Retired NATO general Petr Pavel has been elected as the new president of the Czech Republic, beating his popular rival Andrej Babis.
The 61-year-old took 57.6 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results released by the state statistics office.
Mr Babis – who served as prime minister between 2017 and 2021 – conceded defeat in an address to supporters shortly after the results were announced.
The former general will replace Milos Zeman, whose second term ends in March.
The second-round runoff between Mr. Babis and Mr. Pavel was portrayed as a contest between populist oligarchy and liberal democracy.
The election results came after a fractious campaign allegedly fueled by death threats and misinformation.
Earlier this week Mr Pavel was forced to take to Twitter to deny rumors of his death, which were spread by a fake website and emails hosted by Russia’s Yandex server.
The misinformation was condemned by Mr Babis, who a few days earlier had canceled all remaining personal campaign engagements out of fear for his personal safety after receiving anonymous death threats.
Speaking after the results were announced on Saturday, Mr Pavel said values like truth, dignity, respect and humility had won.
“The majority of Czechs share these values, and it’s time to bring them back to the palace and politics,” he added.
There were thunderous chants of “Pavel na Hrad” (Pavel to the Fortress) – a deliberate echo of the “Hevel na Hrad” chants that filled the streets and squares of Czechoslovakia in November 1989.
Indeed Mr. Pavel, a staunch advocate of Czech membership of NATO and the European Union, has often invoked the spirit of Václav Havel, the playwright, dissident and first president of the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution against communist rule.
And his victory will be seen as confirmation that his country is firmly entrenched in the West.
Congratulating Mr Pavel, European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said she welcomed his “strong commitment to our European values”.
Other world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Kosovo President Vajusa Osmani, have also taken to social media to congratulate the newly elected president.
Meanwhile, Slovakian President Zuzana Kaputova – a fellow liberal, pro-Western politician – made a surprise appearance on stage with Mr Pavelwithin hours of the results being announced.
There was loud applause from Mr. Pavel’s supporters, many of them dressed in the flannel shirts that have become the unofficial symbol of his campaign.
Across the city, in the offices of ANO – the political party created by Mr Babis – there were smiles but frustration was palpable.
“I wish you a world without bobbies. Forget bobbies. Try to live without bobbies,” the former prime minister took to Twitter to criticize his many opponents, telling reporters.
“Stop waking up in the morning hating Babis and going to bed hating Babis,” he said after congratulating his opponent and denying negative campaigning.
Mr. Pavel has supported keeping the Czech Republic anchored in the European Union and NATO and has come out strongly in favor of more military aid to Ukraine to fight Russian aggression.
By contrast, Mr Babis was forced to backtrack earlier this week after he suggested he would not meet the country’s obligations to defend a fellow NATO member if attacked. .
“I want peace, I don’t want war,” Mr. Babs said during the televised debate. “Under no circumstances will I send my children or the children of our women into battle.”
In the Czech Republic, the role of President is a largely ceremonial but still influential position. Presidents choose prime ministers and central bank governors, as well as having a say in foreign policy.
