Zuzana Caputova becomes Slovakia’s first female President

Riding a wave of public fury over corruption, liberal lawyer Zuzana Caputova won Slovakia’s presidential election, bucking a trend that has seen populist, anti-European Union politicians make gains across the continent.

Caputova, a pro-EU political novice who will be the euro zone country’s first female president, had 58.3 percent of the votes after results from 98.1 percent of voting districts were counted, ahead of European commissioner Maros Sefcovic who took 41.7 percent.

Caputova, who was the front runner having won the first round more than 20 percentage points ahead of Sefcovic, campaigned to end what she calls the capture of the state “by people pulling strings from behind,” a message that opinion polls show resonates with younger, educated voters.

The 45-year old member of a liberal non-parliamentary Progressive Slovakia party — which she pledged to leave if elected — has been endorsed by opposition parties and a junior party in the ruling coalition that represents the ethnic Hungarian minority, as well as outgoing President Andrej Kiska.