Zuzana Caputova Elected Slovakia´s First Female President

The liberal environmental activist Zuzana Caputova has been elected as the first female president of Slovakia.

Zuzana Caputova, a political newcomer, succeeded in the second round run-off vote against the high-profile diplomat Maros Sefcovic, nominated by the governing party. She had 58,3 per cent of the votes ahead of European commissioner Maros Sefcovic who took 41,7 per cent.

Caputova, a pro-European liberal, gained prominence as a lawyer fighting against an illegal landfill in her hometown lasting 14 years. The elections followed the killing of Jan Kuciak, who reported on fraud cases involving politically connected businessmen. The murder of the investigative journalist triggered the biggest anti-government protests in Slovakia since communism ended, strongly supported by Caputova. Mr Kuciak´s death, she later named as one of the main reasons she decided to run for president.

Her first acceptance speech she started by thanking voters in Slovak, as well as in the Hungarian, Czech, Roma and Ruthenian languages, addressing all main minority groups in Slovakia. She takes the vote as a sign for change in the country and wants to promote LGBT rights, fight against corruption and opposes a ban on abortion.

By Lisa Maier

Photo Source: Reuters