Public trust in Czech president on the rise following election of Pavel

Public trust in Czechia’s president has risen markedly since Petr Pavel took office in March, with almost 60 percent of the Czech public reporting they trust him according to the Czech Public Opinion Research Center.

Before predecessor Miloš Zeman left office, less than two-fifths of Czech reported that they trusted the ex-prime minister. In mid-2022, confidence in Zeman declined to less than 30 percent. This marked a huge decline from March 2016 level, when more than six in 10 Czechs trusted the then-president. Consistent pro-Russia and pro-China statements, combined with various internal scandals, were the causes of this.

A separate survey by the Median agency in late 2022 found that almost half of the Czech public (48 percent) graded Zeman's presidency a score of 4 or 5 on a five-point scale (1 being the best and 5 the worst). Just 3 percent of people gave him the top score of 1.

Voters of parties from the current government coalition – Spolu – are far more likely to approve of and trust Pavel. Voters of more populist parties, such as the ANO movement, Freedom and Direct Democracy party, and Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia are considerably more critical of Czechia’s current president. 

Opinions on other branches of government have not changed significantly since Pavel took power. The Chamber of Deputies is trusted by 32 percent of respondents. Trust in the Senate is only slightly higher, reaching 38 percent. Mayors and municipal authorities consistently enjoy the highest public trust of around 67 and 66 percent respectively. Regional governors are trusted by 45 percent and regional assemblies by 48 percent of Czechs.