Peter Pellegrini

4.1. Entry into Parliament and Early Roles

Pellegrini began his political career at the age of 26, running for the National Council of the Slovak Republic in the 2002 Slovak parliamentary election as a candidate for the Direction - Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party. Although he received 1,223 votes, it was not enough to secure a seat.

His persistence paid off in the 2006 Slovak parliamentary election, where he successfully won a seat in the National Council, having run from the 27th place on the Smer-SD candidate list and securing 2,665 votes. During his first parliamentary term from 2006 to 2010, he was an active member of several key committees, including the Health Parliamentary Committee, the Committee of the National Council for reviewing the decisions of the National Security Bureau, and the Mandate and Immunity Committee of the National Council.

He was re-elected in the 2010 Slovak parliamentary election with 2,745 votes and again in the 2012 Slovak parliamentary election with 5,950 votes. In these terms, he served as a member of the Committee for Finance and Budget and continued his work on the Committee for Review of Decisions of the National Security Bureau. From 4 April 2012 to 3 July 2014, Pellegrini served as the State Secretary for Finance in Fico's Second Cabinet. On 28 June 2014, at an extraordinary assembly of the Smer-SD party, he was appointed as its new vice-chairman.

4.2. Ministerial Appointments

Pellegrini held several significant ministerial positions throughout his career. On 3 July 2014, following the resignation of Minister of Education Dušan Čaplovič, President Andrej Kiska appointed Pellegrini as the Minister for Education, Science, Research and Sport.

In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Informatization under Prime Minister Robert Fico. His responsibilities in this role included overseeing strategic investments and advancing the country's digital agenda. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Pellegrini also temporarily took on additional ministerial duties. He served as the acting Minister of Culture from 7 March 2018 to 22 March 2018, and as the acting Minister of Interior from 17 April 2018 to 26 April 2018. In 2019, he temporarily assumed the role of Minister of Finance from 11 April to 7 May, after Peter Kažimír departed to become Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia. Later, from December 2019 to March 2020, he served as the Minister of Health after Andrea Kalavská resigned.

4.3. Speaker of the National Council

Pellegrini served two non-consecutive terms as the Speaker of the National Council of Slovakia. His first term began on 25 November 2014, when he was elected to succeed Pavol Paška. During this period, in 2015, he was appointed as the Digital Champion of Slovakia, a position designated by the European Union to promote the benefits of an inclusive digital society. His first term as Speaker concluded on 23 March 2016.

He returned to the position for a second term on 25 October 2023, when he was re-elected Speaker of the National Council with 131 votes, succeeding Boris Kollár. This term lasted until 7 April 2024.

4.4. Prime Minister of Slovakia

Peter Pellegrini was sworn in as Prime Minister of Slovakia on 22 March 2018, succeeding Robert Fico, who resigned amidst the political crisis that followed the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak. President Andrej Kiska officially approved Pellegrini's Cabinet on 21 March 2018, and the National Council subsequently approved the cabinet with 81 votes in favor.

During his premiership, Pellegrini engaged in significant international diplomacy. On 3 May 2019, he was invited to the White House by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. The meeting, held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and the 15th anniversary of Slovakia's entry into NATO, covered topics such as energy security, Nord Stream 2, illegal migration, and the situation in Ukraine. President Trump commended Slovakia's efforts to increase its defense budget to two percent of its GDP within NATO.

His government faced significant challenges, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia in early 2020. On 16 March 2020, his government introduced comprehensive measures to curb the spread of the virus, including declaring a state of emergency for state hospitals, closing all schools, limiting citizen movement, shutting down businesses, and implementing quarantine protocols. A notable incident during this period involved a global competition for medical supplies; Pellegrini stated that an order for two million masks from Ukraine, requiring cash payment, was intercepted and bought by a German agent who offered a higher price. Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, acknowledged the intense global demand for medical masks and respirators at the time. In February 2020, Pellegrini himself was hospitalized after attending a European Union summit in Brussels, suffering from an acute respiratory infection and high fever. While a COVID-19 infection was initially suspected, a government spokesperson clarified that he had contracted pneumonia due to fatigue. Throughout his tenure, Pellegrini was often regarded as one of Europe's younger leaders, alongside figures like Sebastian Kurz of Austria and Emmanuel Macron of France.

4.5. Party Affiliations and Leadership

Peter Pellegrini was a long-standing member of the Direction - Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party, beginning his political career with them in 2002. He remained a member until June 2020. Following the 2020 parliamentary election and his party's defeat, Pellegrini left Smer-SD and co-founded a new political party, Voice - Social Democracy (HLAS-SD), which he has led since 28 November 2020. After his victory in the 2024 presidential election, he confirmed on 7 April 2024 that he would resign as the leader of HLAS-SD and withdraw his party membership. This decision was made to honor the unwritten political tradition in Slovakia that the president should be a nonpartisan officeholder.

4.6. 2020 Parliamentary Election and Transition

The 2020 Slovak parliamentary election, held on 29 February 2020, resulted in a significant defeat for Pellegrini's Smer-SD party. The election was won by the populist, anti-corruption party Ordinary People, led by Igor Matovič. This marked the first time since 2006 that Smer-SD was not the dominant party in the Slovak parliament. Following this outcome, Pellegrini's premiership concluded, and Igor Matovič assumed the office of Prime Minister on 20 March 2020.

4.7. Presidential Candidacy and Election

On 19 January 2024, amidst growing public support and endorsements from his party, Voice - Social Democracy, as well as coalition partners like Direction - Social Democracy, Peter Pellegrini officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 Slovak presidential election.

The first round of the election took place on 23 March 2024. Pellegrini finished second, securing 37.03% of the vote (834,718 votes). The first round was won by career diplomat Ivan Korčok, who received 42.52% of the vote. Retired lawyer and judge Štefan Harabin placed third with 11.74%.

Ahead of the second round, Pellegrini garnered support from several political figures and parties. This included the Slovak National Party (SNS), whose leader Andrej Danko had withdrawn from the first round, as well as unsuccessful first-round candidates Krisztián Forró and Ján Kubiš.

The second round of the election was held on 6 April 2024. Peter Pellegrini emerged victorious, defeating Ivan Korčok with 53.12% of the vote (1,409,255 votes) compared to Korčok's 46.88%. This victory made him the President-elect of Slovakia.

4.8. Presidency

Peter Pellegrini officially assumed office as the sixth President of Slovakia on 15 June 2024. His presidential inauguration took place during a special session of the National Council held in Bratislava. With this inauguration, Pellegrini achieved a unique distinction, becoming the first Slovak politician in the country's history to have held all three of the highest constitutional posts: President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of the National Council. His inaugural address emphasized his commitment to a strong state, aiming for unity and consensus in domestic policy and asserting Slovakia's position on the international stage. In July 2024, he attended the NATO summit in Washington D.C., marking one of his early international engagements as President.