Babiš or Pavel: who will be the next Czech president?
Former prime minister Andrej Babiš and the former Nato general Petr Pavel are heading into the second round of the Czech presidential election after each received around 35 percent of the vote in the first round. In third place, with just under 14 percent, was economics professor Danuše Nerudová, who will back Pavel in the second round on 27 and 28 January.
Loudmouth vs. newcomer
Both candidates will try to score points by underscoring each other's negative image, says Krytyka Polityczna:
“Everything points to the second round becoming a kind of referendum: If Babiš succeeds in framing it as a verdict on the centre-right government and its bad track record, he has a real chance of winning despite the great antipathy against him personally. If, on the other hand, General Pavel succeeds in presenting this election as a choice between a dignified president and a demagogic loudmouth, Babiš will lose out and voters will even forgive the former Nato officer his lack of vision and political experience.”
Prevent concentration of power
Former prime minister Andrej Babiš will gain too much power if he wins the run-off vote, Respekt warns:
“Anyone who wants to preserve the character of a democratic Czech Republic should go to the polls. They must do this to prevent not only the strongest party, the most influential media and a huge company, but also Prague Castle from being controlled by a single person. There is hope. And Petr Pavel, who had said in several debates that it was not yet time to take off the kid gloves, should realise that that moment has now come.”
For Ukraine it's clear which option is better
International support against the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine would be further undermined with Babiš in Prague Castle, Ukrayinska Prawda explains:
“Babiš's Eurosceptic stance is very similar to the views of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A victory for Babiš would allow Orbán to come out of isolation without having to wait for the change of government in Slovakia (which Budapest is hoping for). During his time in office, Babiš's relations with Poland were very tense. His victory in the presidential elections could destroy the current Polish-Czech alliance, which is very important for lobbying in support of Ukraine.”
A bitter contest ahead
The tone will get even harsher before the second round, Lidové noviny predicts:
“Babiš has already tried to portray Pavel as a puppet of the ruling coalition, as a communist intelligence officer on a par with Vladimir Putin. And as a hawk who only wants to add fuel to the fire of the war in Ukraine, while he himself fits the role of a potential peacemaker thanks to his contacts to the statesmen of the world and his leadership qualities. This kind of talk goes down very well in Czech society. However the view expressed by Danuša Nerudová that Andrej Babiš is the embodiment of evil is similarly harsh. A hard-fought election campaign lies ahead.”