Czech president in hospital amid talks
PRAGUE – Czech Republic President Milos Zeman was rushed to the hospital on Sunday, a day after the country held parliamentary election in which populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis’ party surprisingly came in second and Zeman has a key role in establishing a new government.
The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post but the president has the right to choose what political leader can try to form the next government. Earlier Sunday, Zeman met with Babis, his close ally, but the prime minister made no comment as he left the presidential chateau in Lany, near Prague.
On Saturday, the centrist ANO (Yes) party led by Babis, a populist billionaire, narrowly lost the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election, which could spell the end of the euroskeptic leader’s reign in the European Union nation of 10.7 million people.
A liberal-conservative three-party coalition named Together captured 27.8% of the vote, beating Babis’ ANO, which won 27.1%. Another center-left liberal coalition received 15.6% of the vote to finish third.
Zeman earlier indicated he would first appoint the leader of the strongest party, not the strongest coalition, to try to form the government, which would be Babis. In his only post-election comment, he congratulated the election winner and all elected lawmakers.
It’s not clear how the hospitalization of Zeman, 77, will affect efforts to form the next government. Zeman is a heavy smoker and drinker who has suffered from diabetes. He has trouble walking and has been using a wheelchair.
Prague’s military hospital confirmed that Zeman was transported there Sunday.
“The reason for his hospitalization are the complications that accompany the chronic disease for which we treat him here,” said Dr. Miroslav Zavoral, the director of the clinic. He declined to elaborate.
Zeman was previously admitted Sept. 14 for what his office described later as a planned examination. The office said the president was only dehydrated and slightly exhausted. Zeman was released after eight days, his longest hospital stay.
He spent four days in the same hospital in 2019 for similar reasons.