An ex-general might beat an ex-prime minister in the presidential election
Retired general Petr Pavel is the favorite in the second round of the presidential election which begins Friday and ends the next day, facing ex-Prime Minister and billionaire Andrej Babis.
Petr Pavel and Andrej Babis before their televised debate in Prague on January 25, 2023.
AFP
Petr Pavel came out on top in the latest opinion polls, with 58% to 59% of voting intentions, once morest 41% to 42% for his rival. “Quite frankly, if the polls are well conducted, I think it will be difficult for Babis to go up,” Tomas Lebeda, an analyst at Palacky University, told AFP. “I expect a victory from Petr Pavel,” he added.
The winner of the second round will replace Milos Zeman, a politician known for his outspokenness, who had close ties with Moscow before however turning around when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The new president of the Czech Republic, a central European country of 10.5 million inhabitants, a member of the EU and NATO, will face record inflation and deficits due to the war in Ukraine.
Although his role is essentially ceremonial, the head of state appoints the government, chooses the governor of the central bank and the constitutional judges, and assumes supreme command of the armed forces.
Petr Pavel won the first round of voting two weeks ago with 35.4% of the vote, just ahead of Andrej Babis (35%).
Former para vs billionaire
Petr Pavel, 61, is a former paratrooper, hero of the war in the former Yugoslavia during which he helped liberate French troops in a combat zone. He then became the chief of the Czech general staff and that of the military committee of NATO.
68-year-old Andrej Babis, owner of the agro-food, chemical and media group Agrofert, is the fifth Czech fortune, according to Forbes magazine. He served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, constantly facing questions regarding his dual role as politician and entrepreneur.
The two rivals had both been members of the Communist Party in the 1980s, when Czechoslovakia remained under the political tutelage of Moscow.
Petr Pavel has won the support of several parties in Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s centre-right coalition, while Andrej Babis enjoys the support of his longtime ally Milos Zeman.
Controversial
Andrej Babis stirred controversy last week when he said he would not send Czech troops if NATO allies Poland or the Baltics were attacked. Remarks on which he returned later, but which nevertheless aroused criticism in the region.
Independent political analyst Jan Kubacek, however, said the election would not lead to a change in Czech foreign policy, regardless of who wins. “The Czech Republic will remain pro-Western, it will maintain its strategic relationship with the EU and NATO, it will remain alongside Ukraine,” he told AFP.
Polling stations will open at 2:00 p.m. (Friday) and close at 10:00 p.m., before reopening at 8:00 a.m. and closing at 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Results are expected soon following.
AFP
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