Retired general Petr Pavel is on course to win the Czech presidential election against former prime minister Andrej Babis. According to the Czech statistics office, the former general has a clear advantage over his opponent.
With 90 percent of the votes counted, Pavel got over 57 percent, compared to just under 43 percent for Babis. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has already congratulated Pavel on his victory.
Narrow victory
During the first round two weeks ago, Pavel narrowly won with around 35.4% of the votes. Babis, 68, received 35%. The wealthy businessman had been acquitted just a few days earlier from a trial for fraud involving EU subsidies. As no candidate won an outright majority, a second round was held.
With Pavel’s victory, the Czech Republic chooses a course to the West. Like outgoing President Milos Zeman, Babis is known for the cordial ties he maintains with, among others, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The Czech Republic has a parliamentary system. The president has relatively little power and mostly performs a ceremonial function.
Source: BNR
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