Vystrčil: The Czech opposition needs its own presidential candidate, and Pavel should only be backed in a runoff

Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil (ODS) has said that today's opposition parties should field their own candidates in the 2028 presidential election, backing incumbent President Petr Pavel only if he ends up facing a candidate from the ruling coalition in a runoff.

Vystrčil made the comments on Sunday during the programme "Poledne s Moravcem." He argued that the current ruling coalition is trying to weaken President Pavel as much as possible in order to clear the way for its own future presidential candidate.

"I think we should be capable of putting forward a candidate — at least by joining forces among several democratic parties — and agreeing on a single contender," the Senate Speaker said. In his view, Pavel, whom some coalition politicians describe as the leader of the opposition, should also face a genuine opposition rival. However, Vystrčil made clear that if Pavel ends up facing a candidate from the ruling coalition in the second round, he would back the incumbent president. He did not mention any plans to run himself.

So far, Pavel has only hinted a few times that he is considering running for a second term, promising to make a final decision only next year.

Vystrčil linked the pressure the current ANO, SPD and Motoristé (Motorists) coalition has been putting on President Pavel to an attempt to discredit him in advance, paint him as an enemy of the government, and thereby strip votes away from parties loyal to the ruling coalition. He described this as political manoeuvring on the part of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO).

"Andrej Babiš currently sees Petr Pavel as the strongest potential candidate for president, and he is doing everything he can to weaken him. He attacks people who threaten him, who take away his authority," Vystrčil stressed. In his opinion, Babiš does not yet have a concrete plan for who to put forward against the incumbent head of state.

Petr Pavel was elected president in direct elections in January 2023, defeating Andrej Babiš himself in the runoff. He has been serving his five-year term since his inauguration in March 2023. Under the Czech constitution, the same person cannot be elected president more than twice in a row.

Babiš himself ruled out running against Pavel again in early July. Back in January, at an ANO party congress, he said discussions about a possible single opposition candidate for the presidential election should begin early next year.

Source: seznamzpravy.cz