The winner will become head of state of a country battling record inflation and bulging public finance deficits because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Five other candidates have been trailing in opinion polls behind former prime minister Andrej Babis, former paratrooper Petr Pavel and economist Danuse Nerudova, the only woman running. Babis, who has a tiny edge in opinion polls, has a net worth of just over $4 billion, according to Forbes magazine. But despite his sometimes strained relationship with Brussels, Babis was keen to draw attention to his meeting this week with French President Emmanuel Macron, one of Europe's biggest power brokers. "I am glad that Europe's most important politician found time for me and that we have such a friendly relationship," Babis tweeted after their meeting.

Source: Forbes January 13, 2023 02:38 UTC