Anti-corruption lawyer and environmentalist Zuzana Caputova has been elected as the first female president of Slovakia.

Image Source: Reuters

Caputova, who has no prior experience in political office, won with 58% votes against her opponent Maros Sefcovic with 42% of the votes.

The 45-year-old, liberal lawyer thanked her supporters on her win and said that her victory showed that, “you can win without attacking your opponents.” She added, “This campaign ‘Stand up against evil’ has shown that values such as humanism, solidarity and truth are important to our society.”

She gained popularity for a decade-long struggle against the situating of a toxic landfill in her hometown of Pezinok for which she was subsequently awarded a 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize.

Caputova is due to take the office from June 2019.

Stay tuned for more updates!