Billionaire, Nato general vie for Czech presidency
>>PRAGUE: The Czech Republic was casting ballots yesterday to elect the successor to a divisive president who challenged the European Union’s values and tried to forge close ties with the bloc’s rivals.
The central European nation of more than 10 million is picking its fourth head of state since the fall of Communism. The winner will take over from Milos Zeman, who stood out among European leaders as a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin until he invaded Ukraine, and a promoter of closer ties with China.
The first round of balloting was due to end yesterday afternoon, and none of the leading candidates for the mostly ceremonial position was expected to receive more than half of the votes needed for an outright victory.
That means two of the top three candidates — billionaire former prime minister Andrej Babis, retired General Petr Pavel and former university president Danuse Nerudova — were the most likely to advance to the run-off two weeks later.
The vote is a chance for Mr Babis, a chemicals, agriculture and media magnate who leads the strongest opposition party, to return to a top post following his defeat in the 2021 parliamentary elections. He’s pledging to become a counterbalance to the government that he says isn’t doing enough to help people and businesses cope with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades.
As Mr Zeman’s long-time ally, Mr Babis rose to power by deriding traditional politicians as corrupt and incompetent and later clashed with the EU over conflict-of-interest accusations regarding his companies. He embraced an anti-immigration agenda and forged close ties with Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban, while also touting friendly relations with French President Emmanuel Macron.
If he were to become president, he may not be as pro-Russian and pro-Chinese as Mr Zeman has been for most of his time in office. But his past dealings and controversies, as well as his friendship with Mr Orban, could weigh on his perceptions abroad. That wouldn’t be the case with Ms Nerudova or Mr Pavel, who formerly chaired the Nato Military
Committee and led the Czech military, said Lubomir Kopecek, a political scientist at Masaryk University in Brno.
“Babis would definitely keep questioning the degree of Czech support for Ukraine,” Mr Kopecek said. “Foreign policy is set by the government, but Babis could muddle its perceptions abroad with contrarian rhetoric, targeted at his voters at home.”
The president has limited powers, with key executive authority held by the government in a parliamentary system. But the head of state has a say in the creation of the cabinet, leads the military, picks central bankers and appoints judges. Mr Zeman has repeatedly bent constitutional conventions to carve out more powers for himself.
Mr Pavel and Ms Nerudova, seeking to become the first female Czech president, have been endorsed by the ruling parties and vowed to go easier on the government.