Petr Pavel, a retired NATO general, was elected president of the Czech Republic, defeating his populist opponent Andrej Babis.
The 61-year-old received 57.6% of the vote, according to preliminary data given by the state’s statistics office.
Mr. Babis, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, accepted defeat in a speech to his supporters immediately following the announcement of the election results.
The ex-general will succeed Milos Zeman, whose second term as president expires in March.
Mr. Babis and Mr. Pavel’s second-round runoff was presented as a struggle between populist oligarchs and liberal democracy.
The election results are the product of a contentious campaign characterized by reported death threats and misinformation.
Mr. Pavel was obliged to take to Twitter earlier this week to dispute rumors of his death, which were spread by a phony website and emails located on Russia’s Yandex server.
Mr. Babis criticized the falsehoods and canceled his remaining campaign appearances a few days ago out of fear for his safety after receiving an anonymous death threat.
After the results were announced on Saturday, Mr. Pavel stated that principles such as truth, dignity, respect, and humility had won.
He said, “The vast majority of Czechs share these principles, and it is time to return them to the castle and politics.
Ex-general defeats populist in Czech election
The shouts of “Pavel na Hrad” (Pavel to the Castle) were a deliberate echo of the “Havel na Hrad” chants that filled the streets and squares of Czechoslovakia in November 1989.
Indeed, Mr. Pavel, a staunch supporter of Czech membership in NATO and the EU, has frequently evoked Vaclav Havel, the writer, dissident, and first president of the Czech Republic following the Velvet Revolution against communist oppression.
And his win will be interpreted as evidence that his nation is firmly established in the West.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, congratulated Mr. Pavel and praised his “strong dedication to our European principles.”
Other foreign leaders, like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kosovo’s president Vjosa Osmani, have congratulated the newly elected president via social media.
Several hours after the results were released, Slovakia’s president Zuzana Caputova, a fellow liberal and pro-Western politician, made a surprise appearance alongside Mr. Pavel.
Mr. Pavel’s followers, many of whom wore the plaid shirts that have become an unofficial symbol of his campaign, applauded enthusiastically.
At the offices of ANO, the political party founded by Mr. Babis, the disappointment was obvious despite the smiles.
“I wish you a universe devoid of Babis. Never mind Babis. Attempt to exist without Babis “The former prime minister told reporters on Twitter that he has numerous opponents.
After applauding his opponent and denying he ran a negative campaign, he added, “Stop getting up in the morning with hatred for Babis and going to sleep with hatred for Babis.”
Mr. Pavel has advocated for the Czech Republic’s continued membership in the European Union and NATO as well as for additional military aid for Ukraine to combat the Russian incursion.
In contrast, Mr. Babis was forced to apologize earlier this week after suggesting that he would not support a fellow NATO member in the event of an assault.
Mr. Babis remarked during a televised debate, “I want peace, not war.” “Under no circumstances would I send our children or our women’s children to war.”
The position of president of the Czech Republic is largely ceremonial but powerful. Presidents select prime ministers and central bank governors and have input on foreign policy.
