Zuzana Caputova, a liberal environmental activist, has won Slovakia’s presidential election, making her the country’s first female head of state.

According to National Public Radio, Caputova gained popularity in Slovakia “after her decade-long crusade to shut down a toxic waste dump, which was spewing poison into her hometown of Pezinok in western Slovakia”. Her fight to close the site earned her a prestigious Goldman Environmental prize in 2016, along with the nickname ‘Erin Brockovich of Slovakia.’

Now the political newcomer has campaigned to end what she calls the capture of the state “by people pulling strings from behind”. And, with 58% of the vote, it seems her promises have resonated with the Slovakian public: Caputova has beaten European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, a seasoned diplomat backed by the country’s governing Smer-Social Democracy party.

Zuzana Caputova has been named Slovakia’s first female president