The ex-military Petr Pavel assumed the presidency of the Czech Republic on Thursday with an oath of allegiance to the Constitution in Prague Castle.
Pavel, 61, who chaired the Czech Army General Staff and headed the NATO military committee, succeeds Social Democrat Milos Zeman, who held the position for the last ten years, as the state presidency.
At the solemn ceremony before the President of the Senate, Pavel stressed that solidarity with Ukraine has shown that “the unwavering decision to help each other is stronger than brutal aggression.”
Although the president’s prerogatives are rather representative, Pavel has developed a feverish activity since his election last January and highlighted the fight against inflation as one of his management priorities.