Day One of the president-elect

If the Czech president had the executive powers sometimes attributed to him during the election campaign, Andrej Babiš or Petr Pavel would need to be ready to start dealing right away on Sun. or Mon. with a slew of domestic and international flash points that could flare up at any time. Not least of these is the lingering impact of covid and the suspension of production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech, which could affect hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of workers if it drags on. This in turn could put pressure on the crown, which is being artificially supported at an unrealistic rate by the CNB. Creeping escalation of the war in Ukraine also threatens to militarize industry, perhaps requiring retooling of equipment and retraining of workers, or even mobilization, as mentioned yesterday by Army Chief of Staff Karel Řehka. Even a largely ceremonial president will have his hands full and will need to prove himself quickly if he is to be a leader and not a follower.