Retired General Petr Pavel won the Czech presidential election on Saturday over former Prime Minister Andrej Babis. With Pavel’s win, the Czech Republic chooses a course towards the West.
“Values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility have won,” said Pavel in his victory speech. “I am convinced that these values are shared by the vast majority of us. It is worth trying to make them part of our lives and also bring them back to Prague Castle and our politics.”
With 99 percent of the votes counted, Pavel gets 58 percent, compared to 42 percent for Babis. Babis has admitted defeat. During a speech, the former prime minister congratulated Pavel on his victory. The current Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also congratulated Pavel on his victory. During the first round, two weeks ago, Pavel narrowly won with about 35.4 percent of the vote. Babis, 68, received 35 percent.
The wealthy businessman Babis had been acquitted just days earlier in a trial over fraud involving EU subsidies. Since no candidate obtained an absolute majority, a second round was held. Like outgoing president Milos Zeman, Babis is known for the warm ties he maintains with, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Pavel will take office in March. The Czech Republic has a parliamentary system. The president has relatively little power and mainly fulfills a ceremonial function.
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