Slovenia's President Clinches Re-Election in Tight Runoff
- Pahor wins 53% after missing outright victory in first round
- Defeated rival Sarec may now run for parliament next year
Borut Pahor celebrates with his supporters in Ljubljana on Nov. 12.
Photographer: Jure Makovec/AFP via Getty Images
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Borut Pahor became the first Slovenian president in two decades to win re-election, defeating an ex-comedian-turned-small-town-mayor in a tight runoff in the European Union and euro-region nation.
With almost all votes counted, Pahor -- a former Social Democratic prime minister -- was on 53 percent to Marjan Sarec’s 47 percent, the election commission said Sunday on its website. Sarec, who prevented an outright victory for Pahor in the first round three weeks ago, had vowed to shake up the political establishment and replace the head of the central bank.