Election Special | All stories

Jan Švejnar is taking on the popular incumbent Václav Klaus in this Friday’s election to the largely symbolic post of Czech president. The challenger left Czechoslovakia with his family at the age of 17, after the Soviet invasion of 1968. Following a short period in Switzerland, the Švejnars moved to the United States, where Mr Švejnar – now 55 – has since spent most of his life.

Václav Klaus is a hot favourite in Friday’s presidential election. Backed by the ruling Civic Democrats in both houses of Parliament, he will only need 20 votes from other parties’ electors to win a second term in office. But his apparent advantage over challenger Jan Švejnar – experience in politics, originality of thought, and unwavering support for what he refers to as ‘Czech national interests’ – might also prove to be his greatest weakness.