Slovakia anti-graft lawyer poised to be first female president

Slovakia is heading to the polls on Saturday and is set to elect liberal lawyer Zuzana Caputova as president in what could be a drastic shake-up to the wave of populist anti-EU leaders.

If Caputova wins the vote, it would make her Slovakia's first female president.

Corruption and change have been the main themes ahead of the run-off vote, which takes place a year after journalist Jan Kuciak, who investigated high-profile fraud cases, and his fiancee were murdered at their home.

Caputova’s campaign, to rule-out corruption in a country, which she says is run "by people pulling strings from behind", has proved vastly popular.

Caputova, pro-European Union political novice who would become Slovakia’s first female president, won the election’s first round two weeks ago with 40.6 percent of the vote, ahead of European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on 18.7 percent.

Sefcovic, a respected diplomat who is also pro-EU, is backed by the ruling party Smer, the largest grouping in parliament and which has dominated Slovak politics since 2006.

According to an opinion poll by Median agency, the only survey released between the first and the second round of voting, Caputova has a clear lead with 60.5% against Sefcovic at 39.5%.

Sandwiched between Poland and Hungary, Caputova's potential victory would turn the tide in the rise in Europe's populist leaders.

As vice-chairwoman of the Progressive Slovakia party, which has no seats in parliament, Caputova supports gay marriage and adoption. She has also campaigned on a platform to fight nationalism and supports EU integration.