Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, has been elected president of the Czech Republic. The war in Ukraine was also mentioned throughout the election campaign.
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| Newly elected President of Czech Republic Petr Pavel and his wife Eva Pavlova |
So it’s official: Petr Pavel, a former soldier with the rank of General, is the Czech Republic’s new President. In a runoff election last weekend, Pavel beat ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babi. Pavel earned almost 58 percent of the votes cast, while Babi received approximately 42 percent of the votes cast. The majority of opinion research institutions projected a clean victory for Pavel. On Saturday evening, Babi praised his opponent and admitted defeat.
At the same time, one of the harshest election campaigns in Czech Republic history came to a conclusion. Babi, in particular, sought to personally condemn Pavel in the days preceding up to the election. For example, he stated repeatedly that the former NATO general wished to lead the Czech Republic into a conflict with Russia. More false claims and disinformation were distributed in the last days before the election. It is still unknown who is behind it, but it is assumed that Babi’s campaign staff is involved.
Since 2013, the Czech Republic’s president has been directly elected. Milos Zeman, the previous president, was ineligible to run for re-election after serving two terms. The voter turnout was approximately 70%, indicating that the public was quite interested in this election. In turn, the election campaign was significant in a number of ways. Babi and Pavel were the obvious victors of the first ballot, held in mid-January, with almost 35% of the votes apiece. During his campaign, the 61-year-old Pavel often stated that qualities such as decency, respect, and adherence to democratic norms are vital to him. Babi prioritized social concerns and positioned himself as a champion of rural interests.
“Periphery versus Prague” was one of his memorable advertising slogans. He also attempted to smear Pavel from the outset by referring to him as a candidate for Prime Minister Petr Fiala‘s right-wing liberal administration, despite the fact that Fiala had repeatedly said that he was independent and had not been nominated by any party. Although Pavel is a non-party candidate, he was backed by the coalition along with two other candidates.
What both opponents had in common was that their communist history came back to haunt them during the election campaign. Pavel began his military career in the then-Czechoslovak army, whilst Babi is suspected of working for the secret agency as a spy. They both coped with it, however, in quite different ways. While Pavel has always been aware of his background and has publicly apologized for his communist party membership, Babi continues to deny ever working for the secret service.
The war in Ukraine was a hot subject in the days running up to the election. Babi, in particular, attempted to use this politically. “I will not drag the Czech Republic into a war,” one of his campaign posters said. “I’m not a military; I’m a diplomat.” Babi las stated in a public radio discussion just before the election that if neighboring Poland was invaded, he would not send Czech forces. Although he subsequently regretted saying this, the enthusiasm was palpable. Pavel, on the other hand, was unmistakably dedicated to NATO and often stated his desire to position the Czech Republic as a trustworthy partner on the world scene.
In the Czech Republic, the President is primarily responsible for representing the country. He does, however, nominate the Constitutional Court justices and the government, including the prime minister. He is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and has the authority to refer bills back to parliament once. Last but not least, the fact that the president is directly elected by the people confers additional legitimacy on him. Milos Zeman, the former incumbent, has never shied away from publicly intervening in day-to-day politics. He has often split Czech society with his often extreme opinions on subjects like as migration, LGBT rights, and the role of the media.
That is not to be anticipated from Pavel. On the contrary, one might expect a new style to join Prague Castle with it, decisively distinguishing itself from its predecessor. During the election campaign, he often stated that he would restore the office’s dignity and put a stop to political lying. Last but not least, this was directed at Andrej Babi and his political style. These stances won him the support of a clear majority of the Czech people, and he will be judged on them in the future. He never allowed any concerns about his foreign policy ideas to exist.
The former NATO military committee chairman will depict the Czech Republic as a cosmopolitan and democratic country, as well as a trustworthy EU and NATO partner. Cooperation with the government of Petr Fiala should proceed well in this respect. Domestically, the next president will confront the task of reconciling society and, most importantly, reaching out to those who did not vote for him. It will also be crucial to determine if the division between urban elites and people outside of big cities will continue to grow in the future or whether society will begin to come back together. Not an easy undertaking, especially given that rising inflation and the results of the conflict have caused social hardship and dissatisfaction among many individuals.
What will happen to Andrej Babi now? He took his defeat graciously and quickly congratulated Petr Pavel on his electoral triumph. However, he also mentioned a very favorable election outcome for himself. In the most recent legislative elections, he garnered much more votes than the ruling alliance. Babi is likely to remain the opposition leader in parliament. He is still unopposed in his party ANO (“Yes”), and many commentators believe he will run for prime minister again in the upcoming legislative elections. Babi has reinforced this idea by implying often during the election campaign that he favors the job of prime minister over that of president.
His party, ANO, is the most powerful force in the polls, and he now has a loyal following, particularly in the country’s rural areas. However, his future political success will be heavily influenced on how the social and economic situation evolves in the following months, as well as the measures taken by the government. In any event, Babi established himself as a spokesperson of the common people. He will undoubtedly continue to play this card in the future, criticizing the administration for its lack of social policies. As a result, political events in our neighboring country will continue to be fascinating.
The author Urban Überschär has led the Friedrich-Ebert-Prague Foundation’s office since 2020.
Source: IPG
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