Elections of 2024: You Decide - Slovak Presidential Election

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'm just going to use Estrella's simple descriptions of each candidate, with one change.

We now have the final list of the 11 candidates – all men – running for president.

Peter Pellegrini (Hlas-Smer), speaker of the parliament and the main government candidate, a rather bland centrist (centre-left if you squint) moderate hero, pro-Western*
Ivan Korčok (SaS-PS), former foreign minister and the main opposition candidate, a rather bland centre-right liberal, pro-Western
Štefan Harabin (independent), minister of justice and chief justice in Fico's first government, likely the main far-right candidate, conspiracy theorist, kinda nuts in general, pro-Russia, Alex Jones-esque far-right
Andrej Danko (SNS), despite sitting in the same government as Pelle he spends more time attacking him and Hlas than anyone else to the point he stopped attending meetings of the coalition council, pro-Russia, Orbánesque far-right
Marian Kotleba (ĽSNS), somehow managed to get the signatures despite his party getting all of 0.8% last year, actual neo-Nazi
Igor Matovič (Slovensko), former PM and current clown, turbopopulist conservative, says he isn't actually running because he knows he has no chance and he's just trying to fix politics, will endorse Korčok in the runoff but for a price
Patrik Dubovský (Za ľudí-Kresťanská únia), a historian, conservative, anti-communist and anti-Mečiarist human rights activist, going after KDH voters and "democratically and conservatively oriented people"
Ján Kubiš (independent), ex-Smer moderate hero career diplomat
Krisztián Forró (Szövetség), the Hungarian candidate, a seemingly quite pro-government conservative – he's met with Fico to talk about "southern issues" and I expect him to endorse Pelle in the runoff in return for €€€ for Hungarian regions
Róbert Švec (Slovenské hnutie obrody), far-right, admirer of Jozef Tiso
Milan Náhlik (Hlas ľudu), a self-proclaimed "patriot", a quote from his Facebook: "...there is no salvation for the degenerate Western civilisation, the cancer of decay and absurdity is so evident that it is too late for a cure."

I put an asterisk on Pelligrini being pro-west only because of Fico's support of him.

48 hours for this first round. Top 2 advance to a 2nd round.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Peter Pellegrini I guess.
Tempted by Patrik Dubovský.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

for once I'm voting for the nominally more right-leaning candidate in Korčok because Smer is pretty sh*t. Hlas is by association for agreeing to go into government with the crazies in SNS.

[RGM2609]

Korcok for the win. Pellegrini=Fico=corruption masked by "lefty" rhetoric.

[S019]

Korcok

[DavidB.]

Pellegrini.

[Flyersfan232]

Igor Matovič

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Ivan Korčok: 42.46%
Peter Pellegrini: 33.78%
Patrik Dubovský: 10.19%
Igor Matovič: 4.70%
Ján Kubiš: 4.23%
Scattered among others: 4.64%

In the end, the top 2 candidates were as expected. What was not expected, however, was just how much of a lead Korčok would have in the first round. Most polls had Pellegrini above Korčok by 10 points in the first round, but the results flipped that notion on its head. Pellegrini's passive campaign strategy seemingly isn't working, but he could still come back in the runoff...