Petr Pavel Defeats Andrej Babis To Become Next Czech President

Pro-Western retired NATO general Petr Pavel beat populist politician and business tycoon Andrej Babis in Czechia's presidential run-off and will formally replace Milos Zeman as the President of the Czech Republic after the swearing-in ceremony on March 9.

• Pavel secured a landslide victory, garnering 58% of the vote versus Babis' 42%. He was widely expected to win, with the most recent opinion polls and betting market pricing putting him in the pole position.
• While the prerogatives of the Czech President are relatively limited, in his first year in office Pavel will appoint seven out of the 15 Constitutional Court judges and will represent Czechia at a NATO summit in July.
• Pavel's victory may help stabilise the political situation in Czechia, as outgoing President Milos Zeman was known for testing the boundaries of his mandate, while Andrej Babis leads the opposition ANO movement and is an outspoken critic of PM Fiala's coalition government.
• The election of Pavel will also prevent potential complications on the foreign policy front. The former military officer has fully endorsed continued delivery of military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and has repeatedly emphasised the importance of Czechia's membership in NATO.