Retired army general and former NATO military committee Chief Petr Pavel won the Czech presidential election, promising to return the country back to the international stage after years of isolation.
On Saturday’s second round of the Czech presidential elections, Pavel defeated the populist candidate and former prime minister Andrej Babiš (ANO, Renew).
“Values like truth, dignity, respect and modesty have won. I am ready to return these values not only to the Prague Castle (official seat of the Czech President) but also to our republic through my service,” Pavel said in reaction to election results.
In his campaign before the elections, Pavel supported the pro-European course of the country. As a former top NATO official, he emphasised the importance of the defence alliance, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.
“Election of Petr Pavel as the fourth Czech president will bring new strength and voice to the Czech position in Europe and the world,” said Pavel Havlíček, an analyst at the Association for International Affairs in Prague.
According to the analyst, Pavel will promote a value-based policy inspired by the first Czech post-communist president Václav Havel.
“President Pavel’s firm Euro-Atlantic orientation towards the EU and NATO and his understanding of Russia’s war and the need to support Ukraine will represent a new approach in Czech behaviour, which will no longer be diluted by the revisionist attitudes of (outgoing) President Miloš Zeman,” Havlíček said.
Zeman was well known for his pro-Russian and pro-Chinese views, preferring investments while turning a blind eye to the problems associated with these countries. According to Havlíček, Zeman even “isolated the Czech Republic in the international arena.”
After the elections, world leaders warmly congratulated Pavel for his victory.
“His first phone calls and contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as Taiwanese President Tsai Jing-wen, represent a clear departure from Miloš Zeman’s policy of appeasement and opportunism. They also illustrate well the way in which he wants to act internationally and thus raise awareness of the Czech place in Europe and the world,” Havlíček explained.
Pavel’s first trip abroad will be to Slovakia, likely followed by Poland and a visit to Ukraine in the spring.
Besides international politics, Pavel differs from his predecessor in several other areas. For example, Pavel supports the climate policy. “I agree with the principles of the Green Deal. Even though there is a war on and we are in trouble, the dramatic environmental situation has not gone away. If we want to maintain the quality of life we are used to, we need to move towards sustainability and climate neutrality,” he told E15 before the elections. However, he thinks that in the context of the war, the EU should rethink the ways of achieving the climate policy goals.
Pavel also supported the adoption of the euro currency. “As a citizen, I am in favour,” he said, adding that before the adoption, the government must assess the economic situation and then take all the necessary steps.
(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)
Source: euractiv.com
