Chief of the General Staff in the Czech Republic: government backs Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč

Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč, currently deputy to the incumbent Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka, is to become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces. As Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced, the government has already approved the corresponding proposal by Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna. Zůna himself, however, surprisingly voted against it – sparking a political debate.

Next, the Defence Committee of the Chamber of Deputies must deal with the government’s proposal; the appointment then lies with the President. Hlaváč is expected to take over Řehka’s post in the summer.

Minister’s vote against sparks debate

Babiš explained the step as follows:

“He has enormous experience, and I consider him the ideal candidate. Within the career system, it is a natural choice for me that the deputy of the incumbent Chief of the General Staff takes over as successor”— Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

Whether the proposal succeeds now depends on the President, said Babiš. On Zůna’s vote against, the Prime Minister said:

“Zůna proposed several candidates, we discussed them, and it is true that he had a different opinion. Minister Zůna voted against, the other members of the government voted in favour.”— Prime Minister Andrej Babiš

The defence minister told public broadcaster ČT that he voted no because he “could imagine a more suitable person for this position”. He respects the government’s decision, however.

Backing from President Pavel

On the platform X, the office of President Petr Pavel has already stated that he is prepared to appoint Miroslav Hlaváč as Chief of the General Staff. Pavel considers him a suitable candidate – because of his work to date as Deputy Chief of the General Staff as well as his military leadership experience, his training and his abilities.

Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna’s no vote came as a surprise to some in the military. Jiří Šedivý, himself a former Chief of the General Staff, was critical: “The defence minister has probably made a big mistake.” He called Zůna’s rejection “not a good start” and suspected political pressure behind the decision. Personally, however, he supports Hlaváč’s nomination: “I consider him the best choice.”

Approval also came from Jana Černochová, the former defence minister:

“It is a good choice, he is an experienced soldier, a decent and very hard-working person who always promoted the modernisation of the army and support for Ukraine during my term of office.”— Jana Černochová, former defence minister

Career of the candidate for Chief of the General Staff

Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč looks back on a decades-long career in the Czech and, before that, Czechoslovak armed forces. He started out in the artillery. From 2010 to 2016 he commanded the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade (4. brigáda rychlého nasazení) in Žatec.

This was followed by his rise to the General Staff. There he played a key role in strategic projects, including the integration and modernisation of the armed forces’ active reserve. His most recent post was that of Deputy Chief of the General Staff.