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Summary for: Pavel remains clear favorite for 2028 Czech presidential electionPresident Petr Pavel remains the most frequently named potential choice for Czechia's next head of state, with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš emerging as his most significant potential challenger, according to a new STEM/MARK survey.
But with the next presidential election still roughly a year and a half away, most Czechs have yet to settle on anyone.
Only 40 percent of respondents could spontaneously name a person they would like to see become the next president. The remaining 60 percent either had no preferred candidate or said the election was not yet an issue they were considering.
Among those who did name someone, Pavel appeared most frequently, followed at a significant distance by Babiš.
When respondents were instead shown a list of 46 prominent public figures and asked whom they would consider voting for, Pavel again emerged as the most prominent potential candidate, with Babiš his closest political rival.
Neither man has been presented in the survey as a confirmed candidate, and STEM/MARK stressed that preferences are likely to change significantly as the election approaches and other potential candidates emerge.
Actor and television presenter Marek Eben also performed strongly despite repeatedly ruling out a presidential bid, while actor Marek Vašut was another prominent nonpolitical name.
Czechs divided over president's powers
The survey also found that 48 percent of respondents want the Czech president's constitutional powers to remain unchanged. Another 38 percent would strengthen the office, while 14 percent would weaken it.
Most respondents said they knew at least some of the president's constitutional powers, although only 14 percent said they knew all or almost all of them.
When asked about their ideal president, respondents placed particular emphasis on being representative and intelligent, while also favoring political experience combined with independence from political parties and lobbyists.
The STEM/MARK survey questioned 1,008 adults online between Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, with quotas for gender, age, education, municipality size and region.
