The people of the Czech Republic will go to the polls this Friday in the first round of the presidential elections, which are expected to be close in an atmosphere of growing social polarization.
The electoral authorities, which on Wednesday enabled early voting for all those citizens who have been infected with coronavirus in the last week, have given the starting signal for elections that will last until Saturday.
This is the third direct election to be held in the country to elect the head of state, and citizens will now have to choose their next president from among nine candidates who have managed to meet the requirements set out in Czech law.
In the event that none of the candidates in question wins more than 50 percent of the votes, a second round with the two most voted candidates will be called at the end of January to bring the election to a close.
The election process has been marked by the candidacy of former Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who is also one of the main favorites along with the former chairman of the NATO Military Committee, retired General Petr Pavel.
Danuse Nerudova, an economist and former university rector, is popular among the younger population. According to polls, Nerudova could spring a surprise and become the first woman to hold the post. Several experts have also pointed out that Nerudova has managed to gather support especially after the last televised presidential debate.
The current president, Milos Zeman, is not eligible to run again after serving his two terms under Czech law. The country holds presidential elections every five years and parliamentary elections every four years.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
