Ljubljana, Nov. 14 (BNA): Lawyer Natasa Berk Mussar won the second round of Slovenia’s presidential elections on Sunday and will become the first woman to hold the country’s head of state, preliminary results show.
Berk Mussar, 54, won 53.86 percent of the vote in the run-off, while her right-wing political rival, former foreign minister Andes Lugar, won 46.14 percent, according to election commission data based on 99 percent of the votes counted, it was reported. Reuters.
Commission data showed that the participation rate was 49.9 percent.
“I will do everything in my power to be a true president for all and to work for human rights and basic and constitutional democracy,” Berk Mussar told reporters after his victory.
Although the role is mostly ceremonial, the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and also nominates several senior officials, including the governor of the central bank. Parliament must approve most nominations.
The new president of Slovenia, a member of the European Union and NATO, will replace Borut Pahor, who has been active in politics for 30 years. Bahor, a former model who served two five-year terms, is referred to in public as the head of Instagram for his frequent use of the social network.
“I expect the next president to take an interest in us, the citizens, to represent Slovenia in a good way,” Urus Pinter said after casting his vote in Ljubljana. I think it’s time to head.”
Berk Mussar, a former television presenter who became an influential lawyer, has campaigned on human rights, rule of law, and welfare issues.
Her opponent, Lugar, 46, is a member of the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who lost parliamentary elections in April to Robert Golub’s environmental freedom movement.
Commenting on the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election, Golub told reporters, “I am confident that we will work well together to meet common challenges in the future.”
MI