Retired Army General; Petr Pavel Becomes Czech President

General Petr Pavel, a retired army officer, is elected president of the Czech Republic

In a runoff election, Petr Pavel won the presidency of the Czech Republic over populist billionaire Andrej Babis.

Mr. Pavel (61) will succeed the contentious Milos Zeman in the coveted but largely ceremonial position.

When 93% of the over 15,000 voting stations’ ballots were counted, Mr. Pavel received 57.4% of the vote, compared to Mr. Babis’ 42.6%.

Because none of the eight initial candidates obtained an absolute majority in the first round two weeks ago, Mr. Pavel and Mr. Babis, a former prime minister, proceeded to the second round of voting.

Mr. Pavel, an independent candidate who won the first round by a razor-thin margin, was expected to win according to polls.

Prior to voting beginning on Friday, three additional candidates vowed to back Mr. Pavel.

A neophyte to politics, Mr. Pavel served as the military committee’s chairman for Nato. He has unequivocally advocated the nation’s military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Mr. Zeman, with whom Mr. Babis (68) shares anti-immigrant rhetorical tendencies and Euroskepticism, supports Mr. Zeman’s moderate ANO (YES) movement, which fell victim to defeat in the general election of 2021.

The first president chosen by the general public was Mr. Zeman. In March, he will have served out his second and last five-year tenure.