The Czech President Will Miss the Municipal Elections Due to a Trip Abroad

Czech President Petr Pavel will not participate in the municipal elections in his village of Černouček, which will take place on October 9–10. At that time, the head of state will be outside the European Union on a private trip. The Office of the President stated that Pavel regrets the scheduling error.

 

Petr Pavel will not be able to vote in the election for the representative body of the Černouček community. The president left the country on October 2, and his return to his work schedule is planned for Monday, October 19. On that day, he will, among other things, receive ambassadors. The Communications Department of the Czech Presidential Office announced the president’s absence from the elections.

The Office noted that Pavel regrets the scheduling error. At the same time, he remains in contact with the Office of the President of the Czech Republic throughout his trip in case it becomes necessary to resolve any important issues. The head of state’s exact whereabouts are not being disclosed, as the trip is of a private nature. It is known only that Pavel is outside the European Union.

This year, there are no Senate elections being held in the president’s electoral district. Therefore, Pavel will not be able to vote for candidates to the upper house of parliament within his district. This specifically refers to the municipal elections in Černouček, where the president has the right to vote as a resident of the municipality.

Municipal elections throughout the Czech Republic will take place on Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, 2026. At the same time, the country will hold the first round of elections for one-third of the Senate. The elections were officially scheduled by Presidential Decree No. 117/2026, published in June.

Political scientist Jan Kubáček told ČTK that the president’s absence from the municipal elections is not “fatal.” At the same time, he called the situation regrettable, as Czech presidents have traditionally participated in elections and publicly emphasized their importance. According to him, this practice is associated not only with Václav Havel but also with a tradition dating back to the time of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

This is not Pavel’s first private trip abroad this year. In February, he was also outside the Czech Republic for three working days, and prior to that, he traveled abroad at the end of January and beginning of February. At that time, the Office of the President did not disclose details of the trips. Pavel later revealed that he spent his January vacation in Spain, where he rode a motorcycle. The president spent his summer vacation this year in the Czech Republic.

Černouček holds special significance for Pavel, as it was there that he voted in previous elections. Specifically, in 2024, the president cast his vote in the second round of the Senate elections in his district. This time, he will not be able to vote in person because he is abroad. This was reported by Ceske Noviny.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated that his country is ready to fulfill its NATO obligations if Russia attacks one of the Baltic states. According to him, in such a case, the Czech Republic must be prepared to deploy two mechanized brigades, and Prague is already working out relevant scenarios together with President Petr Pavel.