Miloš Zeman has been elected president of the Czech Republic. The former Social Democrat prime minister received 54.8 percent of the vote in the second round of the direct presidential elections on Saturday while his rival for the post, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, obtained 45.2 percent. Miloš Zeman won in all Czech regions with the exception of Prague. The turnout in the runoff reached over 59 percent, less than in the first round two weeks ago. Miloš Zeman will be inaugurated on March 8, the day after Václav Klaus’s second term expires.
Speaking at an improvised news conference at his headquarters in Prague, president-elect Miloš Zeman said his victory was “convincing”, and promised to be the voice of all Czechs, not just those who backed him in the election. After thanking his campaign team, Mr Zeman said he would outline a detailed programme of his presidency in an address to the Czech Parliament. The newly elected president reiterated that he would visit Slovakia on his first trip abroad, and asked his 18-year-old daughter Kateřina to informally play the role of the “first miss” as his wife wished to stay out of the public arena.
With nearly all votes counted, Karel Schwarzenberg conceded defeat in the second round of voting for the Czech president, and congratulated rival Miloš Zeman on winning the popular vote. Mr Schwarzenberg said, however, that the election was decided by lies and dirty tricks in the campaign. He also announced he would continue to serve as foreign minister in the current centre-right government, would run for re-election as the head of the TOP 09 party.
The outgoing Czech president, Václav Klaus, has welcomed the election of Miloš Zeman as his successor. In a reference to the motto of the late president Václav Havel, Mr Klaus told Czech Radio that in Mr Zeman’s election, “truth and love have finally prevailed over lies and hatred”. Mr Klaus, who is on a working visit to Chile, said he was glad that Czechs did not get confused by an incredible media campaign ahead of the vote, adding that result of the election was a huge satisfaction for all those who “mean well” for the country.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas on Saturday congratulated Miloš Zeman on his victory in the first direct Czech presidential election. Since the fall of communism, Mr Nečas said, Czech politics had generated three significant figures – Václav Havel, Václav Klaus and Miloš Zeman – and that it was “natural” that Mr Zeman had been elected to succeed the former two. The prime minister also expressed hope that the atmosphere in the society would calm down in the coming days after the divisive campaigning ahead of the presidential vote.
Most Czech expats and tourists backed Karel Schwarzenberg in the second round of the direct presidential election. Mr Schwarzenberg received nearly 85 percent of the expat vote while Miloš Zeman got just over 15 percent. Polling stations at Czech embassies and consulates reported a higher turnout compared to the election’s first round held two weeks ago.
The next few days should be warmer, with clear skies, snow or rain showers and daytime highs ranging between -4 and 0 degrees Celsius.
English
Deutsch
Français
Español
Pусский
Česky