Czech Ex-Army Chief Enters Presidential Race Pledging Stability

Petr Pavel, a retired NATO military officer, launched his campaign for the Czech presidency as a potential front-runner in next year’s contest, which could see him face off against the country’s controversial former billionaire premier.

Pavel, an independent who vows to be a steady hand through Europe’s security and energy crises, has emerged as the only serious candidate so far to pose a challenge to Andrej Babis, whose tenure as premier was weighed down by accusations of fraud and conflicts of interest.