After 90% of the cast votes were counted, the former Prime Minister Andrejs Babiš was in the lead, for whom almost 36% of the voters voted.
In second place was the retired army general Petrs Pavels, for whom almost 35% of the votes were cast.
It is likely that Babis and Pavel will compete in the second round of elections, which will take place on January 27 and 28.
CONTEXT:
This is the third time that Czech citizens have directly elected the president of the country. On the two previous occasions, in 2013 and 2018, the social democrat Zeman won, who until Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine formed closer relations with Moscow and criticized European Union sanctions against the Kremlin. He is barred from running again after two terms as president.
Eight candidates are running for the post of president, one of whom is a woman.
Before the elections, three main favorites crystallized – former prime minister Andrejs Babis, retired army general Petrs Pavels and former university rector Danuše Nerudova.
Of these candidates, the most internationally known is Babis, who was the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021. Political analysts often refer to Babis as a populist because of his Eurosceptic views and anti-immigrant rhetoric. In recent years, his name has appeared more often in foreign media in connection with accusations of fraud with European Union funds. However, this week the Czech court acquitted him.
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