Ex-NATO General Vies With Billionaire for Czech Presidency
- Pavel beat former premier Babis in first round of election
- Winner will succeed divisive President Zeman as head of state
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A retired NATO general will seek to fend off an attempted political comeback by the Czech Republic’s billionaire former premier as the nation votes in a presidential runoff election.
Petr Pavel, who once served as NATO’s highest-ranking military officer, is favored to win the contest to become head of state after narrowly defeating former Prime Minister Andrej Babis a chemicals, farming and media magnate known for his tussles with the European Union, in the first round of voting.