President Petr Pavel yesterday appointed Miroslav Hlavac as the new Chief of General Staff of the Czech Army at Prague Castle. Hlavac will replace Karel Rehka on 1 July.
Lieutenant General Hlavac, who has been First Deputy Chief of Staff since mid-2023, took over the post at the traditional ceremonial parade to mark Armed Forces Day at Prague-Vitkov yesterday morning. The cabinet approved Hlavac’s nomination in May.
He previously said the completion of the heavy brigade was one of his priorities as chief of staff. Hlavac has been in the military since the 1980s and has held a number of command and staff positions throughout his career, primarily in the artillery and ground forces.
President Pavel said the new army chief faces a challenging period, during which he will need to adapt to the new reality within NATO, including dealing with the partial withdrawal of the United States from Europe. “We will have to respond to increased demands for building our military’s capabilities within a relatively short time frame. All of this is taking place against the backdrop of a fairly limited budget and debates over priorities,” he said.
The president believes that Hlavac will strictly adhere to expert recommendations that will benefit the defence and security of the country.
President Pavel thanked Rehka, noting that he had approached his role with the utmost sense of responsibility and an openness that often caused him problems. “Soldiers, police officers and firefighters in high-ranking positions are, above all, advisors for political decision-making and should provide their superiors with information that is unbiased and objective, even if they may not always like it. That is what happened, and I think it was the right thing to do,” he said.
According to Pavel, the complexity of the role of Chief of the General Staff has also become apparent, as it is at the intersection of the military and politics, and the General Staff is part of the Ministry of Defence.
“There were also various points of friction, which not only affected communication between the ministry and the army but often spilled over into the public sphere,” Pavel said. He said that this situation warrants attention, and that the legal framework should be amended to bring it in line with that of other armed forces.
The participants in the appointment ceremony at Prague Castle included Defence Minister Jaromir Zuna (SPD) and lower house defence committee chair Josef Flek (STAN). “I sincerely hope that the modest turnout of government officials does not reflect the level of attention paid to the military and our security,” the president said in his opening remarks.
When Rehka was appointed four years ago, defence minister Jana Cernochova (ODS) attended the ceremony. As yesterday, neither the prime minister nor the speakers of the two houses of parliament were present.
The Chief of the General Staff holds the highest military position in the country and is responsible for the command, readiness and development of the armed forces. He serves as the chief military adviser to the Minister of Defence and the government.
Rehka, 51, has led the army since July 2022. He previously stated that, after leaving office, he wants to focus primarily on administrative matters related to his departure from the army. He is also considering running for the Senate. He could seek a seat in the upper house of parliament as an independent candidate, he said in an interview with Seznam Zpravy, and will make a decision in the coming weeks. “A political career isn’t my dream for the future, but I want to remain involved. I care about what’s happening here,” Rehka said.
