Slovenia elects first female president

Slovenians have elected Natasa Pirc Musar, a lawyer, to become the country’s first female president.

Pirc Musar, 54, won 53.86 percent of votes in the presidential runoff election, while her rival, right-wing politician and former foreign minister Andze Logar, won 46.14 percent, according to the election commission.

 “I will do my best to be a true president for all, to work for fundamental and constitutional human and democratic rights and democracy,” Pirc Musar told reporters after claiming victory.

Although the role is mostly ceremonial, the president is commander in chief of the armed forces and also nominates several top officials, including the central bank governor. Most of the nominations have to be confirmed by parliament.

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The new president of Slovenia, an EU, and NATO member state will replace Borut Pahor who has been active in politics for 30 years.

A former fashion model who served two five-year terms, Pahor is often referred to in public as the Instagram president for his frequent use of the social network.

Pirc Musar, a former TV presenter who became an influential lawyer, campaigned on human rights, the rule of law and social welfare issues.

Her rival Logar, 46, is a member of the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of former prime minister Janez Jansa, who lost April’s parliamentary election to the environmentalist Freedom Movement of Robert Golub.

Zainab Sa’id