UPDATE 4-Retired general, ex-premier to square off in Czech presidential runoff
Both Pavel, a former general staff chief and NATO military committee chairman, and opposition leader Babis who was prime minister in 2017-2021, would likely be more pro-Western than the retiring incumbent Milos Zeman, who promoted tighter ties with China and, until the invasion of Ukraine last year, Russia. Pavel, 61, is strongly pro-Western and supports further military aid for Ukraine as well as adoption of the euro.