This is a first for a woman in Slovenia. The country elected a renowned lawyer new to politics, Natasa Pirc Musar, as president on Sunday. She will be officially sworn in on December 23rd.
The 54-year-old independent candidate, who has historically represented the interests of former American First Lady Melania Trump, of Slovenian origin, received nearly 54% of the voting intentions, according to results released by the Electoral Commission. This clearly distances her conservative competitor Anze Logar (46%), former foreign minister and winner of the first round on October 23.
Turn to “Disputes”
In a country divided following the protest-strewn tenure of ex-Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Natasa Pirc Musar called for “unity” and a turning of the page “disputes”. “My first action will be to invite all leaders of political parties to the presidential palace,” she told hundreds of supporters gathered in the capital, Ljubljana, on Sunday evening.
After the tensions of the Jansa era with Brussels, she also reaffirmed her trust “in the European Union and the democratic values on which it was founded”. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen immediately welcomed the victory. “As the first woman elected to the presidency, you are paving the way for future generations,” she tweeted.
Natasa Pirc Musar wants to embody “a moral authority”.
Slovenes turned out to be relatively numerous in the 2-million-inhabitant country from the former Yugoslavia, which has been a member of the EU since 2004, with a turnout higher than that of the first ballot (53%).
Natasa Pirc Musar, who describes herself as a “liberal”, expressed her desire during the campaign to give this essentially ceremonial post more substance. “The president cannot be neutral, he must have an opinion” is “a moral authority,” she emphasized in the intermediate round. Outgoing leader Borut Pahor, who has not stood for re-election after two five-year terms, has often been criticized for his passive attitude toward Janez Jansa.
A former TV presenter, Natasa Pirc Musar made her name by heading the Slovenian Data Protection Agency in the 2000s. A tireless defender of the political class, she opened her law practice in 2016 and regularly scours TV sets as an expert. The passionate motorcyclist became the target of attacks because of her husband’s lucrative investments, especially in tax havens.