Milos Zeman vote settles Czech presidency - or does it?

in the end the distinction between victory and defeat turned into just 150,000 votes, a margin re-elected czech president milos zeman defined as "extraordinarily" close.

the shouts of "long live zeman!" echoed via the corridors of the instead drab pinnacle hotel, the president's election headquarters in prague's grey southern suburbs, as his supporters clapped wildly.

"this is my ultimate victory," stated the 73-12 months-antique. he become flanked via his spouse, daughter, close aides and several politicians, along with tomio okamura, chief of the some distance-right spd celebration.

mr okamura is a key best friend in mr zeman's ideological war in opposition to what he sees because the creeping islamisation of europe.

"in my next term i need to be less conceited and greater humble," he advised the gang, including that those who disliked him were not likely to exchange their minds.

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as a substitute, he said he might combat for what he known as "active citizenship", a extra involvement of everyday people in influencing politics and society.

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he stated he had come to the realization that "some newshounds and politicians" possessed substantially decrease intelligence than "normal people".

that is why many humans - such as mr zeman himself - continue to make comparisons with us president donald trump.

throughout metropolis, inside the similarly drab congress centre that served as jiri drahos' headquarters, the ecosystem become celebratory in preference to funereal. there was sustained applause as jiri drahos took to the degree.

"we failed to win," he stated. "but we are not defeated.""the strength created in the course of this marketing campaign will stay on," he added. there has been extra applause, before he defined that he had no plans to retreat from public existence.

"i'm able to carry on," he instructed the crowd. journalists right now began questioning what precisely that intended.

could there be another election before milos zeman's five years is up? the media may be watching his public appearances cautiously.

no longer anybody is positive the sick president - who suffers from kind-2 diabetes and walks with issue - is physically able to completing his mandate.

later, mr drahos told the bbc it turned into too quickly to invest whether he may locate himself contesting the post of president again.

however he was truly no longer ruling whatever out, which include getting into parliament.

so become it right to describe this election as a battle of ideas between populism and elitism, among authoritarianism and liberal democracy, among east and west?

"i assume what we witnessed become a competition among the populist, anti-establishment leanings of the big a part of the populace with the relaxation of society," stated michael zantovsky, former czech ambassador to london and a near aide of the late ex-president vaclav havel.

"and what is very humorous in a way is that the leader of the anti-status quo camp turned into absolutely the chief of the establishment - the president."