War hero and former NATO general Pavel (right) was elected president of the Czech Republic, and his wife Eva (left) is also a soldier.

(Reuters)

(Central News Agency) Former NATO general Petr Pavel has won the Czech presidential runoff that ended today.

Diplomatically, Pavel is more pro-Western than the current president, Milos Zeman. He especially advocates being tough on Russia and China, supports continued military aid to Ukraine, and has a position similar to that of the government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

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Pavel regards China as a security threat. He previously pointed out that China has the potential to become a center in the economy, technology and military, but its values ​​and strategic goals are different from those of the Czech Republic. It is necessary to be careful in developing bilateral relations.

He said that the Czech Republic and China do have opportunities to develop trade, but the trade volume is not large, and the potential is not so large that it is necessary to adjust the principles of foreign relations for this purpose, such as restricting cooperation with Taiwan.

Agence France-Presse reported that Pavel, a motorcycle-loving war hero, promised to "restore order" in the EU and NATO member Czech Republic if elected.

True to his military history, Pavel, 61, said on his campaign website: "I cannot ignore the fact that people here feel increasingly chaotic, disordered and uncertain, and that the country has somehow stopped functioning. .”

He also wrote: "We need to change this situation. We need to play by the rules of the game, which apply equally to everyone. We need a big cleaning."

Born on November 1, 1961, Pavel attended military school and university in the now-defunct Czechoslovakia, ruled by Russian-backed communists.

Pavel then joined the Communist Party, and his military ranks began to climb rapidly.

His critics accused him of studying to become a military intelligence agent in the Communist army.

"I was born into a family where joining the party was considered commonplace. I didn't have enough information and experience to judge the criminal nature of the regime, and now I know it was a mistake," Pavel said on his website.

When the Communist Party collapsed in 1989, Pavel ditched his party card, but he continued to study intelligence courses.

Pavel served as an elite paratrooper in the army and was honored in 1993 for helping French troops escape from the fighting zone between Serbia and Croatia.

After the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999, Pavel served for 3 years at the NATO Regional Command in the Netherlands.

He later obtained a master's degree in international relations from King's College in London, UK, before taking over as Chief of Staff of the Czech Army.

In 2015, Pavel was appointed chairman of NATO's Military Council, the alliance's top military official.

He received numerous medals during his military career, including the Legion of Merit from the United States and the Croix de Guerre from France, and was honorably discharged in 2018 wearing a medal.

When the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) outbreak broke out, Pavel launched the "Stronger Together" (Stronger Together) organization to help deal with various crises and assist those in need.

Pavel's wife, Eva, is also a soldier.

He said that in his spare time he enjoys traveling, skiing, photography and reading, but his real hobby is riding a motorcycle.

Pavel originally rode a Suzuki (Suzuki) off-road motorcycle, and now he is riding a BMW dual-sport.

"I have served for 33 years to promote democracy and pro-Western in our country," Pavel said on his website.