Czech president's friend, SCS Software co-founder, injured in Morocco desert buggy crash

The crash in the Moroccan desert

Petr Szebor, co-founder of the game studio SCS Software and a personal friend of Czech President Petr Pavel, was seriously injured when one of the buggies left the route during the presidential holiday in Morocco, according to Aktuálně.cz, which cited five independent sources. The portal names him Pavel Šebor. Aktuálně.cz also reported that the driver was hurt. TVN24 places the accident on Tuesday, while Aktuálně.cz's sources could not agree whether it happened on Tuesday or Wednesday. Pavel himself was not injured, his chancellery said.

Onet, citing the Czech portal, reported that Szebor has numerous fractures but is in stable condition and that his injuries are not life-threatening. Aktuálně.cz's source described broken bones and spinal involvement, and said a flight home was being discussed for the weekend. A rescuer who happened to be at the scene gave Szebor first aid. Vít Kolář, a representative of the president's chancellery, confirmed that the president was not among the injured.

Members of his team took part in providing first aid to the injured person.

Pavel's sudden return

On 2 October the chancellery said Pavel would not vote in the local elections on 9 and 10 October because of a private foreign trip, adding that he regretted a planning error. Aktuálně.cz reported that he left the country on 2 October and was due back at his official programme on 19 October. Two days before his appearance, the chancellery had said the president had not changed his mind.

On Friday, however, Pavel unexpectedly cut short his holiday and appeared at a polling station in Černouček near Litoměřice, where he is registered. Onet described the appearance as a surprise. Pavel called his announced absence a mistake in judging the situation, and said:

Everyone makes mistakes, even presidents, and I consider this matter closed. I am glad that I could do it this way, and I am glad I could go to vote, thereby making clear to citizens that they too should go.

On X he added a longer statement about responsibility:

Admitting a mistake is not easy, but if a politician values people's trust, he has to do it. I know what responsibility is, and that every trust is earned with difficulty, but lost extremely easily and quickly. Mistakes have to be paid for, and I have drawn conclusions from my own.

Criticism and the local vote

Politicians from both the governing coalition and the opposition criticised the decision to travel during the vote, Czech Radio reported this week, and supporters of the president were among the critics. TVN24 journalist Cezary Paprzycki said critical voices dominate Czech media, with many commentators pointing to the head of state's responsibility. Voting is voluntary, but those commentators argue the president should set a good example. Others say media reactions are overblown and that each person answers for their own decisions. Paprzycki described the trip as an image blunder rather than a clear question of a good or bad decision.

The elections run on 9 and 10 October, when Czechs choose municipal councillors and senators. The Senate has 81 members serving six-year terms, with one third replaced every two years. In the district where Pavel is registered, only councillors are elected this week.

What happens next

Aktuálně.cz reported that Szebor could be flown back to the Czech Republic at the weekend, and a source said the question was how to transport him safely home. The driver was also reported to have broken bones. Pavel is scheduled to return to his official work programme on 19 October. Sources have not yet established whether anyone else was hurt, and SCS Software declined to comment on the accident in detail.