Any military man achieving political power ought to be a cause for concern for those whose primary values are peace and democratic rights.
So, a former NATO general sweeping the 2022 Czech presidential election would usually set alarm bells ringing. But Petr Pavel’s political success is complicated – as his victory speech indicates: ‘Values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility won. I am convinced these values are shared by the vast majority of us; it is worth trying to make them part of our lives.’ Hardly a championing of martial and nationalist values.
