Petr Pavel

2023 - 1 - 28

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Retired Czech general Petr Pavel wins presidential election (CNN)

Former army chief and high NATO official Petr Pavel won the Czech Republic's presidential election on Saturday with a pledge to keep the country firmly ...

Babis, 68, a combative business magnate who heads the biggest opposition party in parliament, had attacked Pavel as the government’s candidate. Babis had campaigned on fears of the war in Ukraine spreading, and sought to offer to broker peace talks while suggesting Pavel, as a former soldier, could drag the Czechs into a war, a claim Pavel rejected. “I voted for Mr. Pavel has backed keeping the central European country of 10.5 million firmly in the European Union and NATO military alliance, and supports the government’s continued aid to Ukraine. The result of the election will only become official when published in a legal journal on Tuesday, but the outcome of the poll was already clear on Saturday. [Czech Republic’s](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/europe/europe-heat-records-climate-intl/index.html) presidential election on Saturday with a pledge to keep the country firmly anchored in the West and bridge society’s political differences.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Petr Pavel: Ex-general beats populist rival in Czech election (BBC News)

Retired Nato general Petr Pavel has been elected as the new president of the Czech Republic, seeing off his populist challenger Andrej Babis.

"In no situation would I send our children or the children of our women to war." The presidents choose prime ministers and central bank bosses, as well as having a say in foreign policy. Try to live without Babis," the former prime minister told reporters, in a barb at his many opponents on Twitter. Forget about Babis. There were thunderous chants of "Pavel na Hrad" (Pavel to the Castle) - a deliberate echo of the chants of "Havel na Hrad" that filled the streets and squares of Czechoslovakia in November 1989. The second-round runoff between Mr Babis and Mr Pavel was portrayed as a contest between populist oligarchy and liberal democracy.

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Image courtesy of "POLITICO.eu"

Petr Pavel to become next Czech president (POLITICO.eu)

The ex-NATO general soundly defeated billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. CZECH-POLITICS-VOTE. Presidential candidate ...

“I am convinced that these values are shared by the vast majority of us; it is worth us trying make them part of our lives and also return them to the Prague Castle and our politics.” “The values that he represented won — and that’s a very important message in these internally and economically complicated times,” Fiala told a press conference in Prague, according to local media reports. Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, will become the next president of the Czech Republic after resoundingly beating his opponent, billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, in elections that culminated on Saturday.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Pro-western Petr Pavel sweeps to landslide win in race for Czech ... (The Guardian)

Petr Pavel, a retired general and former senior Nato commander, has swept to the Czech presidency after a landslide victory over the former prime minister ...

“Pavel will try his best to somehow represent the whole of society. The president also has the prerogative to choose prime ministers in the wake of elections. He was pro-Russian, bypassed the constitution and was rude and offensive. “But this is his third election defeat in a row and the most personal of all. He has been branded divisive by critics, who also accuse him of seeking to meddle in politics beyond his constitutional powers. At one point, Babiš even appeared to question Nato’s collective security arrangements by saying he would never send Czech troops to Poland, a fellow member of the military alliance, if it was attacked by Russia.

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Image courtesy of "Bloomberg"

Ex-NATO General Scores Victory Over Populist in Czech Vote (Bloomberg)

A former NATO general pledging unwavering support for Ukraine will become the next Czech president after securing a convincing victory over a combative ...

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

Former NATO general Petr Pavel wins Czech presidential election (Aljazeera.com)

Former prime minister Andrej Babis concedes defeat to Petr Pavel, who won more than 58 percent of the vote.

Pavel has shown his support for the country to provide military and humanitarian support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia. Zeman was the first president elected by popular vote. Babis, a former prime minister and polarising figure in Czech politics, conceded defeat and offered congratulations to Pavel.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Retired Gen. Pavel defeats billionaire Babis in Czech election (The Washington Post)

The Czech election was framed by some as a contest between constitutional democracy and populism, with Russia's war in Ukraine looming in the background.

His billboards claimed that “The General doesn’t believe in peace” and promised: “I won’t drag the Czech Republic into war. His defeat marks the end of an era, analysts said. He would focus on representing the country well abroad,” Pehe said. Pavel could show the continent “that populists can be beaten,” said Jiri Priban, a professor of law and philosophy at Cardiff University in Wales. 15 with a nearly identical share of the vote. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a big impact on Czech society. The country’s strong support for the Ukrainian side has sparked protests and counter-protests. “The values that won in this election are shared by the vast majority of us: truth, dignity, respect and humility,” he said. small-business subsidies “is not a crime.” He put his companies into a trust when he became prime minister in 2017. Although the position of president is largely ceremonial, the role is symbolically important. “I’m looking forward to cooperation with Petr Pavel.”

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Image courtesy of "Global Voices Kenya"

New era in Czech politics as Petr Pavel wins presidential election (Global Voices Kenya)

General Petr Pavel, a former NATO official, won the presidential election in the Czech Republic. He will strengthen ties with Brussels in contrast to ...

[has opposed vehemently](https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-domov/prezident-zeman-manzelstvi-homosexualu-veto_2206071303_elev), and for which the Czech President has power of veto if in disagreement with the parliament. [the Czech constitution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Czech_Republic), Pavel can play an influential role as the fourth president of a country that emerged in 1993 out of former Czechoslovakia. Perhaps one of the most contrasting images of the two is this tweet where Pavel is seen engaging in extreme sports while Zeman is known for [his dependence on alcohol](https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2130880/chain-smoking-czech-president-milos-zeman-who-once-confessed-daily). ANO remains the [leading force in parliament](https://balkaninsight.com/2022/12/28/babis-mines-polarisation-of-czech-society-in-bid-for-presidency/), with 72 out of 200 seats, but it remains to be seen if the party will still keep Babiš as its leader and icon after such a defeat. As the electoral maps show, his main support base remains in the [ northwest and northeast](https://www.idnes.cz/volby/prezidentske/2023), two formerly industrial regions that have larger pockets of poverty and unemployment. The revenue gap between Prague and Brno, the second largest city, and the rest of the country, partially explains the success of Babiš’s populist rhetoric. [ANO](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANO_2011) (Akce nespokojených občanů), Czech for “action by dissatisfied citizens,” which also sounds like the word “ano,” which means “yes” in Czech). [Andrej Babiš i](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrej_Babi%C5%A1)s a powerhouse in Czech politics, having served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2021, among other functions. ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danu%C5%A1e_Nerudov%C3%A1) [Pavel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petr_Pavel) is a newcomer to Czech politics: he is a career serviceman, having raised to the ranks of general and chief of the general staff of the Czech armed forces. [ eight candidates — including only one woman —](https://globalvoices.org/2023/01/11/czech-presidential-elections-2023-the-rector-the-oligarch-and-the-general/) run for the presidency, not a single candidate secured over 50 percent of the votes. Pavel, though, did win by a large margin in the second round, [58.3 percent, while his rival remained under 41.7 percent.](https://www.idnes.cz/volby/prezidentske/2023) Most likely, Pavel benefited from votes of the third candidate of the first round, [Danuše Nerudová. [35.4 percent](https://www.idnes.cz/volby/prezidentske/2023?k=vysledky-prvni-kolo), Babiš was extremely close with 34.9 percent.

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