Petr Pavel former general beats populist rival in Czech election

• Petr Pavel defeats Andrej Babis to become Czech president.
• The election follows a divisive campaign marked by alleged threats to kill and false information.
• The second term of Milos Zeman, who will be replaced by the ex-general, expires in March.

Petr Pavel, a retired NATO commander, defeated populist Andrej Babis to become the new president of the Czech Republic.

According to preliminary data made available by the state statistic office, the 61-year-old received 57.6% of the vote.

Shortly after the results were released, Mr. Babis—who was prime minister from 2017 to 2021—admitted defeat in a speech to his supporters.

The second term of Milos Zeman, who will be replaced by the ex-general, expires in March.

Former Mr. Babis and Mr. Pavel’s second-round runoff was framed as a conflict between populist oligarchs and liberal democracy.

The results of the elections come after a divisive campaign marked by alleged threats to kill and false information.

Earlier this week, Mr. Pavel was compelled to use Twitter to refute rumors that he had passed away that had been spread via a phoney website and emails that were stored on a Yandex server in Russia.

But it became evident that he and his campaign were both very much alive and well when the results poured in on Saturday afternoon. It was over in an hour and a half.

“This result was a victory for the values of truth, dignity, respect and humility,” he told supporters at his election headquarters.

“The vast majority of Czechs share these values, and it’s time to return them to the castle and to politics,” he added.

A deliberate echo of the cries of “Havel na Hrad” that filled the streets and squares of Czechoslovakia in November 1989, there were thunderous chanting of “Pavel na Hrad” (Pavel to the Castle).

Pavel has in fact frequently cited the memory of Vaclav Havel as a steadfast supporter of Czech participation in NATO and the EU.

And his victory will be interpreted as a confirmation of the nation’s growing Westernization.

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