Czech President 2026: Petr Pavel, Powers and the Next Election
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The president of the Czech Republic is Petr Pavel, a retired army general and former chair of the NATO Military Committee. He took office on March 9, 2023, after winning the January 2023 direct election with 58.32% of the vote in the runoff, and his five-year term runs until March 2028. The president is the head of state; the government is led by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The next presidential election must take place in the last 60 days of Pavel's term, and as of November 12, 2026, no date had been announced. Around Prague checked the facts on official websites on November 12, 2026.
Who is Petr Pavel?
According to his official NATO biography, Petr Pavel was born on November 1, 1961, in Planá u Mariánských Lázní in western Bohemia. He graduated from the Army College in Vyškov in 1983 and spent much of his career in special forces, operations and military intelligence. Key steps from the same biography:
- 1993–1994: deputy military and air attaché of the Czech Republic in Belgium;
- 1997–1999: commander of the Special Forces Brigade;
- December 1, 2002: promoted to brigadier general;
- January–April 2003: Czech national military representative at U.S. Central Command in Tampa and at CENTCOM Forward in Qatar;
- July 1, 2012 – May 2015: Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, promoted to general on May 8, 2014;
- June 26, 2015 – June 2018: Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
He studied in the United Kingdom at the Staff College in Camberley and the Royal College of Defence Studies and holds an M.A. in international relations from King's College London. He speaks English, French and Russian. He is married to Eva Pavlová.
How Petr Pavel was elected in 2023
According to the official results on volby.cz, Pavel ran in 2023 as a candidate nominated by citizens' petition and not a member of any party. The first round took place on January 13–14, 2023. Pavel received 1,975,056 votes (35.40%) and Andrej Babiš, nominated by members of the Chamber of Deputies, 1,952,213 (34.99%). In the runoff two weeks later, Pavel won 3,359,151 votes (58.32%) against Babiš's 2,400,046 (41.67%). Turnout was 68.24% in the first round and 70.25% in the second.
He took the oath of office on March 9, 2023, at a joint session of both chambers of Parliament, before the Senate President, Miloš Vystrčil.
What the Czech president can do
The Constitution of the Czech Republic (Act No. 1/1993 Coll.) makes the president the head of state and says the president is not accountable for the exercise of the office. Presidential powers fall into two groups.
Powers the president exercises alone (Article 62). The president:
- appoints and dismisses the prime minister and other members of the government and accepts their resignation;
- convenes sessions of the Chamber of Deputies and can dissolve it, but only in the cases listed in Article 35;
- appoints the judges of the Constitutional Court (with the consent of the Senate) and the president and vice presidents of the Supreme Court;
- grants pardons and reduces sentences;
- signs laws and can return a law to Parliament, except a constitutional law;
- appoints the president of the Supreme Audit Office and the members of the Czech National Bank's board.
A returned law is a veto that the Chamber of Deputies can override: under Article 50, the law passes if an absolute majority of all deputies votes for it again, which means at least 101 of the 200 members. The president has 15 days to return a law.
Powers that need the prime minister's countersignature (Article 63). The president represents the state abroad, negotiates and ratifies international treaties, is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appoints ambassadors, calls elections to both chambers, appoints generals and judges, awards state decorations and can grant amnesty. These decisions need the signature of the prime minister or a minister the prime minister authorizes, and the government is responsible for them.
The president cannot be detained or prosecuted while in office. The Senate, with the consent of the Chamber of Deputies, can bring a constitutional charge for high treason or a gross breach of the Constitution before the Constitutional Court, which can remove the president from office.
The president and the prime minister: who does what
Under Article 67, the government is the supreme body of executive power, and under Article 68 it is answerable to the Chamber of Deputies, not to the president. The president appoints the prime minister and, on the prime minister's proposal, the other ministers; within 30 days, a new government must ask the Chamber for a vote of confidence. Ministers run the ministries, and day-to-day policy is the government's job.
On November 12, 2026, the official government website lists Andrej Babiš as prime minister. More about him is in our biography of Andrej Babiš.
How Czech presidential elections work
Parliament used to elect the president. A constitutional amendment (Act No. 71/2012 Coll.) introduced direct elections, first held in January 2013. The main rules in the Constitution today:
- Term: five years from the day of the oath; no one can be elected more than twice in a row.
- Candidates: any Czech citizen eligible for the Senate, which means aged at least 40. A candidate needs a petition signed by at least 50,000 voters, or the nomination of at least 20 deputies or 10 senators.
- Voters: Czech citizens aged 18 and over.
- Two rounds: a candidate who wins more than half of the valid votes in the first round is elected. Otherwise, a runoff between the top two is held 14 days after the first round began.
- Timing: the election takes place in the last 60 days of the sitting president's term, no later than 30 days before the term ends. The President of the Senate announces it at least 90 days in advance.
| Direct election | Winner | Runoff result | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2013 | Miloš Zeman | 54.80% | Karel Schwarzenberg (45.19%) |
| January 2018 | Miloš Zeman | 51.36% | Jiří Drahoš (48.63%) |
| January 2023 | Petr Pavel | 58.32% | Andrej Babiš (41.67%) |
When is the next Czech presidential election?
Pavel's term began on March 9, 2023, so it ends in March 2028. By our reading of Article 56, the election must therefore fall between early January and early February 2028, and the President of the Senate must announce it about 90 days earlier, by October 2027 at the latest (our calculation). As of November 12, 2026, the Interior Ministry's elections page shows the October 2026 Senate and municipal elections as the current ones and lists no presidential election. Under Article 57, Pavel may run for a second consecutive term.
Prague Castle and Lány: where the president works
Prague Castle has been the seat of the president since 1918, according to the city's official tourism website, prague.eu; before that it was the residence of Bohemian princes and kings. The complex covers 45 hectares (about 111 acres). Visitors are welcome:
- the castle grounds are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
- the main circuit (Old Royal Palace, St. George's Basilica, St. Vitus Cathedral and Golden Lane) is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs CZK 450 for adults, about $21 at the Czech National Bank rate of November 11, 2026 ($1 = CZK 21.910);
- the guard changes every hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Titans Gate on Hradčany Square and at the Powder Bridge Gate, with a ceremonial change and fanfare in the First Courtyard every day at noon;
- visitors may face random security checks and are asked not to bring bulky luggage.
prague.eu also lists a Prague Castle Open House day on November 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets and planning are covered in our Prague Castle tickets guide, and the sights inside in Prague Castle from the inside.
Lány Chateau, in a village in Central Bohemia, is the president's summer residence. According to the municipality of Lány, Emperor Rudolf II rebuilt it as a Renaissance hunting lodge in 1592–1593. Czechoslovakia bought it on July 21, 1921, and made it the temporary and summer seat of the president. President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk lived there from August 11, 1921, until his death on September 14, 1937, and later heads of state followed. We could not confirm visiting arrangements for the chateau itself on an official website on November 12, 2026.
Czech presidents since 1993
| President | Took office (oath) | Elected by |
|---|---|---|
| Václav Havel | February 2, 1993; second term February 2, 1998 | Chamber of Deputies (January 26, 1993); joint session of both chambers (January 20, 1998) |
| Václav Klaus | March 7, 2003; second term March 7, 2008 | Joint sessions of Parliament (February 28, 2003, and February 15, 2008) |
| Miloš Zeman | March 8, 2013; second term March 8, 2018 | Direct elections, January 2013 and January 2018 |
| Petr Pavel | March 9, 2023 | Direct election, January 2023 |
Václav Havel's life and the places linked to him in Prague are in our Václav Havel guide. When the office is vacant, Article 66 of the Constitution divides the president's powers between the prime minister and the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
Czech president: frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Who is the president of the Czech Republic in 2026?
Petr Pavel, a retired general, in office since March 9, 2023. His term runs until March 2028.
Is the Czech president elected by the people?
Yes. Since 2013, voters elect the president directly for five years, in two rounds if needed.
When is the next Czech presidential election?
By law, in the last 60 days of Pavel's term, no later than 30 days before it ends: by our reading, between early January and early February 2028. The date had not been announced as of November 12, 2026.
Who is more powerful, the Czech president or the prime minister?
The government led by the prime minister is the supreme executive body and answers to the Chamber of Deputies. The president appoints it and can return laws, but many presidential decisions need the prime minister's countersignature.
Can tourists visit the Czech president's residence?
Yes, Prague Castle is open to visitors: the grounds are free daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the main circuit costs CZK 450 (about $21).
Sources: Constitution of the Czech Republic, Act No. 1/1993 Coll. (in Czech), Constitutional Act No. 71/2012 Coll. (in Czech), Presidential Election Act No. 275/2012 Coll. (in Czech), NATO: General Petr Pavel, volby.cz (Czech Statistical Office): presidential election results 2023, 2018 and 2013, Chamber of Deputies digital library (in Czech), Government of the Czech Republic, Ministry of the Interior: elections (in Czech), prague.eu: Prague Castle, Municipality of Lány: Lány Chateau (in Czech), Czech National Bank: exchange rate fixing. Checked on November 12, 2026.
See also: Czechia or Czech Republic? Key facts, 17 November Czech holiday, Do US citizens need a visa for Prague?, EES and ETIAS: entering Czechia and the EU, Is Prague safe? Scams and tipping, U.S. Embassy in Prague, How expensive is Prague? Prices in dollars, pounds and euros.
Photo: Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral seen across the Vltava River. Mgimelfarb, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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