Former Prime Minister Babis and former General Pavel reach the second round of the Czech elections

The former populist prime minister Andrej Babis and the former general Peter Pavel they will meet in the second and final round of the Czech presidential elections. Both candidates will dispute the presidency of the European country in two weeks, according to the count with more than 80% of the vote counted.

Babis, a 68-year-old magnate of the agri-food industry, leads with 36% of support. He is followed by ex-general Pavel, 61, with 34%. In third place is the economist Danuse Nerudova, the only woman among the eight candidates for the head of state, with 14%. Participation reached 68%, well above the 61% five years ago.

To obtain the charge in this first round an absolute majority is needed (more than half of the ballots) and none of the candidates has obtained this percentage. Therefore, it is these two most voted lists that will reach the next round. of the elections the replacement of the current head of state will leavethe former Social Democrat Milos Zeman, whose second and final five-year term expires in March.

Zeman has been a president with numerous controversies for his attacks on the press and because of its proximity to Russia and China, although it moved away from Moscow after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February. Some 8.4 million Czechs were called to vote during two election days, which take place between this Friday and Saturday, January 13 and 14.

Pavel was a former head of the Armed Forces and was the first Eastern European general to chair NATO’s military committee, the Alliance’s highest military position. the old general has advocated for stability and for its institutional profilehis campaign slogan has been ‘Let’s restore order and tranquility to the Czech Republic’, and he has advocated for continue to help Ukraine to defend against Russian aggression and maintain European unity against Moscow.

Without being its official candidate, Pavel has received the support of Spolu (Together) on main partner of the government coalition center-right, which also includes the progressive Pirate Party. “In the second round we have to show the danger that Babis can pose: populism and slipping out of the democratic and pro-European line,” Pavel said at a press conference after beginning the count.

Babis, for his part, has had the support from his liberal populist party ANO, the most important of the opposition, and also with that of the outgoing president Zeman. The presidential candidate He was acquitted last Tuesday for a crime of fraud with community funds, which has given it momentum in the final stretch of the elections.

However, surveys predict that Pavel wins in the second round as the majority of voters for Nerudova and other candidates support him against Babis, a very polarizing figure.

President Zeman has legal immunity during his tenure five years, something that will benefit Babis, who faces other fraud investigations. The former prime minister has a very loyal fan base but his main problem in the second round will be attract voters of the other candidates.

[Receta para aprender del éxito del populismo en Europa]