Former NATO general Petr Pavel sworn in as Czech president
A retired army general and former senior NATO official was sworn in Thursday as the Czech Republic's new president.
He is a fourth state leader, CT24 reports.
"I pledge my allegiance to the Czech Republic. I undertake to abide by its Constitution and laws. I swear on my honor to fulfill my duties for the benefit of the entire nation and to the best of my knowledge and conscience," Petr Pavel said during the oath.
"Slibuji věrnost České republice. Slibuji, že budu zachovávat její Ústavu a zákony. Slibuji na svou čest, že svůj úřad budu zastávat v zájmu všeho lidu a podle svého nejlepšího vědomí a svědomí."
Petr Pavel složil slib do rukou předsedy Senátu. Stal se tak 4. prezidentem ČR. pic.twitter.com/SCksUOFG6C
— ČT24 (@CT24zive) March 9, 2023
In his speech, Pavel said that he will soon publish a plan for the first hundred days of his work.
"Society is not divided, rather it is used to talking about what divides it. The election results showed that people prefer truth and decency," the Czech president said.
Former NATO general Pavel ran as an independent in the election and is a former chairman of NATO's military committee, the alliance's highest military body. His election is expected to cement the country's Western orientation.
His predecessor Zeman divided the nation with his pro-russian stance and support for closer ties with China.
Pavel fully endorsed the Czech Republic's military and humanitarian support for Ukraine in its fight against russia's full-scale war and stresses the importance of the country's European Union and NATO membership.
