Retired general Petr Pavel is the new Czech president

PRAGUE (AP) — A retired army general and former NATO official was sworn in as the new president of the Czech Republic on Thursday, replacing the controversial Milos Zeman.

Petr Pavel was officially sworn in during a joint session of both houses of parliament at Prague Castle, the seat of the presidency.

He was elected to the largely ceremonial but prestigious post in a January 28 runoff, beating populist billionaire Andrej Babis.

Pavel, 61, stood as an independent candidate in the elections. His election should consolidate the western orientation of the country.

His predecessor, Zeman, divided the nation with his pro-Russian stance and support for closer ties with China.

Pavel, who was chairman of the military committee of NATO, the highest military body in the alliance, promised to tackle this division.

“We all face the same problems and only together can we solve them,” he said.

Zeman, whose second and final five-year term expired on Wednesday, was the first president to be directly elected by the people. Lawmakers elected the country’s two former presidents, Vaclav Havel and Vaclav Klaus.

On Thursday, Pavel unexpectedly unveiled a presidential flag with the slogan “Truth prevails” on a balcony. It was stolen from the castle roof in 2015 by an art group who replaced it with huge red men’s boxer shorts, a blow to Zeman.

The underwear was meant to symbolize Zeman’s close relationship with Russia and China, and has since become a symbol of criticism of his presidency.