Czech voters prepare to choose new president

Three candidates — a billionaire ex-premier, a former NATO general and an economist — lead the polls ahead of Friday's first round of the Czech presidential election.

The winner will become head of state of a country battling record inflation and bulging public finance deficits because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The polls suggest that the three leading contenders are the only ones in the running, Josef Mlejnek, an analyst at Charles University in Prague, told Agence France-Presse. "It is 99 percent clear that two out of the three will make the runoff," Mlejnek said.

Five other candidates have been trailing in opinion polls behind former prime minister Andrej Babis, former paratrooper Petr Pavel and economist Danuse Nerudova, the only woman running.

Unless someone wins more than 50 percent in the first round, which is considered unlikely, a second round will pit the top two contenders on Jan 27 and 28.

The winner will succeed the 78-year-old Milos Zeman, whose final term ends in March.

While the role is largely ceremonial, it is the head of state who names the government, picks the central bank governor and constitutional judges, and serves as the top commander of the armed forces.

Babis, who has a tiny edge in opinion polls, has a net worth of just over $4 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Euronews quoted a survey by local polling company Median, which had Pavel in the lead at 29.5 percent, three points ahead of Babis, though another poll by Ipsos gave Babis a narrow lead, with both having Nerudova in third place, well clear of any other candidates.

Doubts have been expressed about the fact that she has never held political office, but Nerudova is keen to turn this to her advantage, emphasizing that she would usher in a new era and a new approach.

"Our country was managed as a company for eight years," she said in a recent speech, in a nod to a pledge made by Babis when he became prime minister.

Babis has in the past been a vocal critic of the European Union.

But despite his sometimes strained relationship with Brussels, Babis was keen to draw attention to his meeting this week with French President Emmanuel Macron, one of Europe's biggest power brokers.

"I am glad that Europe's most important politician found time for me and that we have such a friendly relationship," Babis tweeted after their meeting.

Agencies contributed to this story.

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