Slovenian President Set to Beat Ex-Comic in Runoff

Sunday’s vote pits incumbent Pahor against Kamnik mayor Sarec
Challenger opposes reappointing ECB’s Jazbec to central bank

Borut Pahor
Photographer: Barbara Gindl/AFP via Getty Images

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By Boris Cerni

November 10, 2017 at 7:41 AM UTC

Updated on

November 10, 2017 at 11:38 AM UTC

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Slovenian President Borut Pahor has one obstacle on his path to re-election: a comedian-turned-mayor who vows to shake up the political establishment and replace the head of the central bank.

Pahor, a former Social Democrat prime minister, is set to win Sunday’s runoff with more than 56 percent of vote, a poll by Episcenter conducted for the Delo newspaper showed Friday. He would be the first Slovenian president in 15 years to claim a second term. In the first round of voting three weeks ago, he fell short of the 50 percent needed for outright victory, garnering 47 percent. His rival in the European Union and euro-area nation, Marjan Sarec, got 25 percent.