Petr Pavel, a retired NATO commander, was elected as the President of the Czech Republic on January 28, 2023. He won the election with 58.3% of the votes, defeating his opponent, former premier and billionaire Andrej Babis. Pavel, who was supported by the centre-right government, campaigned as an independent candidate.

During his campaign, Pavel vowed to restore integrity to the presidency and accused his predecessor, Milos Zeman, of pro-China and pro-Russia policies. As the new President, he has pledged to continue supporting military aid to Ukraine and to meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP for defence spending.

Although the presidential role in the Czech Republic is mainly ceremonial, Pavel will still have significant influence in the appointment of key figures, such as prime ministers, central bankers, and armed forces commanders. He is set to take office on March 8, 2023.

Article by Prague Forum