A former billionaire prime minister and a retired top NATO general were poised to advance to the run-off of the Czech presidential election that will replace a divisive head of state who has played a dominant role since the fall of Communism.
(Bloomberg) —
A former billionaire prime minister and a retired top NATO general were poised to advance to the run-off of the Czech presidential election that will replace a divisive head of state who has played a dominant role since the fall of Communism.
Andrej Babis, a chemicals, agriculture and media magnate who leads the strongest opposition party, won by a razor-thin margin with 36%, according to results from 93% of voting districts published by the Statistics Office on Saturday. Petr Pavel, a former high-ranking NATO military official, followed with 35%, while ex-university president Danuse Nerudova had 14%.
The central European nation of more than 10 million is choosing who will take over from President Milos Zeman, a one-time prime minister who has towered over the nation’s politics for almost three decades.
In the Czech Republic’s parliamentary system, the presidency carries limited powers, with key executive authority held by the government. But the head of state has a say in the creation of the cabinet, leads the military, picks central bankers and appoints judges.
Zeman, who during his two five-year terms polarized the country by vilifying Muslim immigrants and disparaging sexual minorities, has repeatedly bent constitutional conventions to carve out more powers for himself.
Nearly complete results of the two-day first round of voting are expected later on Saturday. With no candidate set to win an outright majority, the top two will proceed to a second round scheduled for Jan. 27-28.
Read more: Czech Billionaire Beats Fraud Charge Before Presidential Run
The ballot is a chance for Babis to return to a top post following his defeat in 2021 parliamentary elections. He is pledging to become a counterbalance to Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s center-right government, which he accuses of not doing enough to help people and businesses cope with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.
A longtime ally of Zeman, who during his two five-year terms was a staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin until he invaded Ukraine and a promoter closer ties with China, Babis rose to power by attacking traditional politicians as corrupt and incompetent.
He clashed with the European Union’s executive over conflict-of-interest accusations regarding his companies. He also forged close ties with Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban, while also touting friendly relations with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Pavel is running as an independent but won the endorsement of ruling parties and promised a less confrontational stance toward Fiala’s administration.
Polls conducted before the first round showed Pavel as the favorite in a runoff against Babis, who has a history of clashes with the EU over migrant policies and conflict-of-interest allegations.
“The danger is that we may not only slip to populism, but also deviate from our course that we have seen the past 30 years, which was clearly democratic, pro-western and pro-European,” Pavel said about Babis after voting ended.
His campaign focused largely on highlighting his military achievements. A former member of special forces and intelligence divisions, he rose through the ranks to serve as the Czech army’s chief of staff and later chaired the NATO Military Committee.
He has pledged to promote LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage and child adoption by gay couples. He also advocates adopting the euro, which the Czech political establishment traditionally considers as disadvantageous for the open, $300 billion economy.
With the Czech Republic one of the most active supporters of Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, the war has featured among top election themes.
Pavel firmly backs continued support for Ukraine as well as an unequivocal pro-western foreign policy. Babis has questioned the degree of the Czech state aid and said that “helping Ukraine is all right, but now it’s time to help our people.”
(Updates with more districts counted in second paragraph.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.