Lawyer and human rights advocate Natasa Pirc Musar won Slovenia’s presidential election, defeating an ally of ousted nationalist leader Janez Jansa to become the European Union state’s first woman head of state.
Pirc Musar, who once served on the legal team of former U.S. First Lady Melania Trump, won 54% in Sunday’s runoff, according to results with 93% of votes counted. Anze Logar, a conservative former foreign minister who served in Jansa’s right-wing government, won 46%.
The victory extends the unbroken string of presidential victories by left-leaning candidates that stretches back to the Balkan state’s formation in 1991. It will also help Prime Minister Robert Golob fulfill his vow to reverse sweeping changes made by Jansa’s government that were criticized for undermining democracy.
