Former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman has won the presidential election – the first time the position has been decided by direct popular vote.
Milos Zeman won 55% of votes in the second-round poll, compared to Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg’s 45%.
Voters had braved freezing conditions to turn out in what was being seen as a nail-bitingly close poll.
Milos Zeman is seen as a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of opponents.
As president, Milos Zeman will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but the post does not carry much day-to-day power.
Milos Zeman will replace the euroskeptic Vaclav Klaus, who steps down in March after ten years in office.
Both presidential candidates support deeper integration of the European Union.
The result is a triumphant return for a man many thought was finished in politics.
Former Czech PM Milos Zeman has won the presidential election, the first time the position has been decided by direct popular vote
Ten years ago Milos Zeman was humiliated in his first attempt to become president – even members of his own party didn’t vote for him.
He has spent much of the last decade in retirement at his country cottage, but he returns now to political life with a vengeance.
He seems to have won the support of many poorer, older voters from areas of the country that have suffered in the economic downtown.
Milos Zeman won 24.2% in the first round poll, with Karel Schwarzenberg winning 23.4%.
Although Czechs are generally disillusioned with politics, they turned out in their droves to choose between the two very different candidates – Milos Zeman, the acerbic former Social Democrat prime minister, and Karel Schwarzenberg, the elderly, aristocratic foreign minister.
The urban elite voted en masse for Karel Schwarzenberg – who was supported by many in the media and had a strong Facebook following.
A titled prince, 75 years old but wildly popularly amongst young, urban voters, in the early 1990s, he worked as chancellor to the President Vaclav Havel, the leader of the Velvet Revolution that brought down Communist rule in 1989.
For Karel Schwarzenberg’s supporters, this is a bitter defeat.
Czech voters have been casting their ballots in the presidential election, the first time the role has been elected by direct popular vote.
Former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman faces Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in the second round.
People have braved freezing conditions to vote in what is proving a nail-bitingly close election.
Milos Zeman gained 24.2% in the first round, with Karel Schwarzenberg 23.4%.
“It’ll be very tight,” Karel Schwarzenberg said after casting his ballot in the small village of Sykorice, south-west of Prague.
“I’m not nervous, far from it, I’m calm, we’ll see,” he added.
Former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman faces Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in the second round of presidential election
Milos Zeman said he had said all he wanted to say.
“Now it’s the turn of citizens,” he added.
Though Czechs are generally disillusioned with politics, they have been turning out in droves to chose the two very different candidates – Milos Zeman, the acerbic former Social Democrat prime minister, and Karel Schwarzenberg, the elderly, aristocratic foreign minister.
Milos Zeman is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents while Karel Schwarzenberg is a titled prince, 75 years of age but wildly popularly amongst young, urban voters, our correspondent says.
In the early 1990s, Karel Schwarzenberg worked as chancellor to the President Vaclav Havel, the leader of the Velvet Revolution that brought down Communist rule in 1989.
The vote is the first time the president is being directly elected by the public.
The new president will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but does not carry much day-to-day power.
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Former Prime Minister Milos Zeman is set to face Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in a run-off in the Czech Republic’s presidential election.
With almost all the votes counted in the first round of voting, Milos Zeman has emerged as the front runner, with Karel Schwarzenberg in second place.
The two candidates will now contest a run-off in two-weeks time, as no candidate won 50% of the votes.
Another former Prime Minister, Jan Fisher, was beaten into third place.
He had previously led the polls but failed to shine in a pre-election televised debate among candidates.
Vladimir Franz, a drama professor, painter and composer who is covered in blue tattoos, came fifth.
Former Prime Minister Milos Zeman is set to face Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg in a run-off in the Czech Republic’s presidential election
The result means the election to succeed President Vaclav Klaus, who led the country for ten years, now centres around two very different men.
Milos Zeman is a hard-drinking, chain-smoking politician, known for his witty put-downs of his political opponents.
Karel Schwarzenberg is a titled prince, 75 years of age but wildly popularly amongst young, urban voters – and closely linked to the country’s first president, the late Vaclav Havel.
Playwright and dissident Vaclav Havel was the leader of the Velvet Revolution that brought down Communist rule in 1989.
Vaclav Klaus, a charismatic but divisive figure, is barred by the constitution from seeking a third term in office.
Correspondents say his departure is likely to be welcomed in many European capitals, which were often exasperated by his blunt suspicion of European integration.
However, many in the Czech Republic gave him credit for his economic policies when in government in the 1990s, and for his decision to keep out of the euro.
The vote is the first time the president is being directly elected by the public.
The new president will represent the Czech Republic abroad and appoint candidates to the constitutional court and the central bank, but does not carry much day-to-day power.
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