In the second round of the presidential elections in the Czech Republic, former chief of staff Petr Pavel clearly won. After counting more than 90 percent of the polling stations, Pavel was ahead with 57.3 percent, while former prime minister and billionaire Andrej Babiš lagged far behind with 42.7 percent. Voter turnout can be as high as 70 percent.
An even worse debacle is looming for Babiš: given the expected projections, Pavel’s vote share can be expected to increase. The first to be counted are the smaller polling stations in the regions where Babiš and his ANO movement have better approval ratings. The polling stations in the larger cities and especially in the capital Prague, where people traditionally vote against Babiš, will come later.
Zeman stops after 10 years
The preliminary final results of the second round are expected in the early evening. The current head of state, Miloš Zeman, will step down from office at the beginning of March after ten years.
In the Czech Republic, which is a member of the EU and NATO, the president has predominantly representative duties. He also appoints the government and constitutional judges. He is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. During the election campaign, Babiš tried to portray Pavel as a warmonger. The former chief of staff spoke out for continued support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia.
Source: Krone
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