Former first lady dies

Emília Kováčová was the first president's spouse, passing away on the last day of 2020.

Emília Kováčová at the funeral of her husband Michal Kováč in October 2016. Emília Kováčová at the funeral of her husband Michal Kováč in October 2016. (Source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo )

Emília Kováčová, Slovakia's first lady in the 1990s, died on the last day of 2020, the Presidential Palace announced on January 1. She was nearly 90 years old.

Kováčová was the wife of Michal Kováč, the first president of the Slovak Republic after the nation was founded in 1993. She dedicated her time in office to charity and people with disabilities, mostly through her Emília Kováčová Foundation.

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She worked in academia prior to becoming the first lady, as professor in the University of Economics in Bratislava.

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Related article President Kováč resisted Mečiar, fought with Lexa for decades Read more 

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