New Slovakian President sworn in

Pellegrini's inauguration ceremony was held at the Slovak National Symphony Hall and was attended by MPs, government members, former Slovak presidents, diplomats and guests, including former Czech President Milos Zeman and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Meanwhile, the opposition movement of former Prime Minister Igor Matovic announced that it would not send a representative to the inauguration.

Mr. Pellegrini, 48, defeated former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok in the second round of the presidential election on April 6. Notably, Mr. Pellegrini ran for office while serving as the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament and the head of the ruling Democratic Voice (Hlas-SD) party. Previously, his predecessor Zuzana Caputova decided not to run for a second five-year term.

Slovakia held its presidential inauguration amid tight security measures. Police and mobile fences were deployed around the Slovak National Symphony Hall. Pellegrini is expected to attend an informal summit of the European Union (EU) on June 17, replacing Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is still recovering from an assassination attempt in mid-May.

According to the constitution, the Slovak president has limited powers. However, he has the power to veto laws passed by parliament and to approve or reject decisions of the interim cabinet. During his election campaign, Pellegrini supported the Slovak government's policy of suspending military aid to Ukraine. The new Slovak president also previously opposed the Czech Republic's decision to suspend intergovernmental consultations between the two countries, citing differences in foreign policy.