palace for the next five years. There are 14 presidential candidates and here at RSI we introduce all of them, in alphabetical order.
Kňažko Milan
An actor with experience in politics, he graduated from the Bratislava Academy of Performing Arts before joining the International Theatre Academy in Nancy. He performed on many stages, including the Slovak National Theatre, and made dozens of films. In the year 1989 he entered politics. He was one of the key figures during the Velvet Revolution, advising the then president of Czechoslovakia Vlacav Havel. He was a member of the Federal Council of the Czechoslovak Republic, then the National Council of Slovakia, before taking on the role of Foreign Minister, and later the Culture Minister. Milan Kňažko co-founded several movements and political parties, including Public against Violence (VPN) and The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) in 1991, and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party (SDKU) in 2000. After 2002 he removed himself from political life, is now 69 years old and stands for the post of President as a civil candidate.
Martinčko Stanislav
This candidate for the Presidential Palace is 62 years old, and comes from the East of the country. A driver of buses and lorries; before become a Transport Manager. He worked in the scrap metal business as a Company Director, which specialised in the processing and manufacturing of corrugated metal. Until now he has never been involved in politics. He wants to stand for good neighbourly relations, also to keep on the path of integration with the EU and Nato, and to develop friendship between states. He has declared that he would prefer his first state visit to be to the Czech Republic. Stanislav Martinčko was put forward for the post of President in February 2013 by the Coalition of citizens of Slovakia.
