Opinion Polls Show Presidential Run-Off Too Close To Call

The two opinion polls carried out following the first round of the presidential election on 23 March, and ahead of the run-off on 6 April, shows the contest as too close to call. The leads in both polls are within the margin of error, essentially indicating a dead-heat.

• Focus Poll: Peter Pellegrini: 50.8%, Ivan Korcok: 49.2%, Fieldwork: 28 Mar-2 Apr, 1,015 respondents
• NMS Poll: Ivan Korcok: 51.7%, Peter Pellegrini: 48.3%, Fieldwork: 28 Mar-2 Apr, 1,045 respondents
• While the presidency is a largely ceremonial position, should Pellegrini win it will provide PM Robert Fico with a political ally in a high-ranking position. Conversely, should Korcok - backed by opposition, pro-EU parties - win it could see the criticism leveled at Fico for his pro-Russian, anti-EU positions that has come from incumbent President Zuzana Caputova continue to flow.
• Visegrad Insight notesthere are ways for the president to slow down gov't actions as was the case with a controversial Penal Code change. Caputova, "...signed the bill that she did not approve of and then filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court, which subsequently suspended part of the law for the time necessary for the judges to issue a full ruling."
• Fico's stance on Ukraine and Russia is similar to that of Hungay, where the Orban gov't advocates dialogue with Russia and peace talks that Ukraine and its allies argue would be a capitulation. In Hungary, Orban's Fidesz party control the parliamentary majority and presidency, meaning little in the way of effective oppositon. The Slovak presidential election could determine whether the Fico gov't gets the same opportunity.