AThis Tuesday is the deadline for applications for the post of President in the Czech Republic. So far there are a good dozen candidates for the January 13th and 14th elections. The best known and at the same time most controversial is the former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. His most likely opponent, retired Army General Petr Pavel, officially submitted his bid on Monday. Other candidates running for the presidential seat at Prague Castle include non-party senator and former diplomat Pavel Fischer, economist and former rector of Brno’s Mendel University Danuše Nerudová, and senator and former rector of Prague’s Charles University Marek Hilšer.
Given the broad field of candidates, it is very likely that there will be a runoff. It is just as likely that Babiš will move into the second round as one of the two strongest applicants. Because the other more well-known candidates can all be classified as moderately conservative or liberal and are competing for the same voters. This spectrum is also reflected in the governing coalition of five, from which no party has nominated an official candidate. Babiš is ideologically flexible, but somehow stands for opposition and protest. The October survey by the Meridan Institute currently sees Pavel marginally ahead of Babiš with 22 percent with 22.5 percent, followed by Nerudová with 15 percent, the others have single-digit approval ratings.
